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Where has all the WaterGone?

And How to Recapture it.(On the Cheap)

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Some water history.

At the turn of last century, Savannah, Georgias squares were

not the lovely, lush parks they are today. In the early 1900s,the squares were sandy lots, the centers of which sported an

artesian well, sometimes bubbling and spurting six to eight feet into

the air, providing water for the old horse-drawn pumpers to fight

fires. Today, almost every lot in the United States largest Historic

Landmark District is built out. The roads and lanes are paved -

even the squares have as much as 50% impervious cover in

between the mature Live Oaks and masses of azaleas. In order to

dig a well in a square now, you might have to go 35 to 42 feet

down to hit water - an almost 50 foot drop in 100 years. This is

considerable for a coastal city.

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Its Everywhere...

In little more than a decade Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma

and Colorado saw drops in their water tables as much as100 feet. In the Central Valley of California, the water table

has dropped 70 feet within a similar time frame. Each of

these are high growth areas. Up to 30% of it may beattributable to irrigation demands for corn as an energy crop.

Corn is a thirsty plant. Solutions are being developed to stem

the loss of crop runoff - no tillage planting, high-energy yieldcrop choices with low water demand.

Urban run off continues to be the major source of water

pollution because current methodologies cost way too much.

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Pretorious Paving

Run off. NPDES Phase II admits what we do for it, is

not working. Low Impact Stormwater Design means

thinking Micro, instead of Macro. Thinking, simpler.

Iterating nature. Solving problems where they occur,

instead of relocating them in massive agglomerationswhere pollutants like heat*, dioxins, carbon dioxide,

and the detritus of humanity poison our water while

we flush it away, instead of allowing it to filter naturallyinto the ground - into the surface water recharge

areas which feed our springs, artesian wells, streams,

rivers, lakes and marshes. Where is it all going?

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Some Terms

Water doesnt just disappear. It relocates to one of four

places: our atmosphere, through Evapotransporation (ET);our Surface Water - ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, the gulf,

our oceans; our Surface Water Recharge Area, also referred

to as soil water, the source of our springs and wells whichserve to replenish our streams, rivers, and lakes - as does

the rain. Because of that - both Surface Water and the

Surface Water Recharge Areas are referred to as GREENwater. Essentially it is all recycled; and fourth, our Ground

Water- pristine, like the Floridan Aquifer - It could take more

than 200 years for a rain drop to travel there.

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Gilman Paper Company, St. Marys, GA -Employed up to 1100 workers, production capability 2.6

million pounds of paper per day.

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Water, water everywhere...

Gilman Paper Company was family owned for around 70years in St. Marys (Camden County) Georgia. The family no

longer had an interest in running a pulp mill during an industry

downturn. In 1999, they sold it to Durango, who ran it for a fewyears, filed bankruptcy, and closed the plant. Within two weeks

of the closure, artesian wells started springing up in folks yards,

driveways, and lots - because the water table recovered sorapidly from the enormous daily pulp mill withdrawal - so much

so, that UGA Extension Agents were called upon to cap the wells

all over Camden County.

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1 of the top 10 Ecological Wonders of the

World

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A Study in Connectivity

The Great Okefenokee Swamp covers 700 square

miles in Southeast Georgia and Florida. At the time ofthe Gilman Paper Company closing, it - like much of

Georgia - was in the middle of a severe drought.

Within a few months of the closing, the water level in

the Okefenokee rose more than 6 inches, without

compensating rainfall in the drainage area whichfeeds the swamp - according to a Fish and Wildlife

Official. This connectivity was a major reason

environmental groups did not want Dupont to mineTitanium on the Swamps Eastern side.

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The Land of Trembling Earth

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A 2300 Year Habit

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According to Roger D. Hansen, noted water system historian

from Utah State University, more than two centuries beforeChrist, Etruscan Engineers designed and built Romes first

drainage and wastewater system - Cloaca Maxima.

This system of covered concrete drains was large enough insome areas for a hay wagon to drive through it.

It collected waste and stormwater through holes in the

streets, with its final outfall into the Tiber River.

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2 years of Construction$11,000,000.00 Flood Control only - Zero Water Quality

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The 10% SolutionFor Flood Control and Water Quality

Suppose instead of digging up the entire street, block after block,

we only dig 30 out from the curb and down 5. We build a flushmounted header curb on the asphalt side.

Since the lateral utility lines are involved, a significant amount of

this is hand work by someone trained to work around utilities. Thatperson - or persons - would also need to be proficient in operatingan air spade to protect the tree roots. Once that is completed, anon woven fabric is used to line the trench. Recycled concrete

chunks from 6 to 10 in size fill in the first 4 feet. Then six inchesof #57 stone follow, capped by 3 inches of #89 stone. Interlockingconcrete pavers with half inch joints are installed, with #9 stone

used to fill the joints.

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Iterating NatureAllowing rain to return to the ground almost where it

falls

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All this & 90% Savingstoo!

Flood Control AND Water Quality.

An average 450 foot block will store 15,000 gallons on one

side.

This water will exfiltrate into our Surface Water RechargeAreas which feed our wells, streams, rivers, lakes and

marshes. Water we have been flushing away, while pollutingthe bodies of water which carry it downstream.

While the trench is open, municipalities could request the

power company to install lines underground as well -preventing future costly, overly aggressive tree trimming.

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Stormwater ManagementRecapturing rain for surface water recharge storage

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From Macro to MicroThe Paradigm Shifts

Each side of one block could be a Micro Contract whichcould be awarded to an underemployed person. A Master

Contract could be awarded to an Engineering Firm whowould be charged with the Utility Training, Air Spade,OSHA, and provide oversite where necessary.

The advantages are numerous - being small, it allows amunicipality to put a toe in the water - to try it on for size.To the adjoining residents or businesses - access is limited

for a month or two, while keeping the street open and halfof the parking available. Hydrocarbon eating bacteria willgrow in the matrix. The Calcium in the concrete will serveto neutralize acidic Heavy Metals.

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Integrative PlanningStormwater, Trees, Streets, Quality of Life

Our urban trees need access to oxygen and water. They are

a critical component of an integrated stormwatermanagement plan. According to Dr. Kim Coder from UGAsWarnell School of Forestry, a 12 inch caliper Live Oak canoptimally uptake 1200 gallons of water a day (and a 2caliper Live Oak 6 to 8 gallons of water per day). This alsoexplains why, when DOT builds a new road, using currentstormwater management BMPs to compensate for theaddition of impermeable surface,flooding generally increases, simply because there is noformula to adequately compensate for the loss of mature

trees and corresponding rise in the water table.

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Lower Depth Profile

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Caveat

In 2008, EPA initiated procedures for the PostConstruction Monitoring Component of NPDES Phase 2.

This again is a great product, but inappropriate installation

- sand is a growing medium. The ICPI has an excellent

stormwater profile for interlocking concrete pavers - using

#9 stone in which to bed these pavers and #9 stone (1/4

stone) to fill in the joints. This is one of the lowest

maintenance requirements of the myriad porous pavers on

the market. Leaves? No problem. Imagine...

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SW & Traffic Calming.

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