San Francisco Rainwater Harvesting Brochure
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Permitting Is rainwater harvesting legal in San Francisco? Yes! San Francisco residents can legally use rainwater for non-potable purposes such as irrigation and • toilet flushing. What is the permitting process to install a rainwater harvesting system? For a Cistern: To install a cistern for irrigation or toilet flushing, you will need a plumbing permit and a • building permit from the Department of Building Inspection (DBI). If your system includes a pump or will be installed on the roof or underground, you will need additional permits. For more details, see our Rainwater Harvesting MOU at http://stormwater.sfwater.org. Click on the Rainwater Harvesting icon. For a Rain Barrel: The Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Public Health, and the Department of • Building Inspection are in the process of developing a permitting procedure for rainwater harvesting with rain barrels. System Design, Sizing and Installation Is there a brochure describing what rainwater harvesting is and why it is beneficial? Yes! Please explore our website at • http://stormwater.sfwater.org. Click on the Rainwater Harvesting icon to view or download our brochures, rain barrel installation guide, fact sheets, and video links. How do I determine the size cistern or the number of barrels I need? The size of your system depends on a number of factors: how big your roof is, how much space you have • available for rainwater storage, and what you intend to use the water for. A rough rule of thumb is that you can collect 600 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet of roof area for every inch of rain. We get an average of 21 inches of rain per year here in San Francisco, so for 1,000 square feet of roof that can add up to over 12,000 gallons of rainwater collected! You will have to carefully plan where the rainwater will go when it overflows. You may direct it to an approved drain or stormwater management facility such as a rain garden. Does the SFPUC have a cistern-sizing calculator? Our Rainwater Harvesting Calculator is on its way! Please check our website often for updates. Go • to http://stormwater.sfwater.org and click on Rainwater Harvesting, or become a fan of the SF Urban Watersheds page on facebook! What happens when my rain barrel overflows? You may direct the overflow back to the sewer via an approved drain, or design a rain garden to • accommodate the overflow. Each site is different, so different design solutions are called for in different places. Do I need gutter screens if I have a “do-it-yourself” 60 gallon barrel? Yes, gutter screens prevent debris from entering your system and make your maintenance activities • much simpler. Our rainwater harvesting brochure and how-to flier for making your own rain barrel provide a list of parts for installing rain barrel systems. Remember, proper system design, maintenance and use are the responsibility of the system owner, not the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), the SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI), or the SF Department of Public Health (DPH). 1 rainwater harvesting S A N F R A N C I S C O P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S C O M M I S S I O N
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San Francisco Rainwater Harvesting Brochure
Transcript of San Francisco Rainwater Harvesting Brochure
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSPermittingIs rainwater harvesting legal in San Francisco?
Yes! San Francisco residents can legally use rainwater for non-potable purposes such as irrigation and •toiletflushing.
What is the permitting process to install a rainwater harvesting system? For aCistern: To install a cistern for irrigationor toilet flushing, youwill needaplumbingpermit anda•buildingpermitfromtheDepartmentofBuildingInspection(DBI).Ifyoursystemincludesapumporwillbeinstalledontherooforunderground,youwillneedadditionalpermits.Formoredetails,seeourRainwaterHarvesting MOU at http://stormwater.sfwater.org.ClickontheRainwaterHarvestingicon.
ForaRainBarrel:ThePublicUtilitiesCommission,theDepartmentofPublicHealth,andtheDepartmentof•Building Inspection are in the process of developing a permitting procedure for rainwater harvesting with rainbarrels.
System Design, Sizing and InstallationIsthereabrochuredescribingwhatrainwaterharvestingisandwhyitisbeneficial?
Yes!Pleaseexploreourwebsiteat• http://stormwater.sfwater.org.ClickontheRainwaterHarvestingicontoviewordownloadourbrochures,rainbarrelinstallationguide,factsheets,andvideolinks.
How do I determine the size cistern or the number of barrels I need?Thesizeofyoursystemdependsonanumberoffactors:howbigyourroofis,howmuchspaceyouhave•availableforrainwaterstorage,andwhatyouintendtousethewaterfor.Aroughruleofthumbisthatyoucancollect600gallonsofwaterforevery1,000squarefeetofroofareaforeveryinchofrain.Wegetanaverageof21inchesofrainperyearhereinSanFrancisco,sofor1,000squarefeetofroofthatcanadduptoover12,000gallonsofrainwatercollected!Youwillhavetocarefullyplanwheretherainwaterwillgowhenitoverflows.Youmaydirectittoanapproveddrainorstormwatermanagementfacilitysuchasaraingarden.
DoestheSFPUChaveacistern-sizingcalculator?OurRainwaterHarvestingCalculatorisonitsway!Pleasecheckourwebsiteoftenforupdates.Go•to http://stormwater.sfwater.organdclickonRainwaterHarvesting,orbecomeafanoftheSF Urban Watershedspageonfacebook!
Whathappenswhenmyrainbarreloverflows?Youmaydirecttheoverflowbacktothesewerviaanapproveddrain,ordesignaraingardento•accommodatetheoverflow.Eachsiteisdifferent,sodifferentdesignsolutionsarecalledforindifferentplaces.
Do I need gutter screens if I have a “do-it-yourself” 60 gallon barrel? Yes,gutterscreenspreventdebrisfromenteringyoursystemandmakeyourmaintenanceactivities•muchsimpler.Ourrainwaterharvestingbrochureandhow-toflierformakingyourownrainbarrelprovidealistofpartsforinstallingrainbarrelsystems.Remember,propersystemdesign,maintenanceandusearetheresponsibilityofthesystemowner,nottheSanFranciscoPublicUtilitiesCommission(SFPUC),theSFDepartmentofBuildingInspection(DBI),ortheSFDepartmentofPublicHealth(DPH).
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rainwater harvestingS A N F R A N C I S C O P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S C O M M I S S I O N
WhatextrastepsdoIneedtotakeifIwanttouserainwaterfortoiletflushing?TheSFPUC,DPH,andDBIhaveagreedtoallowtheuseofrainwaterfortoiletflushingandirrigation.To•readaboutrulesregardingflushingyourtoiletswithrainwater,seetheinteragencyRainwaterHarvestingMOU at http://stormwater.sfwater.org.ClickontheRainwaterHarvestingicon.
System Operation & MaintenanceHow long can I hold rainwater in my barrel or cistern? What are the sanitary precautions I must follow?
Aslongasyourrainwaterharvestingsystemisopaque(ofsuchcolorandthicknessthatsunlightcannot•penetratethebarrel),shaded,andscreened,andyouusethewateronlyfornon-potablepurposes,thereisnostrictlimitonhowlongthewatercansitinyoursystem.Besuretoinspectyoursystemoftenandcleanitasneeded.Youcancleanyoursystemannuallywithanon-toxiccleanersuchasvinegar.Ifyouintendtowateredibleswithyourrainwater,youmustinstallafirstflushdiverter,whichwillensurethatyouharvestonlythecleanestrainwater.
Will my rainwater system run out of water during the dry months?
Itdependsonthesizeofyoursystem.Ifyouhaveenough•space to accommodate a large cistern and your water needsarelow,yourcatchmentsystemcouldholdrainwaterforallyoursummerneeds.Ifyouareusingasmallrainwaterharvestingsystem,therainwaterwillrunoutquickly.Italldependsonthedesign.Evenifyoursystemrunsdryinthesummer,ifyouareabletoflushtoilets all winter long and then switch to the municipal supplyinthesummer,that’sstillagoodachievement.Anecdotally,alocalSFrainharvesterhasreportedcapturing60gallonsofwaterfromasummer’sworthoffogandcondensationfromherGalvalumeroof!
Cost & AvailabilityHow much do rain barrels and cisterns cost? How much would an entire rainwater harvesting system cost?
Pricesrangewiththescaleanddesignofyourprojectandwiththeamountofresearchandassembly•youarewillingtodoyourself.Youcanfindbarrelsranginginpriceanywherefrom$15to$100,ormore,dependingondesign,material,brand,andsupplier.Sometimespeoplegiveawaybarrelsforfreesotheydon’thavetopaydisposalfees!Foracistern,manypeopleusetheruleofthumbof$1pergallonofstorage.Thisdoesnotincludeshipping,installation,oranyadditionalplumbingandwillvarydependingondesign,material,brand,andsupplier.
WherecanIfindrainbarrelsandcisterns?Aretherelocalbusinessesthatcarrythem?Belowisalistofsuppliersandproducts.Thisisabriefsamplelisttogetyoustarted–therearenumerous•additionalproductsyoucanfindonline.This list is for information only and does not imply SFPUC endorsement:
BushmanRainwaterHarvestingProducts: ◦www.bushmanusa.com/pdfs/BushmanRainwaterHarvesting.pdf
ColeHardware,SanFrancisco: ◦ www.colehardware.com
FairfaxLumber: ◦ www.fairfaxlumber.com
NationalStorageTank,SantaRosa,CA: ◦ www.nationalstoragetank.com
RainwaterH ◦ 2OG:888.700.1096, http://rainwaterhog.com
ScottsValleySprinklers:831.438.6450, ◦ www.svsprinklerandpipe.com
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UrbanFarmerStore,SanFrancisco:415.661.2204, ◦ www.urbanfarmerstore.com
Watertanks.com,Windsor,CA: ◦ www.watertanks.com
WATERHARVESTSLIMLINE: ◦ www.bluescopewaterusa.com/go/tank-products/waterharvest-urban-rainwater-tanks
Youcanalsomakeyourown!Youcanusuallyfindbarrelsatverylow•prices at www.craigslist.org.Youcanusesearchtermslike“rainbarrel,”“foodgradebarrel,”“plasticbarrel,”or“metaldrum”tofindtheposts.Youwillhavetopurchaseandassemblethepartsyourself,butifyouarethehandytype,itshouldn’tbeaproblem.CheckoutourRainwaterHarvestingBrochures,InstallationInstructions,andinstallationvideoonourwebsiteathttp://stormwater.sfwater.org.
ManyofthepartsneededtomakeyourownrainbarrelsystemareavailableattheUrbanFarmerStore•(www.urbanfarmerstore.com)
Youcanfindamoreextensivelistofproductsandsuppliersat• www.harvestingrainwater.com/rainwater-harvesting-inforesources/suppliers/
Doesthecityofferrebates,incentives,orsubsidiesforrainwaterharvestingsystems?TheUrbanWatershedManagementProgramrecentlycompletedasuccessfulsubsidyprograminwhich•theSFPUCsubsidizedfullyequippedrainbarrelsforSanFranciscoresidents.Eachbarrelwasretailedfor$120andtheSFPUCoffereda$50-discountperbarrel.Staffisinvestigatingthepossibilityofdoingtheprogramagainthisfall.
YoucanapplyforaCommunityChallengeGrantifyourrainwaterharvestingprojectbenefitsthepublic•realm(privatehomeinstallationswillnotqualify).ViewtheCCGprogramapplicationguidelinesatwww.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/ccg/CCGApplicationGuidelines.pdf.
How much can I save by harvesting rainwater?ArecentanalysisbytheSFExaminerfoundthatanaveragehouseinthecitycansavealmost$200on•theirwaterbilleveryyeariftheycollectalltherainwaterfallingontheirroof.Checkoutthearticleat:www.sfexaminer.com/local/When_rainy_weather_arrives_its_harvest_season.html
Resources & Continued EducationWherecanItakeacourseorlearnmoreaboutrainwatercaptureanduse?
AmericanRainwaterCatchmentSystemsAssociation:• www.arcsa.org
For plumbers: • www.greenplumbersusa.com/training-accreditation/course-information#caringforourwater
TheOccidentalArtsandEcologyCenter:• www.oaecwater.org
RainwaterHarvestingforDrylandsandBeyond• ,Volumes1and2.BradLancaster,2008edition.www.harvestingrainwater.com
DesignforWater:RainwaterHarvesting,StormwaterCatchment,andAlternateWaterReuse• .HeatherKinkade-Levario,2007.
Dig Cooperative: • http://dig.coop
TheGreywaterGuerrillas:• www.greywaterguerrillas.com
RehbeinEnvironmentalSolutions,Inc:• www.rehbeinsolutions.com
NSF-certifiedrainwaterharvestingproducts:• www.nsf.org/consumer/rainwater_collection/index.asp?program=RainwaterCol
Visit the • SF Urban Watershedsfacebookpageandbecomeafan!
Visit the SF Sewers Blog at • sfsewers.blogspot.com andviewourRainBarrelInstallationVideo
Join the • RainHarvesterfacebookgroup!
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How are other places encouraging rainwater harvesting?PaloAlto,CA:• www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/pwd/flood_+_storm/stormwater_rebates/cisterns.asp
Portland,OR:• www.portlandonline.com/osd/index.cfm?c=ecbbd&a=bbehfa and www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=41186
SantaRosa,CA:• http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/doclib/Documents/RainwaterRebateInfoFAQs.pdf
Seattle,Washington:• www.seattle.gov/UTIL/Services/Yard/Natural_Lawn_&_Garden_Care/Rain_Water_Harvesting/index.asp
Texaspassedstate-widelegislationencouragingrainwaterharvestingthroughpropertytaxexemptions•and is on its third edition rainwater harvesting manual: www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RainwaterHarvestingManual_3rdedition.pdf
Tucson,Arizona:• www.ci.tucson.az.us/water/harvesting.html
Australia:• www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs73.html
Victoria: ◦ www.ourwater.vic.gov.au/saving/home/rainwater
Queensland: ◦ www.nrw.qld.gov.au/water/waterwise/pdf/rainwater_tanks.pdf
New South Wales: ◦ www.environment.nsw.gov.au/rebates/ccfrtw.html
SouthAustralia: ◦ www.sawater.com.au/sawater
InGermanyabout50,000newrainwaterharvestingsystemsareinstalledeachyear!TheGerman•AssociationforWaterRecyclingandRainwaterUtilization:www.fbr.de/english0.html
LearnaboutIndia’srainwaterharvestingprograms:• www.rainwaterharvesting.org
TheUKRainwaterHarvestingAssociation:• www.ukrha.org
AndForInspiration:www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xtMnE9Bo6s
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AdaisychainedsystemattheSFPUC’sSoutheastPlant.
