I wanted to share some stories about the exciting and progressive projects that we've been privledged to participate in. There are dozens of medium to small residential and commercial projects that are being developed in the metro area which don't get the recognition that they deserve. These owners and developers aren't necessarily interested in the publicity that accompanies many larger celebrated projects but enjoy the recognition earned for their efforts to promote sustainability and resource conservation.

In the heart of bustling Midtown Atlanta is an exquisite Bed and Breakfast that oozes with class, history and hospitality. Stonehurst Place, built in 1896 and listed on the National Register of Historical Places, has just opened and is completely renovated as the 'greenest' B&B in this part of the country. Owner Barb Shadomy, has spearheaded an aggressive and innovative renovation of this aged and precious architectural gem. She assembled an unprecedented team of talent and skill to breath new life into this old lady. The general contractor, John Wesley Hammer, was able to bring together all the subcontractors into a unified team that brought Barb's vision to reality. The RainHarvest Company was honored to be part of this team. We were charged with implementing a water system strategy that would conserve and re-use as much water as possible.

We engineered and implemented three systems on the project: rain water reclamation with our RainHarvest System, grey water re-use with our Water ReUse System and a highly efficient point of use irrigation system. All the rain which falls upon the roof will be collected, filtered and purified for potable and irrigation use. We installed a 3400 gallon cistern system below the driveway so to conserve valuable space and avoid the roots of the many majestic trees on the site. A vault was built below the driveway which houses the pump system keeping it close to the cistern but hidden from sight. The grey water, or what we like to refer to as slightly used water, will be used to irrigate all the turf areas with a Netafim sub-surface drip system. All of the ornamentals are irrigated with rain water through a combination of Netafim drip emitters and Rainbird microsprays. The Brac System was utilized to collect , filter and purify the grey water for use in flushing the toilets. The extra water not used in the low flow water closets is sent to be used for subsurface irrigation of the fescue turf.

Our mission on this project was to conserve as much water as possible for Barb and her guests. I am confident that we accomplished this goal as we reduced water consumption by over 50 percent as compared to a similar facility. We also limited storm water run off thereby reducing non- point source pollution and decreased the burden on the beleaugered Atlanta sewer system.

Visit this special destination at www.stonehurstplace.com. and make reservations for a wonderful and green experience!

Watch the project unfold on HGTV 'GroundBreakers' airing Saturday, Jan. 24^th at 9:00 am.!

There are many examples of the 'greenvolution' in the news everyday. There are commercial, institutional and residential projects going up all over Atlanta and the southeast that incorporate systems to utilize solar potential, conserve water and energy, capture geothermal heat, harness the wind and more. While the large LEED commercial projects should be celebrated and inspire us all to greater heights of efficiency, there are hundreds of small residential and commercial projects worthy of recognition.

We were working at Trees Atlanta headquarters in Atlanta today to get their RainHarvest System tuned properly. We installed a device which injects concentrated dye into the water as the state plumbing code requires that reclaimed water used in toilets must be dyed either green or blue. This distictive color will distinguish the reclaimed water from potable water thereby warning anyone that the water they may want to drink from the toilet is not healthy and probably won't taste very good. TA will not only flush toilets with their rain water but use it to water the beautiful native landscape and hundreds of potted trees in the holding yard waiting for their new home.

We are installing a similar system at the new visitors center at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Named the Discovery Center, the new facility will be like many other new projects which are searching for new and alternative methods of conserving water. The RainHarvest Company has installed a 6800 gallon cistern system which will provide reclaimed rainwater for flushing toilets and also be available for irrigation.

It's encouraging to see new facilities invest in technologies which will set standards that the rest of us can aspire to meet. We don't have to have grand plans to pursue LEED certification, Green Globe or even Earth Craft certification but we can do what is within our budget and simple scope. Whether it be a simple 55 gallon rain barrel or a 10,000 gallon below ground cistern, our efforts will make a difference. We installed our first system, a 1700 gallon version, in a north Atlanta residence back in 1999. It's still performing well and working hard saving water for the client. I don't know how much water this client has saved during the past 10 years but I know that she has been contributing to health of the Chattahoochee by minimizing stormwater runoff and potable water consumption. She would agree that the financial savings realized by conserving water is not near as important as her contribution towards improving the health of her small section of the Earth called Duluth.

I'm going to begin spotlighting some of these inspirational projects in future entries because these small grassroot efforts are the ones that make the big difference. These small efforts, when mutiplied by the thousands throughout the region add up to make big change.These are the leaders with vision that inspire entire neighborhoods to change. One neighbor at time.

- Be Thankful, Be Good and Take Care.

    I may be wrong but it seems like a long time since there was any news about the continuing drought. I haven't seen any articles on the television, very little on line and nothing in print. Has the drought ended? Are the water shortages history? Should water restrictions be relaxed or even eliminated? Perhaps there has been enough rain that the lakes have recovered to their normal level for this time of year and the small groundwater capacity that lies below the surface has risen back to pre-drought capacity. How about stream flows? Are they back to normal as we would expect to see in non-drought year? I don't think so. Neither does our state climatologist, David Stooksbury. In fact, we still have a lot to be concerned about. What really concerns me is not the critical condition of our water resources but that it has been put onto the back burner, again.

    In November, Stooksbury issued a statement from Athens that “Drought conditions continue to grow harsher across north Georgia. Water levels in reservoirs and streams are at or near record lows across most of the region. Groundwater levels are also low.” Stooksbury continues in his article to describe the water supply for our region with terms such as “exceptional drought”, “extreme drought”. “...water levels are dropping very quickly...” is how our state climatologist describes the condition of Lake Hartwell. How about this statement, “Even with normal seasonal rains, it's doubtful that Lanier, Hartwell, Russell or Clarks Hill lakes will fully recover this winter.” The University of Georgia engineering professor continues in his article to describe the winter climatological conditions as a neutral pattern. Basically, this means that neither El Nino nor a La Nina pattern will determine our winter weather. Neutral pattern winters are usually variable so there 's no indication of abnormally wet or dry weather. However, recent winter weather history has been dry. The Georgia Bulldog closes his article with this grim statement that should be permant headlines: “With recent winters being our best guide, the most prudent response is to assume that this winter will tend toward the dry side. Water conservation efforts should continue.”

    As I write this, the Longhorns are battling the Buckeyes for victory in the Tostitos Chip Bowl and there is rain falling from the sky, as it has been doing for the last 3 days. The weather forecast for tonight, tomorrow and part of Wednesday is for more rain. In fact, there is a flood watch for parts of north Georgia tonight! So what happened to the drought? Are we going to recover in '09? Well the year is certainly starting off in our favor but let's not put the proverbial cart before the horse. I agree with Stooksbury that we should continue with conservation measures. Perhaps we should stiffen the restrictions. Let's keep in mind that even though our lakes may recover to full pool, the streams and rivers may reach full flow again and the ground water may rise, that our population is also increasing. Remember, these water resources, though full, remain fixed. Therefore, as our population increases and we forget about water restrictions, water consumption will increase. Will we find ourselves in more dire straits when the next drought settles in for a visit?

- Happy New Year to all!