East Mountains residents struggling with declining wells and water scarcity can discover how to use rainwater for drinking, cooking and household needs at a free webinar this month.
The Bernalillo County Water Conservation Program will host “Rainwater Harvesting for Indoor Domestic Use” on Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to noon. The webinar was scheduled by request from East Mountains residents, according to the county.
The timing addresses urgent local needs. Domestic wells are going dry across the Sandia Basin, a 400-square-mile area spanning from Placitas to Tijeras and Sandia Crest to Edgewood, according to New Mexico Political Report. Many wells that are 10 to 40 years old are becoming “critically endangered of not being able to produce.”
The webinar will feature two experts from the Watershed Management Group in Tucson, Arizona, who will share their experience operating a demonstration site that gets nearly all its water from harvested sources.
Valerisa Gaddy, Ph.D., Community Conservation Director, and Luis Salgado, Green Infrastructure Project Manager, will present how they designed, installed and maintain the rainwater harvesting system at the Living Lab, the organization’s offices and demonstration site.
The Living Lab meets almost 100% of its water needs with rainwater, greywater and stormwater, according to the Watershed Management Group website. The campus includes a 10,000-gallon underground cistern, extensive rain gardens and systems that provide “rainwater on tap” for the facility.
Gaddy, originally from the Navajo Nation, holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science with an emphasis in microbiology from the University of Arizona. She was recently recognized as a 2024 Women In Science Incentive Prize winner for her work helping communities thrive in arid environments.
Salgado earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Hydrology and Water Resources from the University of Arizona in 2017. Born in the Colorado River Delta region, he focuses on community-centered approaches to environmental education and natural resource conservation.
New Mexico actively encourages rainwater harvesting as a conservation tool. The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer “supports the wise and efficient use of the state’s water resources” and promotes harvesting rainwater from residential and commercial roof surfaces for on-site landscape irrigation and domestic uses.
The state recently enacted financial incentives to promote the practice. New Mexico residents who install permitted rainwater catchment systems can receive a tax credit of up to 20% of purchase and installation costs, capped at $5,000, for systems installed between 2024 and 2034.
The webinar will demonstrate how residents can implement these systems in their own homes, potentially reducing dependence on wells and providing a reliable water source during dry periods.