Date: 10/30/2013
Final
Precipitation Collection Pilot Project
WATER RESOURCES REVIEW COMMITTEE
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02:18 PM -- Precipitation Collection Pilot Project
Harold Smethills, Sterling Ranch, LLC, explained how water efficiency and demand management are being use to address the water needs at Sterling Ranch, including the use precipitation collection, also called rainwater harvesting (Attachment E). In 2009, the legislature authorized a 10-year pilot program for the collection of precipitation from rooftops for nonpotable uses. The purpose of the program is to develop data and methods to measure local precipitation, native plant consumption, and ground water flow. It will also evaluate precipitation collections designs and determine how to prevent injury to water rights. Mr. Smethills discussed annual precipitation at Sterling Ranch and how precipitation collection can be used to provide a reliable water supply for lawns and gardens. He identified measures to ensure that precipitation collection facilities do not impact downstream water users. He also discussed runoff from Sterling Ranch during the September 2013 floods and explained how this information will be used to determine how to operate the precipitation collection system in a way that protects downstream users.
1030AttachmentE.pdf
02:36 PM
Mr. Smethills responded to questions from the committee about data collection on Sterling Ranch that will help determine the amount of precipitation that can be collected from the property without impacting downstream water users.
02:39 PM
Beorn Courtney, Professional Engineer, Sterling Ranch, LLC, responded to questions from the committee about the amount of water that will be consumed on average by each Sterling Ranch household and how this compares with typical household in other developments.