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!
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2 Comments
August 31, 2010 7:20 pm
Mark
Love the site. I’m curious who supplied and installed the concrete dry well. I’m looking to install one on my property but unable to find anyone in the Portland area who can install a concrete version. I’ve found a few willing to just dig a hole and fill it with rock but long-term, it seems it would get clogged. The concrete version seems like it would last much longer.
August 31 2010 23:47 pm
Shawn
Hey Mark,
Glad you stopped by - welcome. It's been a while since I've had time to post, but I'm near the end of the project and will soon be available to commit more time to the site.
In the meantime, here are two resources:
DBEC (http://digdbec.com) did the original excavation for the foundation, as well as the dry well installation. They did a good job, showed up on time, and were able to excavate without damaging nearby tree roots.
I also hired West Side Excavation (Tim) to help with the utility trench and sewer work. I really liked their work - very old school. The did a good job, showed up on time, and did some nice extras (like fixing the driveway) at no cost. West Side's price was very competitive, and I would certainly recommend them again. Here's a link to the site: http://www.westsideexcavation.net/
Right now excavation is a tough business. No one is building, and I'm sure folks need the work. I highly recommend getting several bids. When I bid out the utility trench work, I had one firm who was literally 2x another very competent provider. I hate the bid process, personally and professionally, but I find it's a necessary evil in construction.
Last but not least - the concrete dry well itself was expensive. I suggest looking at systems for rainwater storage to see if the price is comparable. Dry wells are great, but in hindsight, I'd love to have my own water supply for summertime gardening!
Cheers!
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