New Water Collection Technologies for the Okanagan

There is a long article about different water collection methods that plants and people have used throughout history at Okanagan Okanogan From plants that drill their own seeds into the ground to qanats and swale-roads. There is a lot there.

They are identifying some functions, but I expect some of the plants featured, stack functions. For example, they suggest that Blue-Bunched Wheatgrass funnels water to it's core, however the dried stems sticking up, likely also trap winter snow and slow it from blowing elsewhere. Some Humans are starting to think along those lines and are planting intentional plants that will remain standing as snow-fences.

Capturing the water from air conditioners: "Insane, yes, but I guess that there is at least as much air conditioning capacity than that in the Canadian Okanagan. 15,000,000 gallons of water a year. If you’re going to waste electricity, you might as well get the water."
I am near the ocean, and during our wet winters, we use a dehumidifier in the bedroom both to dry the bed, and to dry the shower room. We empty the dehumidifier reservoir into buckets. Then when we want to do a load of laundry, we pour the buckets into the machine, add a bit of soap and all the clothes, and let it run. We haven't tried to catch it at the rinse cycle yet, as it's not in a convenient spot for that, but if we needed to, that would be another level of water reuse. However, we dry the clothing near the dehumidifier also, so the water goes around and around!
Dehumidifier and air conditioning water lacks the minerals found in well water. That's likely to affect its taste for drinking, but if house water systems were designed for both potable and less potable options, water can be used more efficiently.

They also talk about water collecting monoliths. I recently watched an interesting video about archaeology in a dry area of the Middle East. They were able to use a drone with special equipment to identify a great number of small water reservoirs that Humans had built in cliff faces before the Pyramids of Gaza. Very simple gravity fed collectors that saved enough water from the rainy season for year round crops. There was evidence of many other water and soil collecting systems that are being rediscovered and put to use in permaculture.

"...by adding a stone and planting against it, where water and heat can both be concentrated. One can grow crops out of season, extend seasons, and grow crops that otherwise would not survive." Again, I recall reading historical records of this technique being used on Easter Island.

However, some things I think are equally important to consider:
1. Beaver people are experts at harvesting water, and we need more of them in BC.
2. Nature plants poly-cultures and Humans tend to plant mono-cultures. Many of the images in the article showed exactly that. There are farmers who are learning and following Nature's example and doing well because of this approach.

There are many points to take on in that article.
It looks great.

There is a lot of interesting material there.

It's worth browsing through -- if you can get past the unfortunate self-righteousness of the author and his political commentary. (He is quite willing to engage in put-downs of other people, the "unenlightened," so be warned. Personally, I don't see evidence that he has ever lifted a finger to implement what he advocates, which raises flags for me. Talk is cheap. I think shovels in the ground = cred.)

My 2c.

Jay Angler wrote:Capturing the water from air conditioners: "Insane, yes, but I guess that there is at least as much air conditioning capacity than that in the Canadian Okanagan. 15,000,000 gallons of water a year. If you’re going to waste electricity, you might as well get the water."
I am near the ocean, and during our wet winters, we use a dehumidifier in the bedroom both to dry the bed, and to dry the shower room. We empty the dehumidifier reservoir into buckets. Then when we want to do a load of laundry, we pour the buckets into the machine, add a bit of soap and all the clothes, and let it run. We haven't tried to catch it at the rinse cycle yet, as it's not in a convenient spot for that, but if we needed to, that would be another level of water reuse. However, we dry the clothing near the dehumidifier also, so the water goes around and around!
Dehumidifier and air conditioning water lacks the minerals found in well water. That's likely to affect its taste for drinking, but if house water systems were designed for both potable and less potable options, water can be used more efficiently.

That is something I need to do. We have a whole-house heatpump. It runs the air conditioning to dehumidify the house even in winter. So we run humidifiers in our bedrooms to keep ourselves from getting sick and hoarse. But the condensate comes out of a little white pipe by my door. So I could cycle that water back into our humidifiers.

I sure wish there was a way to set my heat pump to keep more humidity in the house. But I haven't found that option on the "smart" thermostat. Anyways, I will start using the water from the "HVAC Well," instead of letting it go to waste on my concrete patio.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:There is a lot of interesting material there.

It's worth browsing through -- if you can get past the unfortunate self-righteousness of the author and his political commentary..

For sure. There is some meat there, and a lot of bones to spit out. He does have a keen power of observation, which is where I find the value.

Well, I put a bucket under my condensate pipe for several weeks and... nothing. It stayed bone dry, even while the concrete around it had some pooled water. So it must be that the condensate is coming out in the clouds of vapor, not from the pipe. I have seen the pipe drip in the summer, so I will try the bucket again then.