Gathering the Rain ; Company's Systems Save Water By Collecting Precipitation for Future Use

When Karen Stallings was growing up in rural Ohio, her source of drinking water was rain water that ran off the shingle roof of the family's 1820 farmhouse and into a large stone cistern. "Rain catchment systems have been around for thousands of years," Stallings said. "They're not a new invention."

They have, however, become much more sophisticated, although the concept of gathering rain runoff from roofs and channeling the water for home use remains the same. As president of Desert Rain Systems, Stallings is at the forefront of technological advances in the field.

"Rainwater catchment is the one option that any homeowner can do to augment their water supply and thereby reduce demand on potable municipal or well sources," she said. "Not only is it the right thing to do, it's also a smart thing as well."

Stallings and her husband, Marty, were working as Northwest Airlines pilots and elk ranchers in south central Colorado when they first tinkered with a water catchment system. Their 900-acre ranch had several natural springs, but getting that water to the elk when and where they needed it was a problem since the Stallings' property was off the electrical grid.

"We figured out a way to collect, channel, convey and store water for the elk," she explained. "The local USDA office was impressed with our system enough to use it on other ranches in the area."

Going urban

In 2002, the couple decided to leave rural life behind and move to Santa Fe so they could raise their two young daughters in a more urban environment. Although Karen Stallings quit flying when she became pregnant with her second child, her husband continued to work as a pilot to support the family until his early retirement from the airlines in 2005. Desert Rain Systems started in early 2003 as a small business on the side with Karen Stallings as president and Marty Stallings in charge of design and engineering.

"When I first started talking with people about installing rain catchment systems, it was a hard sell," she said. "Then Santa Fe County passed the water harvesting ordinance later that fall."

The ordinance requires that commercial developments collect all roof drainage into cisterns to be reused for landscape irrigation. All residential development is required to collect roof drainage from a minimum of 85 percent of roof area to be reused for landscape irrigation. Homes consisting of 2,500 square feet or more must install underground cisterns and smaller homes must have a rainwater catchment plan.

Working partnerships

Business has been brisk for Desert Rain Systems, which works with individual homeowners and developers of residential and commercial projects. Kal Kalinowski, founder of Barranca Builders, has been doing business with the company since its inception. Kalinowski's homes in Park Estates and The Pueblos in Las Campanas have their own individual water catchment systems and cisterns, while some homes in the Casas de Corazon subdivision share common cisterns.

"When most people look at these homes, they don't even know that such a system exists," said Kalinowski. "After we explain the water catchment system and how it works, they're thrilled. Everyone wants to save water."

Kalinowski's homes have circular rock catchment areas under the roof's canals. Water collected in these rock pools flows into an underground tank connected to the home's irrigation system. If there isn't enough rain water and the tank empties, a switching system proprietary to Desert Rain Systems allows the irrigation to receive water from the normal domestic source. The tank system remains empty until the next rain event.

Custom jobs

Each rain catchment project is a custom job. When Desert Rain was asked to develop a system for the proposed southside Wal-Mart, they designed a million-gallon detention and retention system. Water that runs off the roof and through the parking lot will be channeled into a holding tank placed under the parking lot. Collected water will be used in the store's garden center and for landscaping.

"Bird droppings and pollen are the main pollutants that come off of roofs, but petrochemicals leach out of parking lots," Stallings explained. "We're designing a filtration system that will remove the pollutants of concern before they're used on plants."

Desert Rain Systems designed and installed the rain catchment system at the city's new southside library and is working on systems for the Railyard. More than half of the company's business involves commercial projects.

We're really environmentalists at heart," Stallings said. "At home I put a pitcher under my faucet when I'm washing my hands and put the water I collect on the pions outside my front door. I believe that small lifestyle choices make a difference. Everyone can use rain barrels even if they can't afford a rain catchment system. Rain catchment is only one component in water conservation."

Desert Rain Systems

ADDRESS: 1512 Pacheco St. Suite D207

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

955-0405 www.desertrainsystems.com

(c) 2007 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.