Don’t let good water go to waste! Capture and use rainwater in your garden. Through the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Rainwater Harvesting Program, residents, businesses and schools can receive generous discounts on rain barrels and cisterns. Participants in the Rainwater Harvesting Program will receive either: • A $100 discount off the purchase of a pre-approved rain barrel, ranging from 45 to 60 gallons (limit 2 per customer). Each rain barrel includes a hose bib, overflow hose, and a connecting valve to join multiple barrels. Discounted downspout diverter kits are also available. OR •A $350 discount off the purchase of a cistern, ranging from 130 to 750 gallons (limit 1 per customer).If you need to disconnect your downspout from the sewer system to install your rainbarrel or cistern, a plumbing permit is required from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection. The SFPUC is also offering a rebate up to $225 toward the cost of your permit fee. Information and application below.
Turn your traditional lawn into a water efficient garden with healthy soil using this sheet mulching guide.
NDS Pop-Up drainage Emitters act as the discharge point of a drainage system, opening easily when needed to allow water to flow freely from the pipe and away from structural foundations.
The drainage companion to the pop-up emitter is the Flo-Well. This discharge component is an easy to install and sustainable solution for stormwater runoff. Flo-Well units collect, retain, and discharge stormwater on-site, offering a gravel-free alternative to a traditional dry well.
NDS Permeable Paver Systems are designed to provide design professionals with an alternative paving solution to concrete, asphalt or similar surfaces.
Drip irrigation is a more precise and efficient way to deliver the right amount of water to the right plants. If you are stuck with an above ground sprinkler system for your lawn, but want to upgrade to a drip system for a vegetable garden, then an array of new products make the steps to transformation are easier than you think.
On Thursday, September 19th from noon to 4pm, this program features five speakers that worked on the development, update, and application of WUCOLS.
Download the product overview PDF (includes pricing).Please right click, select ‘Save As’ Evapotranspiration is a simple concept that can save you money when it is applied to landscape irrigation. Smart new ET controllers use it to enable lush, thriving plants while reducing water usage by 20-50 per cent. This is the biggest breakthrough for landscape water conservation since the introduction of drip irrigation over 30 years ago. Evapotranspiration is the amount of water that is lost from the soil through evaporation and plant use. As the days get longer and warmer from March to August, E.T., or the plant’s need for water, gradually increases. Besides the length of day, temperature, humidity, and rainfall all are factored into watering schedules. When rain usually ends in March, irrigation controllers traditionally are turned on and then left running on a preset schedule until well into the fall when it begins raining again. This schedule waters too much on some days and not enough on others, either wasting water or causing plant stress. More efficient irrigation scheduling would read just the system run times to match the changing plant water needs daily, and would water less as days get cooler and shorter in the fall. E.T. irrigation controllers re-adjust themselves automatically as often as needed without manual reprogramming by using three sources of information: 1. Built in logic has solar radiation values for every micro climate, permanently stored onboard in memory, by postal zip code or latitude. 2. Entered data about each zone to be watered: soil type, plant type, irrigation type (sprinklers or drip), and slope. 3. Real-time data from on-site sensors or wireless E.T. weather data service enabling fast response to unexpected storms or heat waves. To deliver on these revolutionary water-saving promises, E.T. controllers require correct set-up with site & product specific input. After they are correctly installed and programmed, these controllers operate trouble free, delivering only the amount of water needed by the plants every day, through the wet and dry season, without waste. The Urban Farmer Store is a trained, certified, and authorized distributor of Hunter Solar Sync, Hunter ET System, Weathermatic’s Smart-Line®, Irritrol’s Smart Dial® ET controllers, Aquairus Acclima & etWater Contractors and homeowners can learn how to properly set up these controllers from the Urban Farmer Store. Marin Municipal Water District and EBMUD may offer rebates and incentives directly to water customers who install these E.T. controller. Check the EBMUD or MMWD Marin Municipal Water District websites for detials.