Bitterly cold. Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 3F. Winds light and variable..
Bitterly cold. Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 3F. Winds light and variable. hand pump solar
Above, Allyson Ponn, education and program specialist for the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District, stands in front of three 275-gallon water totes that supply water for Strasburg Community Gardens. The rainwater is gathered from runoff that falls from the roof of a picnic shelter in Strasburg’s Town Park. Right, rainwater from this picnic shelter’s roof empties into a 275-gallon tote. A hose is used to transfer the water to totes at the community garden site.
Above, Allyson Ponn, education and program specialist for the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District, stands in front of three 275-gallon water totes that supply water for Strasburg Community Gardens. The rainwater is gathered from runoff that falls from the roof of a picnic shelter in Strasburg’s Town Park. Right, rainwater from this picnic shelter’s roof empties into a 275-gallon tote. A hose is used to transfer the water to totes at the community garden site.
STRASBURG — As March turns to April and April flowers bring May showers, many gardeners across the Shenandoah Valley may be looking for an economical and sustainable way to water their daffodils, tulips and other plants.
For Allyson Ponn, education and program support specialist for the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conversation District, that option is rainwater.
“Rainwater is a natural resource,” Ponn said. “And while the thought of collecting rainwater for some can be a daunting task, it’s really as simple as purchasing a kit on Amazon. But it’s really about the level of commitment you’re willing to give.”
Collecting or harvesting rainwater began with ancient cisterns. Built in the floors of homes and villages, and typically carved out of solid rock, cisterns provided access to rainwater before modern-day rain barrels were created. It’s not uncommon to still see a cistern, especially in counties where water is scarce or too contaminated to drink.
Today’s homeowners, with the help of modern technology, now have the ability to collect as little or as much rainwater as they would like — simply by positioning a rain barrel under a gutter or roof to capture excess runoff.
Located in the Strasburg Town Park, sits the Strasburg Community Garden, an educational garden, completely rooted in community. Here, residents and volunteers alike learn about invasive plants, how to nurture vegetables and the basics of rainwater collecting.
“There’s only been one time we’ve had to bring in outside water for this garden,” Ponn said. “We’ve been a part of a few community gardens that are trying to get started or establish some sort of (rain) system like we use here and every single one of them, their number one priority is how are they going to water the plants and where the system will be set up.”
Two large barrels — 24 feet by 38 feet — sit to the left of the community garden. Water, which is collected from the roof of a pavilion across the parking lot, is then fed to the barrels by a hose. Known as gravity feeding, the task can take a few hours to an entire day, depending on the level of water.
Doing a little math, Ponn said the barrels can capture 537 gallons of rain, which can add up in every rainstorm.
“Ninety-five percent is going to be run off,” she said. “That pavilion can collect an inch a rainstorm.”
A solar pump is available to help move the harvesting along.
Rain barrels, Ponn said, are available at local hardware stories as are IBC totes, for those who want to collect plenty of rain for larger gardens or to use as gray water, water that is relatively clean for things like flushing the toilet.
“It’s a free source of water,” Ponn said. “Especially if you live in town or within limits and you have to pay for your water. You’re also capturing every available water resource anytime it rains.”
Looking back at the past few summers, Ponn said the Shenandoah Valley experienced prevalent droughts. By capturing rainwater, homeowners have the capability to store their own water, and use it as they see fit.
“That can really help in those months when everything is really dry. Especially if you have multiple barrels that are working together to hold more water in place.”
We’re utilizing precipitation instead of drawing up an aquifer, said Nick Livesay, senior conservation specialist with the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conversation District, about collecting rainwater. Some people might say that collecting rainwater prevents it from getting back into the aquifer, so there are spots across the country, like out in the midwest and west, that have restrictions on how much rainwater can be collected.
“I think we don’t have restrictions here because we have such great groundwater sources here, with springs and underground aquifers,” Livesay said.
Ponn said rerouting the water also helps with the damage that can be caused by stormwater runoff.
“There are a lot of potential issues that could be caused by stormwater runoff and the power of that water moving to the lowest source into our water ways,” she said. “So that can help divert some of those impacts that we’re seeing, especially more and more as we’re having stronger rain events.”
Pointing to the pavilion, Ponn explained that when the rain hits the pavilion, falling to the pavement, it could wash away any gravel or other debris on its way to the drainage site, thus indirectly effecting the river.
“From the standpoint of the Soil and Water District, it’s also what we call best management practices to help try to mitigate and control stormwater issues,” she said.
Ponn said one barrel should suffice for those with a smaller garden. For gardens like the Strasburg Community Garden, which has multiple plots, two to three IBC totes would provide enough water.
“It’s easy to expand on storage capacity because it’s all about having the proper connector pipe from one barrel to the next,” Ponn said.
Other tips for installing and caring for a rain barrel include ensuring the barrel is installed with home guttering to prevent yard erosion, cleaning the barrel after the season ends with a non-toxic substance and paying attention to mosquitoes, Livesay noted.
“We do facilitate a program that’s meant to target stormwater issues,” Ponn added. “So homeowners and businesses in town have the opportunity to apply for the program. Rainwater harvesting is one of the eligible practices.”
Contact Ponn for more information on best practices for rainwater collecting as well as controlling storm water at: allyson.ponn@lfswcd.org.
— Contact Ashley Miller at amiller@nvdaily.com
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