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If the sight of this winter's torrential rains left you pining for a way to capture the precious overflows, you are not alone.
UC Santa Cruz alum Daniel Mountjoy is working to do just that—on a scale that has the potential to ease the state's increasingly persistent cycles of deluge and drought.
The idea is to divert water from overflowing rivers onto fallow farmland, where it seeps into the soil and replenishes depleted aquifers. These "underground reservoirs" function like savings accounts, storing a valued resource for lean times.
"The goal is balance. We want to redirect surplus water, fill underground basins, and have that water available to farmers during drought years," says Mountjoy (BA, environmental studies, 1985), director of resource stewardship at Sustainable Conservation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit focused on solving resource management problems.
Mountjoy sees his role as facilitating a unique coalition—including farmers, environmentalists, academics, and water managers—that is developing and testing the strategy, called "on-farm recharge."
The strategy is in its infancy, but models show it has the capacity to capture enough river water between November and March to offset 20 percent of the annual "overdraft" pumped out of critical areas of the San Joaquin Valley.
Maybe they should follow the example of the ancient people on the Arabian Peninsula and build lots and lots of check dams.
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Friday March 24 2017, @10:32PM (21 children)
I have often wondered about the utility and cost of building a large water tank underneath a family home.
The tank could serve as a reserve of heat (for winter), or perhaps cool (for summer), while also providing an emergency water supply.
Maintenance might be a problem, though: it would have to be kept clean and free of algae, and this may take too much energy or make the water unusable for anything except thermal storage.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 24 2017, @10:44PM (6 children)
A weak solution of hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) is usually enough and not toxic for humans; it oxidizes the plant "food" including the microminerals; with total darkness, algae won't have not much energy to dissociate the oxidized substances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Saturday March 25 2017, @12:53AM (1 child)
I am aware of houses in Australia with 50,000 and 100,000 litre tanks, one under the main house, one built under a carport.
Many, many "rural" properties will have several 100,000 l tanks. These are all rainwater tanks, usually with pumps for either irrigation, or, sometimes, for toilet and washing machine use.
Most local councils (which cover local development approvals) have made 5000-10000 l tanks compulsory in new houses.
The cost of retro-fitting can be prohibitive - tank plus pump (supply only, no plumbing) $AUD 3,200 for a 6000 litre tank to fit beside a house. When a large swimming pool worth of water is about $AUD 350, you have to realy want to help the environment to bother.
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 5, Interesting) by c0lo on Saturday March 25 2017, @01:25AM
Speaking about "rural" properties - a second-hand IBC [wikipedia.org] good enough for rain water can be bought for around AUD80 (search for it on gumtree). Assuming another AUD20/tank for PVC pipes and connections AUD3200 is good enough for 32000 litres. If you don't want to stack them one on top of the other (max height of 3), you'll need a 7mx7m square to dedicate to the "composite tank".
I used them on a farmlet (no home) to capture rain water for irrigation purposes. I got rid of piping and put a rain capture sail for every one of them:
- individual frame - non-structural timber from Bunnings, 2.4M length - about AUD60, including screw and bolts.
- LDPE woven dropsheet acting as sail + silicone sealant (diluted in Xylene for easier spreading) + white pigment (zinc or titanium oxide) mixed in silicone - spread a 1-2 millimeter coating on the sail to make an UV stabilized tarp - about AUD6/sail
- elbow-grease of about 6 amateur-hours / piece.
Total price for a 1 cubic meter of... "high tech water capture system" - lets say AUD150 and the water tank is close to where watering will be needed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Saturday March 25 2017, @12:55AM (3 children)
Silver or ozone would work too. An ozone generator could be solar powered, and I think Silver doesn't need any power at all, just hang a few feet of Silver wire in the water.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday March 25 2017, @01:48AM (2 children)
waterproof 5m UV LED strip - about $10 on ebay.
Copper is bactericidal too. Both of them may or may not be stable over longish time, depending on the pH of the water (and copper is more toxic than silver)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 25 2017, @05:33PM (1 child)
Real O-zone generators are either high intensity UV bulbs/LEDs or are actually grid based circuit units which electrically convert O2 into O3.
Pretty sure the UV strip you describe is only useful for illuminating blacklight posters and maybe giving you eye cancer.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday March 25 2017, @10:25PM
UV radiation is capable of destroying unicellular algae [wikipedia.org] by itself. How do you think is "giving you eye cancer"?
Granted, it seems that it requires UV-C wavelength, which will make the common/cheap UV-diodes unusable.
It doesn't mean you can't find the appropriate model - just that the price range will be different [aliexpress.com].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 24 2017, @10:46PM (6 children)
That's exactly what some countries do, large underground cisterns for each house. You can't do this in the USA though thanks to the EPA and other govt interfucktance.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday March 24 2017, @10:49PM (3 children)
Really? Can you please provide a citation?
(I'm not saying that it is not so, I'm saying I'd be grateful for a reference).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by Arik on Friday March 24 2017, @11:58PM (2 children)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday March 25 2017, @12:20AM (1 child)
What the hell is the property of "the person who owns the water drainage" is doing on my property?
Who allowed it there?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by Arik on Saturday March 25 2017, @11:00AM
The first settlers that moved into arid areas wound up claiming relatively large amounts of land and working relatively little of it. This may seem wasteful and/or greedy at first glance but in fact it was necessary. You collect water over a large area in order to farm or ranch a small area, there's no other way to do it, water is a scarce commodity in these areas. So maybe the first family of settlers claimed this gigantic area in order to get enough water to run a relatively small operation, and operated like that for years. Then demand for housing reached the area, and the land was sold without the water rights, because the rancher or farmer didn't actually need that land for their operation, other than the water running off it. The buyer agreed to not interfere with that and got a much lower price as a result.
That's oversimplified of course but you get the idea.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday March 25 2017, @12:04AM (1 child)
My old house, in California has a cistern fed by the network of canals and pressurized by a small pump sitting in the backyard. Could drink the tap water without getting sick as well.
Of course, many people even in this state think California is one big San Fagcisco.
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Saturday March 25 2017, @12:45AM
San Fagsisco on the left coast, New Fascisco on the right coast...
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday March 24 2017, @10:56PM (4 children)
Growing up, most of our neighbors had Open Air Firefighting Water Reservoirs.
Mr Taxman would occasionally fly by and re-register them in the correct and less tax-friendly category.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Friday March 24 2017, @11:14PM
Growing up, most of our neighbors had Open Air Firefighting Water Reservoirs.
Damn. All we had was the latest in front wall fresh air orifices combined with a wide capacity gutter installation below.
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Friday March 24 2017, @11:29PM (2 children)
In my neighbourhood, such reservoirs reduce the value of a house.
If a house has such a reservoir, it's usual for it to be filled in when preparing the house for sale.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Sunday March 26 2017, @07:44AM (1 child)
Even the ones who attract the taxman, with their nice tiles, cleaning robot and filtration system?
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Monday March 27 2017, @07:13PM
Yes, even those.
The reason is related to the demographics of my neighbourhood. I don't have real numbers, but I expect that well over 50% of the adult residents are first generation immigrants.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 4, Informative) by Dunbal on Saturday March 25 2017, @01:47AM
and free of algae
The thing about algae is it needs sunlight to photosynthesize. If there's no sunlight because it's dark (under your house), you will never have algae. If your underground tank is exposed to sunlight you're doing it wrong. Other stuff can grow in the dark - some slime molds, etc. But without a source of energy/food for it you won't get much growth. That's why underground tanks are - underground.
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Saturday March 25 2017, @09:39PM
" large water tank underneath a family home."
....Boy, have I been using mine wrong.
(Score: 4, Informative) by PinkyGigglebrain on Saturday March 25 2017, @01:04AM
"... replenishes depleted aquifers. "
Problem being that in some areas the aquifers have collapsed due to too much water being pulled out. The porous rock that used to hold the water got crushed without the water to help support the weight of the ground above.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."