New Orleans Bamboo, LLC
3128 DeSoto St
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone 504 486 0052
Fax 504 486 0053
Four
Reasons to Install Rain Barrels or a Rainwater Catchment System:
·
Grow
healthier plants.
o Rainwater has no chlorine or fluoride.
o Rainwater is normally oxygenated and
has a slightly acidic pH, which helps plants absorb nutrients.
o Many people report that plants watered
with rainwater look greener and healthier.
Reporter Erin Covert of The Dallas
Morning News interviewed several rain harvesters in Dallas.
Greg Street
claims that “the plants really do seem to like the rainwater better than the
hose.” Greg Whitfield, who builds and
installs rainwater catchment systems in Dallas
calls attention to the green appearance of the city after recent rains: “Look around at how green everything is now
with the recent rains. You could water
every day with the city water and never get your plants that green”
(“Collecting Rainwater for Better Plants,” 20 July 2007. www.dallasnews.com). Rainwater harvesters in New Orleans agree.
·
Save
money on your water bill.
o A 20’ x 20’ garden requires on average
600 gallons of water per week (urbangardensolutions.com). The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans
charges $3.59 per 1,000 gallons for the first 3,000 gallons of water used per
month and $6.31 per 1,000 gallons for the next 17,000 gallons. The sewerage charge of $5.37 per 1.000
gallons is calculated on 85% of metered water consumption, allowing for 15% of
water use for watering gardens and lawns.
Ten 60-gallon rain barrels or a 600-gallon cistern would provide enough
water for the 20’ x 20’ garden most of the time in New Orleans, saving you the
cost of 2,400 gallons of water a month (at least $8.62 if you only use 3,000
gallons a month), plus the sewerage charge (approximately $8.20) for a total of
at least $16.00 per month.
·
Help
minimize street flooding, which is a serious problem in New Orleans.
Also save energy by reducing the amount of water the Sewer and Water
Board has to pump around. A hundred
years ago, many New Orleanians collected rainwater in cisterns for home
use. Now we rely on the city for our
water supply and let the rainwater run into storm drains. In addition, the increase in the amount of
land covered by buildings and pavement results in less rainwater being absorbed
by the soil and plants and more run-off and often flooding. One of the guidelines established by The United
States Green Building Council at a charrette on Gulf Coast Reconstruction in
November 2005 is to “provide for passive survivability,” which means to design
buildings to be livable in case of disasters.
In terms of water systems, they recommend installing emergency water
systems that can be used for landscape watering during normal times and, during
emergencies, provide water for use in the home.
The Council points out that strategies for passive survivability can
reduce cost and “encourage the use of vernacular architecture, which provides unique
character to places like New Orleans” (“Celebrating the Rich History of New
Orelans Through Commitment to a Sustainable Future” November 9-11, 2005. www.usgbc.org). According to the local organization, Go Green
NOLA, New Orleans’
new Master Plan “identifies stormwater management as an integral goal to
achieve resilience. . . . The City
Planning Commission is currently re-writing the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance
(CZO), which regulates land use on private property in the city.” Go Green NOLA points out that “the new CZO
provides an opportunity to set new property development standards to reduce
stormwater runoff from private property through infiltration and retention techniques,”
and recommends three steps New Orleans
residents can take to reduce storm runoff:
“use pervious paving,” “plant a rain garden,” and “harvest rainwater.”
·
Help
minimize pollution from stormwater draining into waterways. Rainwater picks up pollutants and debris from
the streets, such as pet waste, motor oil, and litter, that end up in the lake. Collecting rainwater keeps it clean. Most cisterns have a “first flush” filter and
a debris filter to keep out of the barrel pollutants the rain may wash from the
atmosphere and from the roof. The
remaining water is very clean.
New Orleans Bamboo Offers Several
Options for Catching and Storing Rainwater:
·
The
Rainwater Hog, a slender cistern for tight places,
·
Recycled
Olive barrels,
·
New
barrels ranging in size from 50 – 300 gallons,
·
Rainwater
Pillows®, which easily fit under a raised house,
·
Custom
cisterns any size.