Source= MercuryNews.com

As Californians grapple with ways to save water in this third consecutive dry year, Jerry Block has taken an extreme path.

Last month, the retired medical doctor had four gravity-fed, 5,000-gallon polyethylene water tanks installed on his Monte Sereno property. The system will harvest raindrops to provide irrigation for an extensive food garden.

Block sees it as a patriotic as well as an environmental statement.

"Collecting rainwater locally and growing food locally will reduce our dependence on foreign powers," Block says. He spent $24,000 on the 20,000-gallon system, which he calls a long-term investment.

The scale of Block's system is out of reach for most homeowners, but rainwater collection — even on a small scale — is an ancient idea gaining new life. Old-fashioned rain barrels and cisterns are hot items. Vermont-based Gardener's Supply says sales are up at least 30 percent this year, predominantly on orders from the West and South. And some water agencies are offering rebates to offset their cost.

Source= The Wall Street Journal

MATHER AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced Wednesday that California will receive $260 million in economic-stimulus funds to improve its aging water infrastructure.

The nation's most-populous state will receive more than a quarter of the $1 billion that the Interior Department is investing in water systems nationwide. The funds come from the $787 billion federal-stimulus package President Barack Obama signed in February.

The announcement comes as California is facing a third straight year of drought and a double-digit unemployment rate, one of the highest in the country.

"The human suffering here in California is all too real," Mr. Salazar said during a news conference here.

"Farmers are not able to plant," he said. Workers in many communities and counties with 30% to 40% unemployment rates are without jobs "because of the fact that there are not going to be crops to harvest," he added.

Source= ABC30

In addition to more rain, Valley farmers want lawmakers to increase California's water storage. The farmers got an official update from the state regarding how recent wet weather has impacted the drought. The news is not good: we've gone from facing a catastrophic drought to a moderate one.

Acres and acres of farm land sit abandoned- not enough water to keep crops alive. Everyone from the farmer to the farm worker demanded action. Farm worker Sofia Chavez asked the State Board of Food and Agriculture for help, but Wendy Martin with the Department of Water Resources gave grim news, "We expect the next 10 days to be wet, but they are not going to be huge rain makers."

The ancient practice of rainwater harvest is uncommon in urban areas that have municipal water services. Traditional infrastructure treats rainwater as a nuisance that must be disposed of as quickly as possible. However, San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission has set the stage for rain to become an important resource rather than a waste.

Confronted with chronic stormwater problem and a state-wide drought, San Francisco has launched a unique rainwater harvesting Picture Courtesy of SPUC Stormwater Management Program program. The city-wide initiative has all the expected features - discounted rain barrels, how-to guides, and workshops – but that’s just the beginning. Public officials have also laid the foundation for rainwater catchment to play a much bigger role in the city.

Source= DANIEL WEINTRAUB

Source= MercuryNews.com

State water officials on Thursday announced that California's snowpack is 61 percent of normal for this time of year, prompting widespread concerns that after two previous dry years, the state — and Silicon Valley — could face the first widespread mandatory water rationing since the early 1990s.

"We may be at the start of the worst California drought in modern history,'' said Lester Snow, director of the California Department of Water Resources. "It's imperative for Californians to conserve water immediately at home and in their businesses."

There are roughly eight weeks left in California's traditional winter rainy season. If conditions don't improve, homeowners could see increased water bills, brown lawns, and "water police" issuing fines for irrigating lawns on banned days. Farmers, who use 80 percent of the water that California residents consume, will almost certainly plant fewer acres. And the state's salmon populations, already struggling from dams and poor ocean conditions, could fall further in number. 

This year, the drought is more severe than ever. A recent press release from The Department of Water Resources of California, titled "Governor Schwarzenegger Proclaims Drought and Orders Immediate Action to Address Situation," expresses the seriousness of the situation. Check out the full article by clicking here.  With the rising cost of living and the health of the environment at stake, now is a great time to start thinking about not only conserving your water, but being smarter about the way you use your water.  Local water agencies have plenty of great ideas when it comes to being more efficient by conserving rainwater. To view some tips, check out this link for the Santa Clara Water Agency.

In response to the concerns of The Department of Water Resources of California, Rain Harvesting Systems has made a promise to provide assistance in any way possible. We will do this by promoting awareness amongst homeowners that collecting rainwater is an easy option, and is a great way to prepare for 2009.