Last Sunday — San Francisco’s October day on record — seven neighbors were spotted at the intersection of 31st Avenue and California Street. Brooms in hand, they were trying to sweep rainwater that flooded the intersection down the street and into storm drains.

They stopped the flooding, but didn’t save the water. That’s because, despite having some of the nation’s most ambitious policies on sustainability, San Francisco still loses most of its potentially reusable rain water down the drain.

It’s a problem. gov. Gavin Newsom recently issued a proclamation extending a statewide drought emergency, which gives the State Water Resources Control Board authority to ban wasteful water practices. On Monday, after the storms cleared, California’s two largest reservoirs were only 22% and 26% full. And while about four inches of rain fell in downtown San Francisco last weekend, the majority of it flowed into the sewers and out to sea.

“As the climate crisis worsens, there is no doubt that increased water reuse and recycling from all sources, including rainwater when it’s available, will be necessary for our survival,” Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who has been particularly vocal about the issue, said in a statement.

Despite the amount of water wasted, San Francisco’s policies are ahead of most other cities in the state. Residents are reimbursed for rainwater cisterns installed on their property, large developments are required to install water recycling systems, and a stormwater collection project that will irrigate most of a new park in Russian Hill is underway. Since 2012, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has encouraged water reclamation, establishing a voluntary program to encourage large-scale water reuse systems by establishing clear guidelines for developers and establishing water quality standards.

In 2015, state Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco supervisor at the time, authored legislation mandating the establishment of those water reuse systems in new developments over 250,000 square feet. Just last month, an ordinance authored by Mandelman expanded that requirement to new developments of 100,000 square feet or more. Mandelman’s office told The Examiner that the legislation “more than doubles” the amount of water reused.

There are several types of rainwater that can be reused, with varying degrees of filtration and treatment. Gray water is lightly contaminated water that has been used once and is now considered waste, like water that goes down the drain from a shower or after washing one’s hands. Stormwater is water from rainfall that drains off a land area or has crossed surfaces like roads and driveways. Rainwater, the cleanest of these types of reusable water, comes directly from the sky and at most slides off a non-contaminating surface, like a roof. This water can even become potable with basic filtration.

Harvesting that rain water, in its most basic form, is simple. Water must be funneled through clean gutters or PVC into a storage vessel, like a cistern. Then the vessel must be connected to a plumbing system with filtration, treatment and pressurization systems in place that are applicable to the water’s intended use. People collecting rainwater at home typically need only a basic filtration screen and a hose. Those with a green thumb can also make use of stormwater at home by reshaping gardens to funnel and divert water for irrigation.

“It’s just common sense,” says Laura Allen, who has written several manuals on household filtration systems and is a founding member of Greywater Action, which educates people on the topic. “People care about the environment, they care about the water, and they see this water coming down and know we should be utilizing it in the best way, but they don’t always know how.”

In commercial settings, the systems can become more complex, but follow the same model. Filtration systems often include multiple stages of treatment and disinfection, as well as pressurization so the water can be used for things such as flushing toilets. Developers and engineers working on these projects must complete applications with the PUC, the Department of Public Health, and, in some cases, a permit application with San Francisco Public Works. Application fees and engineering reports are also required.

In other words, the city’s regulations still come with a good bit of bureaucracy.

Sherwood Design Engineers, headquartered in San Francisco, is a leading firm on the West Coast taking on the challenge. His projects include restoring the banks and removing retaining walls around Strawberry Creek at the UC Berkeley campus. It also is behind the integrated water management plan for a highly-publicized, mixed-use community development in San Francisco’s India Basin.

Its renovations at Francisco Park are particularly noteworthy. It has built a world-class stormwater catchment system that will store 500,000 gallons of water and almost fully irrigate the park. In addition to the project’s immense size, it also has metaphorical value: the park itself was once a massive reservoir dating back to the 1850s that had been abandoned for nearly 80 years. The project reintroduced a useful water source.

Left: A rain capture system in Francisco Park in the Russian Hill area is being installed.

“At Francisco Park, we actually made use of a decommissioned drinking water reservoir,” said Amelia Luna, a senior project manager at Sherwood. “The City is leading the nation in promoting and passing regulations for onsite reuse of alternate water supplies like rainwater and stormwater,” she added.

Still, one of the most consequential ways to encourage rainwater reuse in San Francisco may be through boosting awareness around how to do it at home. In 2005, San Francisco made it legal to disconnect downspouts from the combined sewer system to direct rainwater to gardens or cisterns. The water can be used for outdoor irrigation, decorative fountains and car washes, for example.

“If everyone even had a rain barrel at their buildings, that would be a lot,” Allen said. “It’s about awareness and feeling connected to our water.”

Greywater Action lists dozens of resources on its website for setting up a home irrigation system, and leads workshops and presentations. SFPUC customers can be reimbursed for up to $100 spent on each of a property’s first two rain barrels, or up to $350 spent on a cistern holding up to 5,000 gallons. Interested residents must fill out an application on the SFPUC website.

According to the SFPUC, households that gather rainwater can collect 600 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet of roof for every one inch of rain. On a day like Sunday, that means the average two- or three-bedroom residence in The City could have collected 2,400 gallons — enough for about 240 five-minute showers.

virwin@sfexaminer.com

The post After the storm: How San Francisco makes use of rainwater | Archives appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Last Sunday — San Francisco’s October day on record — seven neighbors were spotted at the intersection of 31st Avenue and California Street. Brooms in hand, they were trying to sweep rainwater that flooded the intersection down the street and into storm drains.

They stopped the flooding, but didn’t save the water. That’s because, despite having some of the nation’s most ambitious policies on sustainability, San Francisco still loses most of its potentially reusable rain water down the drain.

It’s a problem. gov. Gavin Newsom recently issued a proclamation extending a statewide drought emergency, which gives the State Water Resources Control Board authority to ban wasteful water practices. On Monday, after the storms cleared, California’s two largest reservoirs were only 22% and 26% full. And while about four inches of rain fell in downtown San Francisco last weekend, the majority of it flowed into the sewers and out to sea.

“As the climate crisis worsens, there is no doubt that increased water reuse and recycling from all sources, including rainwater when it’s available, will be necessary for our survival,” Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who has been particularly vocal about the issue, said in a statement.

Despite the amount of water wasted, San Francisco’s policies are ahead of most other cities in the state. Residents are reimbursed for rainwater cisterns installed on their property, large developments are required to install water recycling systems, and a stormwater collection project that will irrigate most of a new park in Russian Hill is underway. Since 2012, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has encouraged water reclamation, establishing a voluntary program to encourage large-scale water reuse systems by establishing clear guidelines for developers and establishing water quality standards.

In 2015, state Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco supervisor at the time, authored legislation mandating the establishment of those water reuse systems in new developments over 250,000 square feet. Just last month, an ordinance authored by Mandelman expanded that requirement to new developments of 100,000 square feet or more. Mandelman’s office told The Examiner that the legislation “more than doubles” the amount of water reused.

There are several types of rainwater that can be reused, with varying degrees of filtration and treatment. Gray water is lightly contaminated water that has been used once and is now considered waste, like water that goes down the drain from a shower or after washing one’s hands. Stormwater is water from rainfall that drains off a land area or has crossed surfaces like roads and driveways. Rainwater, the cleanest of these types of reusable water, comes directly from the sky and at most slides off a non-contaminating surface, like a roof. This water can even become potable with basic filtration.

Harvesting that rain water, in its most basic form, is simple. Water must be funneled through clean gutters or PVC into a storage vessel, like a cistern. Then the vessel must be connected to a plumbing system with filtration, treatment and pressurization systems in place that are applicable to the water’s intended use. People collecting rainwater at home typically need only a basic filtration screen and a hose. Those with a green thumb can also make use of stormwater at home by reshaping gardens to funnel and divert water for irrigation.

“It’s just common sense,” says Laura Allen, who has written several manuals on household filtration systems and is a founding member of Greywater Action, which educates people on the topic. “People care about the environment, they care about the water, and they see this water coming down and know we should be utilizing it in the best way, but they don’t always know how.”

In commercial settings, the systems can become more complex, but follow the same model. Filtration systems often include multiple stages of treatment and disinfection, as well as pressurization so the water can be used for things such as flushing toilets. Developers and engineers working on these projects must complete applications with the PUC, the Department of Public Health, and, in some cases, a permit application with San Francisco Public Works. Application fees and engineering reports are also required.

In other words, the city’s regulations still come with a good bit of bureaucracy.

Sherwood Design Engineers, headquartered in San Francisco, is a leading firm on the West Coast taking on the challenge. His projects include restoring the banks and removing retaining walls around Strawberry Creek at the UC Berkeley campus. It also is behind the integrated water management plan for a highly-publicized, mixed-use community development in San Francisco’s India Basin.

Its renovations at Francisco Park are particularly noteworthy. It has built a world-class stormwater catchment system that will store 500,000 gallons of water and almost fully irrigate the park. In addition to the project’s immense size, it also has metaphorical value: the park itself was once a massive reservoir dating back to the 1850s that had been abandoned for nearly 80 years. The project reintroduced a useful water source.

Left: A rain capture system in Francisco Park in the Russian Hill area is being installed.

“At Francisco Park, we actually made use of a decommissioned drinking water reservoir,” said Amelia Luna, a senior project manager at Sherwood. “The City is leading the nation in promoting and passing regulations for onsite reuse of alternate water supplies like rainwater and stormwater,” she added.

Still, one of the most consequential ways to encourage rainwater reuse in San Francisco may be through boosting awareness around how to do it at home. In 2005, San Francisco made it legal to disconnect downspouts from the combined sewer system to direct rainwater to gardens or cisterns. The water can be used for outdoor irrigation, decorative fountains and car washes, for example.

“If everyone even had a rain barrel at their buildings, that would be a lot,” Allen said. “It’s about awareness and feeling connected to our water.”

Greywater Action lists dozens of resources on its website for setting up a home irrigation system, and leads workshops and presentations. SFPUC customers can be reimbursed for up to $100 spent on each of a property’s first two rain barrels, or up to $350 spent on a cistern holding up to 5,000 gallons. Interested residents must fill out an application on the SFPUC website.

According to the SFPUC, households that gather rainwater can collect 600 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet of roof for every one inch of rain. On a day like Sunday, that means the average two- or three-bedroom residence in The City could have collected 2,400 gallons — enough for about 240 five-minute showers.

virwin@sfexaminer.com

The post After the storm: How San Francisco makes use of rainwater | The Fs appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Last Sunday – San Francisco’s wettest October day on record – a team of seven neighbors was spotted at the intersection of 31st Street and California. Brooms in hand, they tried to sweep rainwater that had flooded the intersection down the street into the gullies.

If they hadn’t come to the rescue, most of the water would have gone there anyway. That’s because, despite some of the most sustainable policies in the country, San Francisco still loses most of its potentially reusable rainwater through runoff.

And that’s a problem. Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation extending a nationwide drought emergency that gives the State Water Resources Control Board the power to ban wasteful water practices. On Monday after the storms cleared, California’s largest and second largest reservoirs were only 22% and 26% full, respectively. And while about four inches of rain fell on downtown San Francisco last weekend, most of it flowed into the sewers and the ocean.

“As the climate crisis deepens, there is no doubt that increased reuse and reuse of water from all sources, including rainwater when it is available, will be necessary for our survival,” said Supervisor Mandelman, who was particularly vocal on the issue , in a opinion.

Despite the waste of water, San Francisco’s policies are ahead of most other cities in the state. Residents are being reimbursed for rainwater cisterns installed on their property, major construction is required to install water recycling systems, and a rainwater collection project that will irrigate most of a new park in Russian Hill is underway. Since 2012, the SF Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has promoted water recovery by setting up a voluntary program to promote large-scale water reuse systems by setting clear guidelines for developers and water quality standards.

In 2015, Senator Scott Wiener, a city administrator at the time, enacted a law mandating the establishment of these water reuse systems in new settlements over 250,000 square meters. Just last month, a regulation penned by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman expanded that requirement to include new developments of 100,000 square feet or more. Mandelman’s office told the Examiner that legislation “more than doubles” the amount of water reused.

There are different types of rainwater that can be reused with different degrees of filtration and treatment. Gray water is lightly polluted water that was once used and is now considered waste, like water that goes down the drain when you shower or after washing your hands. Rainwater is rainwater that has drained from an area of ​​land or has crossed surfaces such as roads and driveways. Rainwater, the cleanest of these reusable water, comes straight from the sky and at best slips off a non-contaminating surface such as a roof. This water can even become potable with alkaline filtration.

Obtaining rainwater in its simplest form is easy. Water must be channeled through clean gutters or PVC into a storage vessel, such as a cistern. Then that vessel must be connected to a pipeline system with the proper filtration, purification and pressure systems appropriate for the intended use of the water. People who collect rainwater at home usually only need a simple filter screen and hose. Those with green fingers can also use rainwater at home by remodeling gardens to funnel and divert water for irrigation.

“It’s just common sense,” says Laura Allen. She is a founding member of Greywater Action, which educates people about household filter systems, and has also written several manuals on the subject. “People care about the environment, they care about the water, and they see this water flowing down and they know we should make the best use of it, but they don’t always know how.”

In commercial environments, the systems can become more complex but follow the same model. Filter systems often include several stages of treatment and disinfection as well as pressurization so that the water can be used, for example, to flush toilets. Developers and engineers working on these projects must file applications with the PUC, the Department of Public Health, and in some cases, a permit application with the San Francisco Public Works. Application fees and technical reports are also required. In other words, the city’s regulations still come with a fair amount of bureaucracy.

Sherwood Design Engineers, headquartered in San Francisco, is one of the leading West Coast companies that has risen to this challenge. For example, they are restoring the banks and removing retaining walls around Strawberry Creek on the UC Berkeley campus. You are also behind the integrated water management plan for a high-profile, mixed-use community development in San Francisco’s India Basin.

Her renovations in Francisco Park are particularly noteworthy. There, Sherwood Design Engineers have built a world-class rainwater collection system that will hold 500,000 gallons of water and almost completely irrigate the park. In addition to the immense size of the project, it also has a metaphorical value: the park itself was once a huge reservoir from the 1850s that was deserted for almost 80 years. The project reintroduced a useful source of water.

In 2019, large yellow cisterns will be installed to hold rain in Francisco Park, the city’s newest park nearing completion in the Russian Hill area. (Courtesy photo of MCK Americas Inc.)

“At Francisco Park, we actually used a disused drinking water reservoir,” says Amelia Luna, Senior Project Manager at Sherwood. “The city is a leader in the nation promoting and enacting regulations for local reuse of alternative water sources such as rainwater and rainwater,” she added.

But despite all these efforts, one of the most consistent ways to encourage rainwater reuse in San Francisco can be to raise awareness of how to do it at home. In 2005, San Francisco officially legalized the separation of downspouts from the mixed water system to direct rainwater to places like gardens or cisterns. This water can be used, for example, for outdoor irrigation, ornamental fountains and car washes.

“If everyone had even one rain barrel on their buildings, that would be a lot,” says Allen. “It’s about the awareness and the feeling of being connected to our water.”

Greywater Action has dozens of resources for setting up a home irrigation system on their website, and also conducts hands-on workshops and presentations. Additionally, SFPUC customers can be reimbursed up to $ 100 for each of the first two rain barrels on a property, or up to $ 350 for a cistern of up to 5,000 gallons. Interested residents must complete an application on the SFPUC website.

According to the SFPUC, households that collect rainwater can collect 600 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet of roof for every inch of rain. On a day like Sunday, that means the average two or three bedrooms in The City could have accumulated 2,400 gallons – enough for about 240 5-minute showers alone.

virwin@sfexaminer.com

The post After the storm: How San Francisco makes use of rainwater appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.