photo: Gail Ryser
photos: Gail Ryser
It is common knowledge that rain harvesting is a wise investment for both our wallets and the Earth, but the initial costs can be intimidating. Between labor and supplies, setting up cisterns, greywater systems or earthworks can run into the thousands of dollars.
For a family of four making less than $42,000 a year, such projects are fiscally out of reach - unless they apply for a grant from Tucson's Watershed Management Group (WMG). The cooperative, sweat equity program is based on neighbors helping neighbors, making water saving practices affordable.
According to WMG Co-op Coordinator Matthew Bertrand, the program was germinated in January of 2008 with its first project completed in October 2008.
"The program was an adaptation of WMG's home demonstration projects," Bertrand said. "Lisa Shipek, WMG's Executive Director, put out a call for an intern to develop a co-op, as being a means to systematize the homeowner projects, to clearly define how a homeowner could obtain a volunteer implemented workshop."
At the time, Bertrand was an AmeriCorps member who had been working with teens on similar projects and said he "wanted to develop an adult education program for appropriate regional approaches to landscaping, and saw her idea for the co-op as being a good opportunity to do so."
To date, the co-op has over 250 members, has renovated 42 landscapes and has been adopted by the Community Food Bank's home gardening program.
To qualify for the organization's partial or full subsidies, there are income caps. However, Bertrand said, "the bulk of the cost savings in the co-op program is available regularly to any member of this community, by doing away with labor costs through the work share model."
According to the grant application, co-op members are required to work 16 hours on other co-op projects in order to "earn the right to have 6-10 volunteers participate on your property."
The most popular water-saving practices implemented have been earthworks and greywater systems. "These are the cheapest options and have by far the greatest impact on the site," Bertrand said.
The co-op also offers cistern installations, agriculture gardens and compost set-ups. "Chicken coops are in development - we received $1200 in funding from the proceeds of the Food Conspiracy Co-op's backyard chickens tour in December 2009 to extend our co-op model to build chicken coops," Bertrand explained.
WMG is currently accepting grant applications, which are due March 1. "We prioritize applicants by economic need, perform a site assessment to determine suitability of the site for a project, and then announce recipients."
Out-of-pocket costs depend on the project and the site, and grants range from $270 to $550. More information and applications can be found at watershedmg.org/co-op.
