Upcoming
Graywater Reuse: Designing a System that Works
Rebecca Batchelder, P.E., presents a public talk hosted by Design~Build~Live, October 19 at 7 pm, at Backyard Salvage and Garden, 111 E. Koenig Lane, Austin, Texas 78751 (former Howard’s Nursery location). See Design~Build~Live for details and map.
This presentation will guide people through the design considerations of a graywater reuse system, put the record straight on some graywater myths and misconceptions, and answer burning questions on how to make use of this valuable resource instead of sending it down to the drain for costly, relatively ineffective and resource intensive treatment. The presentation will be given from the perspective of a professional engineer and will touch on environmental impacts (the good and the bad), permitting process, human health and safety, treatment and soap.
Rebecca Batchelder is an environmental engineer with Glenrose Engineering. She has five years of experience working on water resource issues in Central Texas. Her work includes design of low impact development (LID) storm water treatment systems, research on alternative waste water treatment design and its impacts on the environment, and sampling investigations to monitor the impact of development. She was a resident at the Rhizome Collective warehouse, where she participated in many of the low-tech sustainable design experiments. More recently, she designed and installed Austin’s first permitted residential graywater reuse system. This system has not been designed in accordance with City of Austin graywater design regulations. Rather, it presented a sensible alternative that meets state regulations, protects human health and safety, and the environment and maximizes water conservation.
Archived
Changing Lightbulbs or Paradigms
Dr. Ross gave this talk on September 29, 2011 as part of a panel discussion hosted by Texas Green Network, examining:
- the Big Picture of water quality and availability in Central Texas, in light of climate change and predictive scientific models
- how the production of electricity from conventional power plants (nuclear, coal-fired, etc.) place significant demands on water quantity compared with water quantity demands from renewable energy sources
- human health and fluoride, chlorine
- actionable items for concerned citizens
What would you drink if the well went dry?
A presentation Dr. Ross delivered before residents of Haskell County, at the First Baptist Church of Paint Creek on September 9, 2011 in response to the proposed Tenaska coal-fired power plant.
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Radical Water Solutions
On August 17, 2011, Dr. Ross spoke to members of the natural building community, of the transition town community, and of Design~Build~Live at House + Earth in downtown Austin. Topics covered:
- Drinking water contaminants and simple practices to create pure safe drinking water
- Best practices for graywater, rainwater, composting toilets
- Policy barriers that interfere with some of these practices
Safe Drinking Water
Dr. Ross spoke before the City of Sunset Valley mayor, city council and citizens on June 19, 2011, focusing only on human health issues associated with potable drinking water and not the myriad consequences to soil biology, fish and other aquatic organisms resulting from human water contamination. Topics covered:
- Drinking water contaminants (pathogens, toxic metals, organic chemicals) and associated human diseases; simple practices to create pure safe drinking water
- Austin’s Drinking Water Quality (2010 report)
- Answers to questions posed by council and citizens
Aerated Compost Tea
Dr. Ross gave this presentation at City of Austin’s One Texas Center on February 24, 2011, hosted by Capital Area Erosion Control Network and Sustainable Site Designs. All terrestrial life relies upon soil microorganisms to transform minerals into nutrients, break down toxic chemicals, control disease, and support plant growth. Aerated compost tea is a brewed liquid of billions of micro-organisms applied to soil and plants to support these essential micro-soil processes. Aerated compost tea applications can be used to enhance the effectiveness of biofilter and vegetated systems to treat storm runoff. Covered topics include the fundamental science of aerated compost tea, discuss best methods, and provide a hands-on demonstration of small scale brewing.
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