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By Roz Rogoff

About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and...  (More)

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RainSaucers School Art Contest

Uploaded: Mar 3, 2014

Our local rainwater collection company, RainSaucers, announced today that "In order to raise awareness of rainwater harvesting and promote the use of RainSaucers? as a tool for collecting rain, we are launching today our 1st Annual 'Saucers for Schools' Art Contest."

RainSaucers is located on Bollinger Canyon Road in San Ramon. The company is awarding three 59" RainSaucer kits valued at $85 each. A rain barrel is not included but can be converted from a 50 gal. plastic trash can or purchased from Home Depot or Lowes.



With the current drought in California, water agencies throughout the state are urging conservation. East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD), Zone 7 Water Agency, and Governor Jerry Brown are all calling for a 20% reduction in water use.

The recent rains provide a perfect opportunity for filling up a few barrels with water. What better way to save water than to catch it and store it in an accessible barrel.

The contest isn't limited to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. "All students in grades 3-5 in an Elementary School in the United States (and territories) are eligible to win." Since RainSaucers is a local company, our local school district should certainly be represented.

Hopefully all of the elementary schools in San Ramon and Danville will encourage students to submit entries, or even make the entries into class projects. There will only be one winner per Grade, but as the saying goes, you can't win if you don't enter.

Entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2014, so there isn't much time to start working on your art work. Here are the requirements from the RainSaucers' website:

"? Entries must be on white 8 1/2" x 11" paper with the theme "Why collect rain?" The artwork must contain the image of an upside funnel of any size collecting rain and represent an application of collected rainwater (such as Gardening, Landscaping, Drinking, Water for Animals, Bathing, Washing, etc.)

? The artwork must be 2D, with nothing stuck to it.

? On the back, please include name (first and last), title of the artwork, name of school, school's address, student's grade (3-5), teacher's name and email address, parent's name and email address, and home address.

? Entries must be mailed to RainSaucers Inc., 11040 Bollinger Canyon Road, Suite E-170, San Ramon, CA 94582 with a postmark date no later than March 31, 2014.

? Results will be announced on our blog on April 10, 2014.

? There is no fee to enter."

So hurry, hurry, hurry, and get out those colored pencils, chalk, magic markers, or paint pots. Then look out the windows of your classroom and see where a rainbarrel could go and how it would be so nice to grow flowers and vegetables while saving water.

Pop a Bing Crosby record on the Victrola and sing along with Bing because, "Every time it rains, it rains Pennies from Heaven." I've been waiting for a way to fit that song into one of my blogs!
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Comments

Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Mar 4, 2014 at 9:47 am

There are lots of folks that don\\\'t know how and/or don\\\'t care about how to save money. It\\\'s a basic skill that everybody must learn to increase your fortune and improve our economy.

yup...SAVING PENNIES FROM HEAVEN IS A BASIC SURVIVAL SKILL! HOORAY!

VIVA PENNIES! GORA!

MAKE YOUR PENNIES FROM HEAVEN COUNT!


Posted by Andrea Pook, a resident of another community,
on Mar 4, 2014 at 4:45 pm

Just saw your blog and appreciate you covering the importance of water conservation especially right now. I did notice that you had EBMUD at 20% conservation; however we are at 10% right now, as of the Board?s request on Feb 11.


Posted by Roz Rogoff, the San Ramon Observer,
on Mar 4, 2014 at 6:34 pm

Roz Rogoff is a registered user.

Andrea,

Thank you for the correction. I'm not sure how we can tell how much water we are saving or how to calculate the amount of water to reduce my use by 10%.

I put my laundry on house water during the drought. Now that my laundry tanks are full again, I'll switch the machine back to them.

I've cut down on my water use considerably since 2009. I use 2500 gal. captured rainwater for my laundry and three 1500 gal. tanks for my drought tolerant front yard.

I'm growing dirt in my back yard and quit watering it three years ago. So I don't have too many ways left to save more water. Of course as long as it is raining now, I'll be capturing more and using less.

Roz


Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Mar 5, 2014 at 4:40 pm

How to HARVEST RAIN: Web Link


Posted by San Ramon Observer, a resident of San Ramon,
on Mar 5, 2014 at 6:07 pm

San Ramon Observer is a registered user.

Thanks for the link, Cholo. I was looking for one like that when I was writing this blog. I like the one you found better than the one in my blog.

RainSaucers are for stand-alone barrels so they do not have to be put near a downspout. That way the barrels can be put next to the garden and not the house. Otherwise these instructions are perfect!

Roz


Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Mar 6, 2014 at 8:03 am

From T to Tap! Web Link

just trying to help...


Posted by Roz Rogoff, the San Ramon Observer,
on Mar 7, 2014 at 12:27 pm

Roz Rogoff is a registered user.

Cholo,

The T to Tap was a big issue in the Dublin San Ramon Services District race 10 years ago. DSRSD was planning to inject its recycled water into the ground water in Pleasanton. This created an uproar and voters voted in the anti-T to Tap candidates.

DSRSD now distributes its recycled water for large green landscapes like golf courses, road medians, and most of the public greenery in Dougherty Valley. Of course the recycled water will eventually make its way down to underground springs, but it will be additionally filtered by the soil along the way.

DSRSD recycles the "effluent" (euphemism for sewage) by reverse osmosis, which filters out the smallest microorganisms. So the water is safe to drink, but the outcry from residents limits that use here to landscaping.

Another reverse way to save water is to use tap to toilet. There's a device called [Web Link an Aqus] that stores water from the bathroom sink, filters it, and pumps it into the toilet tank for flushing. I like this idea better. I wanted to buy one but the manufacturer quit making them. Maybe we should find an entrepreneur around here to start manufacturing them again. I'd buy one.


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