The document summarizes the water situation and management challenges at a homestead site. The soil is clay loam and drains slowly, and the site receives on average 1189 inches of precipitation per year mostly as snow in winter months. Well water is the primary water source but is less resilient. The document recommends applying three water management techniques: 1) collecting rainwater from the roof, 2) using a grey water system from laundry, and 3) installing berms and swales with a small pond for passive irrigation. It also suggests using renewable energy like solar or wind to pump well water to improve the site's resilience.
3. Overall summary of water
Main slope is
going toward
Southwest, with
the other main
slope facing
South.
Currently, the soil is
always covered: I
guess runoffs are
limited to the ditches
surrounding the site.
The water is exiting
the site by them, and
High water table: variable
as the ledge is very close at
some places, and deep
elsewhere)
South.
No
watercourse is
passing on the
land (creek,
etc.) The whole ecovillage is located almost at
the top of the local watershed (Nicolet
river): not a lot of flowing water, but it is of
good quality.
the site by them, and
the septic system.
Clay loam soil:
water drains slowly
4. Precipitations
Thus, we depend on precipitations to get our
water: In our area, we receive an average of 1189
inches of precipitations per year (rain or snow)
(The Weather Network, online)
The majority is coming in
snow during the winter
months (mostly in Dec, Jan
and Feb).
During the summer period, we receive
an average of 4 inches per month…
meaning around an inch per week, what
most garden plants need!
5. Challenges of managing water
Well water is the primary (not to say only)
source for water at the homestead… Peter
Bane, (on page 155) qualified this source as
the less resilient one: This is something we
must address in our situation.
Gravity to move water is winner (Silva, Gravity to move water is winner (Silva,
Lecture Water Management Techniques,
time: 2:20), yet on our terrain, I hardly can
see how we could harvest water up in our
landscape to distribute it from there…
Our winters would not permit on relying
only from rainwater to supply the house
because of major and prolonged freezes.
6. Techniques that could be applied on site
Rainwater catchment from the roof:
I knew the technique, but I learned
that we needed to filter it and that
not all roofs are good to harvest
quality water (Bane, page 156).quality water (Bane, page 156).
Since rainwater is our primary
source of entering water, it would
make sense to collect (and store) it!
Using solar or
wind energy to
pump the well
water (Bane,
page 155)
7. Techniques that could be applied on
site (continued)
Berm and swale system, flowing in a
little pond: this is not new for me, but I
never have done it before. It would be
useful because soil is the least expensive
Grey water systems using the
laundry for watering the plants
sounds like a great, yet small
and easy step to take.
useful because soil is the least expensive
way to store water (Silva, Lecture Water
Management Techniques, time: 2:26)
and passive irrigation is the one that
will demand the less work!
I like that it is easy to divert the
water either to conventional
system or grey water system (I
am thinking of our winters!)
(Bane, page 168)
8. Conclusion of analysis:
Water is a precious resource that is in need of care on our site!
We need to apply at least those three techniques (roof
rainwater harvesting, using grey water and installing a
berm and swale system) and do the shift of using
renewable energy to pump our well water. Otherwise, it
will compromise the site’s resilience.
