| Watershed Management Group, Inc | Tucson, AZ | USA |
You are here: Home arrow Programs arrow Greening Urban Watersheds arrow Water Harvesting Co-op
Print E-mail

Water Harvesting Co-op

Tucson, Arizona

Cistern install with homeowner

WMG is pleased to present our newest program, the Water Harvesting Co-op, to bring water harvesting to homeowners through a grassroots, community-building forum.  

Overview    
The Water Harvesting Co-op provides Tucson homeowners with the knowledge and assistance they need to effectively harvest water on their properties at minimal cost.  By implementing water harvesting improvements, homeowners will be able to significantly reduce their groundwater consumption (and thus their water bills), beautify their homes with lush Sonoran Desert flora, manage runoff problems, grow fresh fruits and vegetables, and conserve energy.  Homeowners will qualify for assistance from the Co-op by attending workshops that will train them in basic water harvesting approaches.

How can I join the Co-op?
Sign up for the volunteer mailing list!  We welcome assistance on any Co-op project regardless of your membership status.  If you’d like your hours to begin counting towards your own future workshop, you’ll need to fill out a free application form (Word doc) , which will also be available at projects.

We’d also like to invite community groups, such as neighborhood associations, churches, or clubs to join the Co-op.  Please contact WMG to discuss how we would help organize Co-op workshops on community property.

How would the Co-op help me?
After a household completes a total of 16 hours of workshop time, it will become eligible to receive Co-op assistance for water harvesting earthworks and greywater workshops.  After 32 hours of volunteer time, a household will become eligible for assistance on a cistern project.  This means that a household of 4 members, all of whom volunteer at one four hour workshop, would be eligible to receive Co-op assistance.  Once you submit a design to the Co-op, WMG staff will help fine tune your plan and prepare for the workshop.  On the day of the workshop, WMG staff will lead Co-op members in the implementation of your project design, while teaching the concepts of water harvesting.

Program Costs
The Co-op strives to make workshops affordable for all co-op members, therefore costs are on a sliding scale.  WMG is actively seeking funds to offer technical assistance at a reduced cost, and if possible to provide subsidization for the costs of materials.  Expect to pay a small fee when you submit a project proposal, and to cover the costs of technical assistance.  The cost of Co-op workshop leaders ranges between $20 and $30 per hour for an estimated 15 - 20 hours of assistance (site planning, organizing volunteers, workshop prep, and leading the workshop).  

The underlying goal of the Co-op is to ensure that costs will not hinder your productive involvement in its activities.  If costs are prohibitive, we can discuss work trades, low-income cost reductions, and available grant funds.   

Want to learn more?
Come on out to one of the Co-op’s educational workshops, where you can see the Co-op in action.  You’ll be able to ask questions of workshop leaders, homeowners, and Co-op volunteers, while coming away with further knowledge on how to harvest water on your own property.

 

If you would like more information, or would like to sign up to be a Co-op member, please contact Matthew Bertrand

 
[ Back ]
holding cistern.jpg