October 17, 2014, Friday - "Can We Harvest Rainwater for Indoor Use?" at McKnight Foundation

Time:  8:00am – 9:30am

Location: McKnight Foundation, 710 Second Street South, Suite 400

"Can We Harvest Rainwater for Indoor Use?"

As green infrastructure receives greater attention for its potential to help communities protect water resources, so do rainwater capture and re-use opportunities. Here in Minnesota, a common perception is that state laws prohibit harvest and re-use of stormwater for indoor uses like toilet flushing—but is this just a myth? Why, truly, don’t we see more projects harvest rainwater for indoor use, especially as we deepen our understanding of the need to reduce demand on our limited water resources? The answer is part governance, part economics and part persistence. Saint Paul’s Lowertown Regional Ballpark (currently under construction and will be home to the St. Paul Saints) will harvest rainwater for indoor use—Minnesota’s first such municipal project. Come hear how this project navigated regulatory issues, why the City of Saint Paul sees it as an important opportunity to demonstrate sustainable water management and how others can apply lessons learned from this project.

The topic is particularly timely, given that the MN Plumbing Board is updating the Plumbing Code—and is considering the recommendations of an interagency Water Reuse Group on rainwater harvesting. Speaker Wes Saunders-Pearce is the City of Saint Paul’s Water Resources Coordinator and was instrumental in incorporating a rainwater harvesting program at the Lowertown Regional Ballpark. Note: Our hosts at the McKnight Foundation have a new check-in process. When you arrive, please be prepared to sign in at the front desk and get a visitor pass.

Light breakfast provided. Free. RSVP to lark_weller@nps.gov.