Water management

Possible sources of supply Many permaculturalists in their attempt to live off-grid seek to not use mains water, however this in my education with the Centre for Alternative Technology can actually be inappropriate, however there are sometimes needed reasons, such as very rural locations or new builds. Therefore we will continue to use mains water as the most efficient way to maintain a clean water supply as a community. However to increase our resilience we do have options if for whatever reason this source of supply is jeopardized including our well in the home garden and water diverted from the Brook if necessary however this is not desirable. In terms of rainwater roof collection our catchments areas include: The house roof - which can be used for the home garden Cabin roof Greenhouse roofs Pollytunnel if re-developed Piggeries Garage when re-developed Barns if totally necessary (would involve fitting guttering and so forth) Compost toilet roof

2. Contouring the landscape to catch water & direct it to where needed. This also brings in the principle of relevant location. Toby says to observe, assess & then station your thirstiest plantain the naturally wet places. Thirsty plants can be located where they can get water with minimal human effort, near hoses, swales, sidewalk runoff and downsprouts. 3. Including drought tolerant plants in systems when possible. 4. Planting densely to shade the soil. 5. Mulching deeply.

Wet systems
Ecological Principles Natural landscapes of woodland and wetland effectively act like a sponge Heavy rainfall is absorbed and then slowly released over time. Design Observations & Aims Aim to imitate natural systems e.g. creating woodlands, forest gardens and woodlands. Aim to catch and store water and then release it over time to meet the needs of plant communities. Conserve natural systems and work for watershed restoration. Plant trees and other deeprooted perennials. Maintain healthy soils. Reduce the amount of impermeable surface such as concrete e.g. more groundcovers, living walls & roofs. Tree planting can be maximized for greatest effect: In strips along the contour Along the banks of rivers, streams & lakes In the bottoms of gullies and small valleys On steep soils On soils prone to erosion Conserve natural wetlands & embrace their construction in useful roles such as sewage treatment. Address water problems as close to their original source as possible. Water can be slowed down by spreading it swales, terraces and diversion drains can intercept the flow and spread it. Excess water can be directed to plants that can cope with it, for example fruit trees. Another element of water system design at Brook End is if we develop a shower unit for camps & events that we host. If this happens we will need a way of treating the outputs and one multifunctional, low entropy system is a WET system. Developed by UK designer, Jay Abrahams as an alternative to reed bed systems that have large embodied energy (through their concrete and gravel), WE systems are integrated wetlands that mimic living systems, using both microbial and plant communities to purify waste water. They are multifunctional in that they can purify waste water, create wildlife habitat and produce harvestable yields such as willow coppice. At Brook End we have a degree of slop above our pond and could design a small-scale system of this nature. Water Design Decisions for Brook End Work on soil building as a priority & mulch areas deeply Install water butts & down pipes from all of the greenhouses to save time & energy Research local drought tolerant species Install a drip irrigation system in the pollytunnel to reduce risk of mildew and save time watering If replacing the pollytunnel plastic in the future, simultaneously install guttering to catch water Develop health & resilience of the pond and stream as a priority Reduce consumption of water Re-use some greywater from the kitchen to the home garden in a simple DIY system If developing a shower unit for camps & events, direct water to a constructed wetland above the pond for treatment & biodiversity Re-design area at the top end of the field to increase planting of perennials Emphasize the use of compost toilets at all events above inside water-based conveniences

Natural systems effectively buffer river level fluctuations and prevent flooding. Healthy soils are the best store of water. Trees aid infiltration by opening up soils with their root systems. Water is also absorbed and stored by the leaf litter.

Design decisions

Storage We are able to store our captured rainwater in tanks and butts surrounding the catchment facilities. However, as Australian designer & Regenerative Agriculture tutor, Darren Doherty, emphasizes 'the best place to store water is in the soil'. This highlights the landscape scale approaches needed to manage water in permaculture systems, which I am to explore in this section.

Trees can reduce run-off from slopes and so the placement of trees is particularly important.

Permaculture approaches
In the permaculture classic, Gaia's Garden, Toby Hemenway describes the 'The Fivefold Path to Water Wisdom', which I explore in this section. There is also a table that looks at ecologically principles and how these translate to system design. Toby emphasizes that in the ecological garden, ample water, not drought, is the default condition. 1. Building organically rich soil. Research shows that soil with as little as 2% organic matter can reduce the irrigation needed by 75% when compared to poor soils having less than 1% organic matter.

Natural wetlands regulate the flow of water and also purify it. The quality of water is often linked back to its source in the mountains for example. Water is slowed down in the landscape by flood plains and wetlands.

Resources PA Yeomans Scale of Permanence Checklist edited by David Jacke http://www.wrt.org.uk/projects_map.html Gaias Garden, Toby Hemenway Darren Doherty, RegenAG design course, Oct 11 Jay Abrahams, WET systems talk at RegenAG Permaculture: A designers Manual, Bill Mollison Centre for Alternative Technology, Eco rainwater supplies & ecological sewage treatment course, April 11

Nicole Vosper, Wild Heart Permaculture 2011

BROOK END