California; Rainwater Harvesting for Indoor Use Maximizing the Potential

1. Wholly H2o’s
February 2011 Forum
CA Rainwater Harvesting for Indoor Use:
Maximizing the Potential
Neal Shapiro
City of Santa Monica
Office of Sustainability & the Environment
February 7, 2011
S.F. Public Utility Commission

2. Presentation Outline
1. Rainwater Catchment Around the World, Country
2. Rainwater Catchment in California Water Code
3. Examples of local US and CA RWH for Indoor Uses
4. Southern California RWH Effort
5. LA County Public Health RWH Policy
6. State RWC Effort
7. 6 Main Issues

3. 1. Rainwater Catchment Around the World, Country
• Historically, used in the Middle East and
by the Romans, who developed intricate
and extensive systems to move
rainwater.
• In Israel, I’ve been in underground
cisterns carved out of rock.
• Today, RWH is common in Europe, Asia,
Australia, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.

4. • In the United States, a range of
experience exists from terrific programs
to embryonic.
• 26 examples, certainly not complete,
Neal’s legislative matrix, includes indoor
and outdoor uses, laws, policies,
manuals, states, cities, counties, trade
groups, approved, under consideration

5. 2. Rainwater Catchment in California’s Water Code –
definitions of our water resources
• Potable Water – assume defined
• Recycled Water – Title 22
• Gray/Grey Water – Appendix G
• Rain Water
• Storm Water
• Dry Weather Runoff

7. 3. Examples of local US and CA RWH for Indoor Uses

8. Examples of local US and CA RWH for Indoor Uses

9. Examples of local US and CA RWH for Indoor Uses

10. 4. Southern California Effort for RWH

11. Southern California Effort for RWH

12. Southern California Effort for RWH

13. 5. LA County Public Health Policy – RWH Policy

14. LA County Public Health Policy

15. LA County Public Health Policy

16. 6. State Effort
2011

17. State Effort
2011

18. 7. Main Challenges of Concern, Debate, Resolution
 Terminology – capture, harvest,
catchment; use v. reuse
 Indoor and/or Outdoor Applications?
 Potable Applications?
 Catchment Surfaces and
Pollutants of Concern.
 Unions, Plumbers, Landscape
Contractors.
 Backflow Prevention Devices: Air
Gap or RPZ or both?
 Treatment – Disinfection: Yes or
No and to what level?