New Blog

Well the new blog is up and running.  I will be posting over there from now on.  The new blog is at www.pcwd.org.  Just click on Blog and it will take you right to the new blog.  I will be leaving this one up for a while as we transfer the info from this blog to the new one.  See ya there!

Turn Your Water Off!

Just a quick reminder that if you are leaving your mountain home, please turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave.  This will prevent any leaks from frozen or broken pipes in your absence.
While it is important to turn your water off any time you leave your mountain home, it is especially important when there is a danger of freezing temperatures.  Leaks and broken pipes can and do  occur year round, but when there are freezing temperatures, it can cause pipes to freeze and break.  If your water is not turned off, this could cause a lot of problems, damage and waste a lot of water. 

Remember, you are responsible for all the water that runs through your meter, regardless of why it ran through.  So if none of the above reasons are incentive enough for you to turn your water off, then perhaps the thought of paying for water that ran and ran and ran from a leak will be.

Leaks can occur anywhere along a water line inside your house our out.  Leaks aren't always visible from the street either.  They can be underground and not visible or inside the house, where no one can see them.  We ready meters every other month, so that is generally when we find evidence of them.  However, a lot of water can be lost during that time.  We have no way to monitor the water usage at each home here in Pine Cove and unless someone sees or hears water running, leaks can sometimes go undetected for long periods of time.

Don't let this happen to you!  It only takes a minute to turn your water off and prevent all of the above problems.

Whatever your motivation, please heed our advice and turn your water off each and every time you leave your mountain home.  It is so much better to prevent a disastrous leak than to deal with one upon returning to your mountain home.

 Turn your water off at your customer valve when  you leave your mountain home!

Snow has arrived!

Old Man Winter isn't done with us yet.  Snow arrived over the weekend as predicted.  Approximately 16 inches fell.  It isn't snowing at the present time and the roads have been plowed and are passable, but they are not melted off.  Here is what Cal Trans has posted about Highway 243:

SR 243
CHAINS OR SNOW TIRES ARE REQUIRED FROM THE JCT OF SR 74 TO THE NORTH
BOUNDARY SAN BERNARDINO NAT'L FOREST (RIVERSIDE CO)

So if you are planning on driving up or down the hill, be sure you have chains with you if you do not have snow tires on your vehicle. 

For those of you with part time homes up here in Pine Cove, yes you will have a berm in front of your driveway.  If you need assistance in plowing you driveway out,  you can check with the Pine Cove Property Owners Association, as they have a list of people who do snow plowing on their blog site.  The link is listed on the left side of this blog.  Otherwise, plan to spend some time shoveling your driveway out if you decide to come up for some fun in the snow.

The sun is peeking in and out, but there are still some clouds lurking about.  The trees are covered in snow and it is very beautiful, as it always is after a snow fall.  Temperatures are expected to rise as the week progresses.  So if you want to play in the snow, now would be a great time to come up and visit.

Just use common sense and be prepared for winter driving and cold, snowy weather.  If you are planning to leave your mountain home, please turn your water off at your customer valve prior to leaving.  While leaks and breaks can occur at any time, it is even more important to do it now when there is a danger of pipes freezing and then bursting. 

Snow Forecast

The weather report for this weekend is calling for more snow and cold temps.  Yikes!  Just when you think it is safe to put your woollies away.  You would think I would know better.  It seems each year around March, I get spring fever and anxiously want spring to arrive.  And invariably, we get a big winter storm right about the time I am ready to get out the Birkenstocks and put away the Uggs.  But that is life in the mountains I suppose. 

So as always, remember to turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home.  Check the side bar of the blog for websites containing information regarding road and weather conditions. 

Last Reminder

This is the last reminder that our monthly board meeting will be held tomorrow, March 14th at 10 a.m.  Everyone is welcome to attend and we hope to see you there.

Board Meeting

Just a quick reminder.  Our monthly board meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 14 at 10 a.m. sharp.  Hope to see you there.

Spring Forward!

The time has come already to turn our clocks ahead. Daylight savings time starts on Sunday, March 11th, so be sure you turn your clocks ahead when you go to bed Saturday night!

March Board Meeting

Just another reminder that Wednesday, March 14th is our monthly board meeting.  It starts at 10 a.m. sharp and it is open to the public.  The meetings are held in the board room at the district office which is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Rd., right next to the fire station.  I hope we see you there!

Rain Barrels

As part of our water conservation program, we are considering making rain barrels available at our cost.  We are trying to gage interest in a program such as this.  If this is something that would interest you, please leave a comment here or give Vick or Becky a call at 951-659-2675 and tell us you would be interested.  Or you could drop us an email at Vicki@pcwd.org  or Becky@pcwd.org.  Remember,  this is not a commitment  to purchase a rain barrel.    We are just trying to find out if there is enough interest in a program such as this or not.  We think they are an excellent value for the money and are very nice looking as well.  You can see an example of the barrels
here.

So let us know what you think.  If there is enough interest, we would be willing to be the middle man and make these available at our cost, which would be substantially less than the retail price.

Board Meeting Next Week

Just a reminder that our monthly board meeting will be held next Wednesday on March 14th at 10 a.m. in the board room.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

Beautiful Weekend Ahead

There may still be a lot of snow on the ground, but the weather forecast for this weekend is very nice.  After some wind tonight, they are calling for  highs in the 50s and 60s for Saturday and Sunday.  Can you say spring?  I hate to get too excited though,  because just about the time I get to really enjoying the warmer weather, winter generally comes back with a sneak attack.  We have had a very mild winter this year, so I can't really complain, but those 50 and 60 degree days just make you long for spring to arrive and for winter to be gone. 

Visions of gardening start dancing in my head and with all the talk this past week of a possible community garden here on the hill, it makes it even all the more exciting.  This is one community project that I hope does come into being.  Community gardens are such a wonderful addition to a neighborhood.  In addition to the food they can produce for those who garden in them,  they are also very good for meeting and getting to know other people and help to establish a real feeling of community and connectedness to others who live here. 

I have found when I am in my own yard gardening, most everyone who walks by, stops to chat.  I have met the majority of my neighbors while out working in my garden.  Gardening is an activity that most every one, young or old can enjoy and participate in and the fruits of your labors are edible.  Teaching children to garden provides them with skills that will last them a lifetime.   Many times more is grown than can be used and so is shared with others in the community, providing nutritious, fresh fruits and veggies to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them.  Gardening is so much more than just a hobby and I for one will be hoping this comes to fruition.

Board Meeting

Our monthly board meeting for March will be held on march 14.  It starts at promptly at 10 a.m. and everyone is welcome to attend.  It is held in the board room at the water district office which is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road.  We hope you will come and join us.

Happy Leap Day

This year February has 29 days.  So instead of March coming in like a lion or a lamb today, we will have to wait until tomorrow.  As for today, the sun is peeking through the clouds.  The roads are in good shape and most are clear with the exception of a  few icy patches where the run off from melting snow froze overnight.  Highway 243 is in excellent shape and there should be no problem with leaving the mountain or coming back up.

Tonight will provide another chance of snow or rain so it looks like March might come in like a lion.  After that it is clear skies for several days.  It  should be a great week end to come and play in the snow,  if there is any left by then. 

There are still some pretty good berms along some driveways, so if you haven't been up recently, be prepared to shovel the berm out.  Or you could just wait it out and let Mother Nature melt it for you.

Snow Again!

Well it seems as if we are going to get a whole winters worth of snow inside of a couple of weeks.  Yesterday another storm moved in and as of this morning, we have close to a foot of new snow!  While the plows have been out, there is still snow on the roads, especially the side roads.  They are passable, but do be careful.  The sun is out and shining so I expect that they will start melting off before too long.  The trees are covered in snow and it is quit the winter wonderland. 

You should be able to come up if you need to, just be careful.  You can check the blog for links to highway conditions to find out more specifics.

Animal Care

With this recent storm, please remember to care for your 4 legged friends.   Bring animals indoors if at all possible.  For those that remain outdoors, please make sure they have adequate shelter that is dry so they can get out of the wind and snow.  Animals such as goats and chickens can manage the cold temperatures fine if they have dry shelter with good ventilation.  It is essential they have a place to get out of the blowing wind.

Fresh, warm water is a welcome treat that many animals enjoy on a cold morning after a frigid night. Remember, they are dependent on us for their care and we need to be responsible animal owners

Road Conditions

Jerry just got back from Idyllwild and declared that the roads are in good shape.  There is one closure though.  Highway 243 from Banning up to Pine Cove is closed due to a big rig that spun out and is blocking the road.  Once they get it moved, the road will be re-opened.  If you are planning to come up the hill today, you will have to come up from Hemet or Palm Desert instead.

There be snow! Finally.

Well it has been a fairly dry winter thus far, but last night we got pummeled.  We now have over a foot of snow on the ground and the wind is blowing it around like mad.  Roads have been plowed but are still very messy.  The sun is out and shining brightly so hopefully the roads will clear off somewhat today.  It is cold out and if you are planning to come up, be careful.  Make sure you carry chains with you as well as other emergency supplies.

Winter is Back!

Well winter has returned with some cold temps and about an inch or so of snow.  While there isn't that much snow on the ground, the roads are icy.  They have been plowed and cindered, but they it is very cold and they are not melting off.  Not sure how they are in  Idyllwild or Mountain Center, but here in Pine Cove, they are not melted off yet.  They are passable, but be careful.

Blog Transition

Great news.  We will soon have our blog available from our website  http://www.pcwd.org/.  It will take me a while to move the info from this blog onto our new blog, so I will be letting this one up for quite a while yet.  Once the new one is set up, I will begin posting on it.  Until then, I will continue on here as I work on the new one.  We wanted to make things quicker and easier for our customers here at the water district.  So stay tuned for the new blog.  I will let you know via this blog when the new one is up and running and I am posting.  Please be patient with me as well because I have a lot of information to transfer.

Turn off your water!

Just a reminder, yet again.  If you are leaving your mountain home, please turn your water off at your customer valve.  This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent a water leak.  Many times leaks are able to run unnoticed until we read meters and find a large amount of water was used.  In this colder weather, pipes can freeze and burst.  Many people think that a leak will produce a visible puddle of water or some other visible sign, but that isn't always the case.  If it is underground, it might not be noticeable and if it is in the house, that wouldn't be obvious either. Turning your water off at your customer valve will prevent any unwanted surprises.  We repeat this often because we see it happen time and time again.  We cannot say this enough.

If you do have a leak, you will be responsible to pay for all the water that runs through your meter, regardless of the cause.  Many people think that if they have a leak, they do not have to pay for the water that ran through their meter during the leak.  This is not the case.  We are required by our Board of Directors to bill for all water usage, regardless of the reason for use.  So this is another good reason to turn your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home.  It is better to be safe than sorry.

Winter Weather Alert

It looks as if winter has finally arrived.  I got this weather alert email this morning.

WARNING

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT


NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
801 PM PST SUN FEB 12 2012


...A SERIES OF COLD WINTER STORMS TO IMPACT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS WEEK...

SEVERAL WINTER STORMS ARE POISED TO IMPACT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS WEEK WITH PERIODS OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW...GUSTY WINDS AND COLD WEATHER.

THE FIRST STORM WILL BRING LIGHT PRECIPITATION AS EARLY AS MONDAY MORNING AS IT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTH. RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE COLD FRONT. RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE WITH A TENTH TO A QUARTER INCH WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS. UPWARDS OF A HALF INCH IS EXPECTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS WHERE SNOW WILL FALL ABOVE 5000 FEET. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS FOR 4 TO 9 INCHES OF SNOW. HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND WIND ADVISORIES ARE I N EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS MONDAY...AND A GALE WARNING WILL BE IN EFFECT OVER THE COASTAL WATERS.


THIS FIRST STORM WILL MOVE EAST ON TUESDAY AND THE PRECIP WILL TAPER OFF DURING THE DAY. A SECOND STORM WILL APPROACH THE AREA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED WITH THIS SECOND SYSTEM...AND PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS ARE STILL BEING DETERMINED. HOWEVER...IT WILL BRING ANOTHER SURGE OF COLD AIR AND GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS INTO THE REGION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.


A BREAK IN THE WEATHER FOLLOWS WITH DRY WEATHER AND OFFSHORE FLOW THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY...BUT THE LONG RANGE MODELS SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR A THIRD WINTER STORM NEXT SUNDAY OR MONDAY.

So if you are traveling up or down the mountain today, take the necessary precautions.  As of 10 am, there is no snow and it is not raining presently.  It is cold and foggy though. 

Board Meeting

Just a quick reminder that there is a board meeting at 10 a.m. this morning.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

February Billing

The February billing went out yesterday.  These bills are for December and January's water usage.  Please read the literature that is enclosed with your bill.  You will notice a $3 increase in the Minimum Advance Billing.  It has gone up to $25 per month or $50 each billing cycle of which there are 6.  The new water rate schedule is in with your bill and included with that is our Non Avoidance of Minimum Billing Policy set forth by our Board of Directors.

It states:  Minimum Advance Billing and payment thereof is used for administrative expenses, minimum maintenance and fixed funding charges of the District and may not be avoided by seasonal disconnection of service with subsequent reconnection.  All meters, active or inactive, will be billed advance minimum charges every two months.

This seems to be an issue that arises with each  billing cycle, so we are enclosing the policy with the billings.  It is always available in the office as well.  There are no exceptions to this policy.  The Pine Cove Water District Board of Directors set this policy and the employees of the water district employees are required to follow it.  If you have any questions about this policy you may call the office at 951-659-2675. 

On the flip side of the Water Rate Schedule is an article on the Pine Cove Water District Pipeline Replacement Program.  This article will explain why an increase is necessary and what we are doing to maintain and update our infrastructure.  Lots of interesting reading with this billing!

Remember, the February bills are due by February 25th.  Not receiving your bill does not relieve you of the responsibility to pay it.  We cannot help what the post office does with the bills once we hand them over.  If you haven't received your bill by next week, you can call and find out how much you owe.  Either Becky or Vicki would be happy to look your account up for you.

February Board Meeting

The board meeting for February will be on February 8th at 10 a.m.  It is open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend.  We hope to see  you there.

New Totals!

Wow, we hit 14,000 blog hits on Wednesday, January18th.  This is great.  It is our hope here at the water district that we can provide our customers with lots of information and keep them updated on what is happening at the water district and a little bit of what is going on in Pine Cove in general, especially if it is something like a fire that could impact all of us.

We have lots of links to to sites you might find useful.  Just scroll down the left side of the blog and you will see them.  If you know of a site that you think might be useful to the residents of Pine Cove and it isn't listed on the blog, feel free to drop me a note and I will check it out.  If it is something that could be useful, then I will add it to my list.

One person suggested we post a little more about the weather conditions and snow accumulation for those who are off the hill and are contemplating coming up to their mountain home.  I have been trying to do that.  Obviously, if I am not saying anything about the weather, there is nothing much going on.  While we aren't a weather reporting agency, we can at least let people know if the roads have been plowed or how much snow we have received.

What we cannot do is tell you how big the snow berm is in front of your house or if your driveway needs plowed.  But we will pass along as much info as possible during and shortly after a storm so you can make an informed decision about when to drive up here.  Remember, if the weather is bad, think twice about driving up the mountain.  There is no sense driving  in a winter storm unless you absolutely have to.   People don't always realize just how bad the roads can be and with each storm, comes a rash of accidents.   In my book, it is better to be safe than sorry. 

And as always, if you have any suggestions for improving the blog, just let us know and we will take your ideas into consideration.  We hope the blog has been a useful and informative tool for everyone here in Pine Cove.

Meter Reading

It's that time again.  The boys, Jerry & Jeremy, will be out and about next Monday and Tuesday reading meters for the first billing cycle of 2012.  When your bill arrives, please be sure to read the enclosed information letter about our pipeline replacement program.  As always, your payment will be due on February 25th.  If you have difficulties meeting that due date, please call Becky at 951-659-2675 and discuss it with her.

Board Meeting

February's board meeting will be held on February 8th at 10 a.m. in the board room here at the water district office.  We are located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station. We hope to see you there!

Winter is Back

For a couple of days anyway.  It is hard to believe that it is the last full week of January and there is no snow or snow pack.  I do remember other winters where we had almost no moisture and then around February, we would get hit hard.  Will this year repeat that pattern?  Who knows.  But it would be nice to see some snow up in the high country.  Perhaps Old Man Winter is just a little slow in getting started this year.  Time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy this cold, wet weather because the forecast says it will start warming up again by Wednesday.  One good thing about the rain is that you do not have to shovel it!

Holiday Hours

The water district will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2012  due to Martin Luther King Day.  We will resume normal hours on Tuesday, January 17th, which are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Remember that we are now open during lunch most days.

Board Meeting

Tomorrow, January 11, is the first board meeting of 2012!  It starts at 10 a.m. sharp in the board room here at the water district office. Hope you can make it.

Lawler Fire is Well in Hand

Thankfully it looks like the worst is over as far as the Lawler Fire is concerned.  According to an article on the Town Crier website, Kate Kramer, Forest Service Public Information Officer said that the fire was at 95% containment as of Monday evening.  Full containment is estimated to be 6 p.m., Friday, Jan 13.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, traffic will no longer require pilot car escorts. Cal-Trans and CHP have lifted all emergency restrictions on State Highway 243.

As of Monday evening about 75 personnel are still assigned to the fire. At its high point, more than 200 people were battling the Lawler Fire. One helicopter is still assigned to the incident. The incident commander is Forest Service Battalion Chief Fred Espinoza.

For more on the fire, you can go to www.idyllwildtowncrier.com and look under the heading, "Latest News".
We are very grateful that this was such a small fire and didn't get out of control.  Kudos to everyone who had a hand it getting it knocked down so quickly!

Lawler Fire Update

Here are the latest fire details as of January 9, 2012 @ 11 a.m. per the US Forest Service. You can call 909-379-9339 for more information.

Lawler Fire: location 4 miles N/NW of Idyllwild California. 
Acres Burned: 14
Containment: 70%
Fire Started: January 8, 2012 at approximately 3 a.m
Cause: Under investigation
Structures Threatened: 7
Structures Destroyed: 0
Injuries: 2
Total personnel assigned to the fire: 170

Summary: The Lawler Fire started early Sunday morning, January 8, at approximately 3 a.m. on the San Jacinto Ranger District of the the San Bernardino National Forest, approximately 4 miles north/northwest of Idyllwild.  It is burning in the Dark Canyon drainage.

Update:  The fire continues to burn at a slow rate within the perimeter with isolated torching of snags.  Good progress is expected today due to calmer winds.  Full containment is expected by 1800 hrs (6 p.m.) this evening.    Crews are constructing fire lines, have contained multiple spot fires and have contained 70% of the fire.  One helicopter is assigned to the fire to assist with water-drops, if needed.

Driving: Cal Trans is managing traffic with pilot car escorts and is also doing minor roadwork in this area.  motorists are advised to drive slowly, obey all posted speed limits and choose safe turnouts for stopping.

Cooperating Agencies:  CAL FIRE, Riverside Co. Fire Department, Idyllwild Fire Protection District, Riverside County Office of Emergency Services, CA Highway Patrol, Cal Trans and the Forest Service including the San Bernardino, Cleveland and Angeles National Forests.

Board Meeting

Just a reminder that our first board meeting of 2012 is going to be held on Wednesday morning, January 11, at 10 a.m., here at the district office.  We are located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station.  The public is welcome to attend.  Hope to see you there.  If you can't make the meetings, you can read the minutes and agendas on our website at http://www.pcwd.org/.

Lawler Fire

You probably heard by now that there was a fire that broke out on Highway 243 just north of Black Mountain Road at 2:53 a.m. Sunday morning, according the California Highway Patrol's website.  It appears that it is well in hand and poses no threat or danger to Pine Cove.  For more information you can go to the Idyllwild Town Crier for the latest information.  Here is a link.

http://idyllwildtowncrier.com/2012/01/08/lawler-fire-pictures/

Hold on to Your Hats!

It looks like this nice spell of unusually warm winter weather is going to continue for another week!  However, the winds are going to be back this weekend.  While I am not fond of the wind as I consider it very scary and dangerous, think tree branches falling onto house roofs and fires, I guess it is easier than shoveling out after a big snow storm. 

If you are planning to come up the hill this weekend, there should be no problems other than the possibility of the high winds.  The days have been warm and sunny and perfect really.  The nights are cool, crisp and clear.  The full moon has been just beautiful against the pristine, star studded sky.  So come on up while the weather is good and enjoy these unusually warm January temperatures.  Hopefully we will return to winter soon complete with lots of moisture.   

New Year's Resolution

Are you turning your water off at your customer valve when you leave your mountain home?

I hope so.  If you are not, you should be.  Why, you might ask.  The weather is nice, no snow, no freezing temps, why bother.  Why indeed!  Because leaks can happen at any time, day or night, winter or summer.  While it is true that pipes don't freeze in the summer, you can still develop a leak and if your water isn't off, this can turn into something quite unpleasant. 

So please, make it your New Year Resolution to turn your water off at your customer valve any time you leave your mountain home.  If you do not know where your customer valve is or how to turn it on and off, please call us at 951-659-2675 during normal business hours, which are 9 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday, and we will send someone out to show you where it is and how to turn it off.  As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Weather Update

Can you believe this weather?  We are lucking out for another week with above normal temps and no storm systems.  I don't know how long this will last.  If you have any yard work or abatement that needs done, now is a great time to get to it.  The winds that we had in December made quite a mess, so at least Mother Nature is being kind enough to give us the chance to clean up the mess she made!  What more could we ask for?

January Board Meeting

The first board meeting of 2012 is just around the corner.  Next Wednesday, January 11th at 10 a.m. to be exact.  As always, the public is welcome to attend.  If you would like to read about what happened at past meetings, go to our website at http://www.pcwd.org/ and look under meetings.  There are approved minutes posted, as well as past agendas.  We also post the agenda for the upcoming meeting on Friday in the box next to the front door here at the district office. 

Our office is located at 24917 Marion Ridge Road, right next to the fire station.  We are the second building on the left.  Parking is available here at the office parking lot or across the street in the empty lot.  There is a sidewalk that runs down the left side of the office building that leads to the board room door.  Just walk right in and grab yourself a seat.  We hope to see you there!

Happy 2012

Here we are in the new year!  Can't help but wonder what the year has in store for us all here in Pine Cove this year.  Many good things I hope.

Speaking of good things, the weather is currently one of them.  It has been fabulous for this time of year.  I am feeling like I don't want winter to return.  The living is too easy when the weather is this good in late December and January.  No shoveling, no freezing temps, low heat bills and cool evenings for perfect sleeping. 

However, on the water side of things, this isn't the best scenario, so hopefully there are lots of winter storms to come so we get that snow pack that helps keep the water table up.  It is so easy to get complacent about our water supply when there is a lot of it.  While we are not in a conservation stage currently, it is very helpful if everyone continues their conservation efforts as if we were in one, because you just never know.

Drought is always looming on the horizon and we are never out of the woods, water wise.  Simply put, the less we use the more we leave in the ground for future use.  As we begin the new year, one of my goals here at the water district is to do more research and post more information about rain water harvesting.

While this sometimes seems like a daunting task and granted, it is difficult for some people to put a large water tank in their yard, saving rain water is a great way to acquire water for outdoor irrigation and certain indoor uses, such as washing cloths or flushing toilets.  We won't delve into systems that provide potable water at this time.  For now, I will focus on some basics and explore other things we can do in our yards to keep the moisture that does come, in our yards and not running down the street.

Rain water harvesting isn't only about sticking a barrel under your rain spouting.  There are other things you can do in your garden and yard to help water stick around.  By making the most of what we do get, we can decrease our need for irrigation and so we will be exploring those options as well.