HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/19/2010 Council Presentation - Tucson's Water Harvesting and Graywater OrdinancesAchieving Consensus on sustainability
Tucson's Water Harvesting and
Graywater Ordinances
Rodney Glassman, JD, Ph.D., Ward 2 Councilman, City of Tucson
Doctorates in Arid Land Studies and Law, Legislative Aide to
Congressman Raul Grijalva, Consultant for KB Home
researchers wTarn that Lake ~~ead could be dr b 2~~ 1'~
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Tucson slips in ranking
of sustainability because
of water supply, use issues
2 million in Mexico City
lose water in 3-day closure
Feds to cut
o~water
to Calif. 2h-
farmers
UN meeting
to examine
water crisis
_4rizooa ~nih Star, 3i 13;I1y;
It's hard to find new water supplies
Tucson: last stop on the CAP
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Stormwater going down the drain...
• Urban street flooding
• Flashy flood peaks on watercourses
Stormwater quality issues
Five great things about rainwater...
1. There's lots of it!
Tucson Water demand = 147,000 acre-feet/year
Rainfall in same area = 185,600 acre feet/year!
2. Its free !
3. It falls where you need it
4. Plants like it's low
salt and high nitrogen
5. Harvest it! Stop spending
$$$ getting rid of it
Another great thing.,,
Rainwater is a great alternative to other
costly water sources
Desalinizing brackish
groundwater costs $300/acre
foot
CAP cost $4 billion to build. CAP
water costs $114/acre foot, but
deliveries could drop by 1/3 to
1/2 if predictions hold true
Desalinizing sea water costs
$1000/acre foot
Rainwater
Harvesting
...intercepting
stormwater from a roof,
driveway, soil or other
surface and putting it to
beneficial use
Tucson started early...
Strong grass roots
movement for 15 years
Required by the
Tucson Land Use Code
since mid-1990s
(qualitative
requirement}
Lots of ways to do it
Microbasins
Swales
Infiltration Basins
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French drains
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Porous pavement
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Glassman's
commitment:
Rainwater harvesting on
new commercial
development
"Provide EVERYONE with
an equal seat at the table."
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Building consensus to change the
face of Tucson
1. Motion to Mayor and Council
2. Assemble City staff
3. Assemble public representatives
4. Develop Ordinance
5. Adopt Ordinance
6. Prepare Development Standard
7. Build partnerships for pilot studies
Ordinance Adoption
• First in nation that quantifies commercial use
• 20 organizations spoke in favor
"Best public hearing I ever attended." Tucson's Mayor
Main Components
• New commercial only
• Meet 50% of landscape demand
• Water harvesting plan and water budget
• 3 years to establish plants
• Meter outdoor water use
• Soil-moisture-based irrigation control
• Relief from 50% requirement in a drought
• Report annually
Misconceptions :~ ~ ~ ~ `~ j,.
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Water harvesting recharges the aquifer '~~ .
....NOT when its 250 feet to groundwater ~',~r `
• Why harvest rainwater when it rarely rains?
.... harvesting maximizes the rain water you do get
• Rainwater harvesting breeds mosquitoes
..... Infiltrate water into soil within 24 hours to orevent breedin
• Must use tanks to harvest rainwater
... Harvesting in soil is easy, cheap and effective
Harvesting rainwater will deprive washes of water
....Water harvesting reduces some runoff but not all
Lessons learned
• Use demand driven requirements not supply-driven
• Provide implementation details before adoption for support
• Start with outdoor requirements for simplicity
• Encourage use of native plants
• Know your surface water rights
Graywater
Reuse
...diverting used
water from washing
machines, bathtubs,
showers, and
lavatory sinks to a
beneficial use
Arizona started early...
Strong grass roots
movement
January 2001: ADEQ
implemented simple
residential graywater
use rules
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:fie 2009 Brad Larieaster, ~c~cw.harvesting-z'ain~~te`~om\ ' ~"
Glassman's
commitment;
Graywater stub-outs on
new residential
~~Provide EVERYONE with
an equal seat at the table."
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'° `ouce: Graywater Guidelines, prepared by
Water Conservation Alliance of Southern Arizona
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Ordinance Adoption ~ }~; f~ ~~ ~ ~~,,
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Residential focus chosen because... ,.~a.: .m. <«
Source;: Grayu~ater Guidetiuei,
• Large potential to irrigate with graywater prepared by Water (~mv~en~atioa
Alliance of Southern Arizona
• Plumbing should be done at time of construction
Main Components
• New single family and duplexes: Separate stub-outs on
washers
• New single family; drains for lavatories, showers and
bathtubs, segregated from other drains
• Provide graywater piping stubs out within 3 feet of building
foundation
• Provide user-ready system to hook graywater distribution
system to (no plumbing retrofit required)
Misconceptions ~~t~~Bradlancaster, wwa harvestineraince ater cnm
• Odors are always a problem _ t~~ w
...distribute to multiple points under ~___,_~ i
mulch to infiltrate fast and prevent odor '~ '~
• Can't eat food from agraywater-supplied garden
...OK to water dirt around food plants, lust don't water the
lant parts you eat
• Municipal sewer system deprived of graywater won't drain
...Can flush sewer lines with alternative water supalies, like
reclaimed water, if extra flushing is needed
• Graywater is bad for soil
...Maintain good soil health by avoiding products with salt or
sodium and by diluting Graywater basins with harvested
rain water
• Graywater is unhealthy
...Graywater Ordinance complies with ADE~GUidelines.
Householders should follow ADEC~Guidelines too
Lessons learned
• Keep the ordinance simple and flexible so it is adaptable to
future technologies
• Get a variety of technical input from grass roots to professional
• Involve the wastewater management
agency or jurisdiction in your area
• Work out details of implementation
before adopting the ordinance to
help garner support
Next steps
• Conduct water harvesting and graywater pilot studies
• Adjust City Codes to be compatible with new requirements
• Prepare for unintended consequences
• Educate staff and public on new ordinances
• Communicate regionally to share experiences and lessons
A bright future
• Develop Arizona as the go-to source for water harvesting
• Good for business, potential as a growth industry, creates
new markets
Commitments become realities
ADOPTED COMMERCIAL RAINWATER
HARVESTING ORDINANCE
ADOPTED RESIDENTIAL GRAYWATER STUBOUT
X ORDINANCE
OBTAINED DEDICATED FUNDING FOR EXISTING
WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAMS (7uly 2008)
http:/Iwww.ci.tucson.az.us/water/conservation.htm
CHANGED LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENT TO ONE
TREE PER FOUR PARKING SPACES
Recipient of EPA Region 9
2009 Environmental Achievement
Award in recognition of exceptional work and commitment
to protecting the environment