Professor provides possible rainwater reprieve

Dr. Richard Byers knows that one man's runoff can save another man's garden. So, the native Australian decided to bring the same kind of rainwater filtration technology that he grew up with to the drought-plagued mountains of North Georgia.

“I grew up on rainwater,” said the North Georgia College & State University associate history professor. “I grew up drinking it, showering in it, using it for all uses. And it's a proven technology across much of the rest of the world.”

The idea is simple. Rain that would normally be cast out of gutters and downspouts is funneled through a small filter. Then it is collected in a nearby tank where it can be used to irrigate lawns and wash cars without breaking a watering ban.

Though many parched lawns perished in the unusually dry summer and fall of 2007, Byers said this system could have saved its fair share of sod and gardens.

“Even under existing drought conditions, a 1,000-gallon storage tank would have yielded more than 10,000 gallons of water even during this drought,” he said.

Byers grew up in a Adelaide, where the average annual rainfall is 8 inches.

It's a place where the arrival of a few raindrops can take on the jubilant tone of a North Georgia snow day.

“People go out and start celebrating,” he said. “Any rainfall in South Australia is welcome.”

However, when Byers arrived in the United States, 12 years ago, he was struck by the local reliance on plumbing for all water needs.

“Ever since I moved to North Georgia I wondered why people weren't using tanks,” he said. “And I was usually told ‘Well, we don't need them. Water is abundant and it's almost free.'”

This reliance only became even more apparent during the recent dry months.

“To be honest with you, I waited last year for somebody to offer this technology to the American market,” he said. “After several months of waiting I realized that time was of the essence and that we needed to respond sooner rather than later.”

As a result, Byers teamed up with his colleague Dr. Robert Fuller, director of the NGCSU Environmental Leadership Center, as they took matters into their own hands.

“Since we're an educational institute what we really ought to be doing is setting some good examples and teaching students by example,” said Fuller.

Byers had to look overseas to a German and Australian-based group. The two professors now sell these systems under the name Rain Trapper Environmental Industries.

“A 1,000-gallon complete system starts around $2,600,” said Byers.

A smaller system, designed for everyday gardens, is available for less than $1,000. More information is available on the pair's temporary Web site www.raintrapper.com.

The system is most effective for large buildings, said Byers.

“If you have more than 1,000 square feet of roof, you are in business,” he said.

As a result, Byers has been talking to regional municipalities in hopes of drumming up interest in the system. Recently, he pitched his idea to Hall and Forsyth water departments. So far he has received encouraging feedback, but still no firm commitments.

“People are still very, let's say, curious about it,” he said. “There has been a lot of positive reaction to it, and we feel that this market and this technology will become a feature of North Georgia over the next 10 years.”