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Pondspectives with Mike

Experience the Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Photos and text by Mike Garcia

We kept the koi pond, and recently replaced the swimpond with a rainwater harvesting system.

Two benefits of replacing our swimpond with a rainwater harvesting system are lower monthly costs and a larger outdoor living area for entertaining.

The transformation process took a while, as the learning curve always calls for more time. After installing the tanks and adding the geotextile fabric, we put about 12 inches of soil on top of the fabric and laid flagstone down with FlexiPave as a type of permeable grout.

This project doubled our living area for entertaining. We can now comfortably fit about 100 people in our back yard.

I installed the rainwater harvesting system to do the right thing by saving water. In addition to gaining extra space for entertaining, I save about $200 a month by not running the old pool pump, and I no longer contribute to water loss through evaporation.
 
Word has spread quickly and I am receiving requests from municipalities and water districts for tours on how to install a rainwater harvesting system in a back yard. This technology is nothing new. People are interested in novelties, but I think rainwater harvesting is here to stay.

We recently installed our first rainwater diversion system under a driveway. This works on the same principle as a rainwater harvesting system, but without the liner.

The rainwater diversion system keeps rainwater from the roof out of the ocean. Pond contractors are  natural for this kind of rainwater harvesting work.

Are you seeking out this type of rainwater harvesting work? We’d love to hear from you.

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Experience the Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting Systems

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