LEED Project Team Meeting - Onsite water collection

Last week our Project Team met to discuss one of the most important aspects of sustainable building in San Diego - what to do with the water that falls onsite. With little annual rainfall and regional mandatory water restrictions, it is important to plant drought-tolerant and native species and implement efficient irrigation design. Although it does not rain very often in San Diego, many people would be surprised at how much water you can capture during short rainfall events and even from the marine layer that often clouds the morning sky. You can harvest 600 gallons of rainwater off a 1000 square foot roof in only 1 inch of rain! So, it is important to size the cisterns appropriately to capture as much water as possible during these rainfall events. The Sumer Residence will place two 1,320 gallon cisterns in the backyard that will serve as plenty of storage for the rainwater that falls on the roof and the greywater that is collected from indoor sources such as sink faucets and showers.

Pictured here from left to right: Mike Callahan (Rainwater consultant, Catching H2O), Chris Kresge (site supervisor, Naylor Construction, Rosalind Haselbeck, (Rainwater consultant, Catching H2O) , Bob Scott (LEED Green Rater, RJS Planning), Katie Teare (LEED Consultant, Alliance Green Builders). Not pictured: Ahmet Sumer, Homeowner