Friday, September 4, 2009

Rainwater Harvesting

Hazel Heights P-Patch will contain an 8,000 gallon cistern that will catch rainwater from the roofs of two adjacent houses.

The cistern is shown below in the construction stage. When the garden is graded and construction is complete, the cistern will be underground with a plaza gathering space on top. The plaza will feature panoramic views to the west, including the Ship Canal and the Olympic Mountains.


The stored rainwater will be available for irrigating the 19 garden plots at the P-Patch. There will be hand pump and a spigot, and a hose can be attached to water the plots that are downhill from the cistern.
This innovative rainwater harvesting system is one way that the neighborhood and the community garden are utlilizing and demonstrating sustainable practices. It is hoped that the system will be a demonstration model for other gardens or sites.
The rainwater harvesting system is primarily funded by a WaterWorks grant from King County.
More information about this Water Quality Block Grant Fund is here: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/grants-and-awards/grant-exchange/waterworks.aspx

No comments: