Water management
Integrated water management
Water management is a practice that has been gaining ground in recent years, and is necessary in many contexts of drought or malfunctioning water networks (for example).
Integrated water management can bring several benefits, including savings on bills, a continuous and abundant water supply, and optimization not only for domestic use but also for agriculture.
What do we mean by “water management”?
We mean any practice aimed at optimizing water resources, integrating tap water with other sources (rainwater, groundwater, etc.) where possible.
This allows for significant savings in consumption, with considerable economic and ecological returns. Another important area of intervention is the protection against erosion and hydrogeological risk, with a study on the possible channeling (and possible recovery) of rainwater.
Each case is unique, because each place has its own characteristics and each has its own needs and possibilities. For this reason, it is impossible to standardize a solution.
We work together to come up with water management alternatives, starting from the needs and analyzing the potential of the location, seeking to optimize sources and encouraging reuse, with a view to permaculture.
Here are some examples, which, depending on the case, can be integrated into a water mix tailored to your needs.
Rainwater harvesting
One of the most widely available resources is undoubtedly rainwater.
To optimize its collection, a study is carried out on the historical rainfall in the area and the surface area available for collection.
To determine the size of any cistern or open basin, an estimate is made of the volumes used and the potential: for example, rainwater can be reused inside the house, or for irrigation or watering animals.
Together, we will look at the various possibilities and storage costs to arrive at an ideal solution, with various options for reuse.
Rain can also be collected from sloping land, using channels or small terraces that could slow down runoff and retain moisture in the soil, with benefits for both crops and vegetation and biodiversity in general.
The current trend is to remove rainwater as quickly as possible, using channels or pipes that accelerate the discharge of rainwater into the main rivers. However, this causes a sudden increase in flow rates, resulting in widespread hydrogeological damage.
Slowing down rainwater on slopes, on the other hand, increases groundwater recharge, as well as a general increase in water availability in the area for plants and animals, and spreads the increase in river flow rates over time.
Swale
Swales are another very simple and effective way of retaining rainwater in the soil, resulting in groundwater recharge, increased soil moisture, and greater biodiversity. They are simply ditches dug along the contour lines of the land, filled with organic material, with the excavated soil immediately returned to the downstream side of the ditch, creating a ditch-mound system.
Swales are essential on sloping land, especially to reduce irrigation and hydrogeological erosion. They can also be useful for increasing groundwater levels, with positive repercussions downstream and in the recharge of wells.
Phytoremediation
On this page, you will find more specific information on phytoremediation systems.
In this section, we simply want to emphasize their importance in terms of recovering treated water.
In fact, the water leaving the plant can be reused for irrigation, outdoor use (washing or other purposes), or even for flushing toilets, creating a continuous recirculation and allowing the same water to be reused several times.
Water network optimization
In many areas where the water network is unreliable, it may be useful to design a storage system that can compensate for temporary shortages in water availability.
These solutions are very economical and easy to implement, but they offer great advantages.
Water Network Optimization
In many areas where the water network operates intermittently, it can be helpful to design a storage system to compensate for temporary water shortages.
These solutions are very cost-effective and easy to implement, yet they offer significant benefits.