28 Oct 2009, Posted by Shawn in Green,Highlights,Video, 2 Comments, Short-URL:http://portlandbuilt.com/pbyvm
Dry Wells: Save Water, Make Money
Not many homeowners give much thought to where the water from their roof goes. Most people figure if the water isn’t going in their house, then it’s not a problem. Except…
In cities like Portland, stormwater is a BIG problem. Old and undersized city pipes mean that big rains create big headaches for city officials. Clogged drains are one visible symptom, but much worse is what happens at the Willamette river. You see, when the storm drains back up, so do the sewers. Which means – you guessed it – raw sewage gets into the river. Yuck!
So, as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce storm water runoff, the city incentivizes home owners to “manage” their own storm water. Simple examples include disconnecting your downspouts (so the water simply flows back into the ground) or saving the water in rain barrels for future irrigation. More ambitious methods include saving the water in underground cisterns or even cleaning it for consumption (keep in mind you’ll need a metal roof and some serious hardware).
The Live/Work Project is taking a middle-ground (ha!) solution. We’re placing a drywell roughly ten feet from the building. A dry well is simply a concrete canister filled with rocks…when the rains come, gutters direct the water to pipes that run underground and out to the dry well. The water then percolates back where it belongs – in the water table.
Dry well
This solution has several benefits. First, you’re putting water back into your property where it can be appreciated by trees, plants, and other helpful organisms. Second, it saves you money. The city gives you a small discount on your water bill each month as credit for not taxing their already overworked system.
For new construction, it’s a no-brainer. You’ve got to send the water somewhere, and piping it into the storm drains represents an expensive plumbing proposition. Dry wells save money and solve the problem in one graceful step!
