SENTINEL WATCH February 25, 2008 Issue

WATER SHORTAGES AND A DOWNPOUR OF INSPIRATION

CHANNING WALKER

ONE SOLUTION TO WATER SHORTAGE may be as close as the roof over your head. That's the premise behind a minor but growing trend. It's aimed at addressing the water shortage plaguing perennially thirsty California—or other parts of the planet in need of better conserving what little water they have. The solution was born of the simplest of acts: homeowners peering out their windows on rainy days as the downpour pelted their roofs and then drained off, making its way to the street and the municipal storm drain. But once the water hits the street, it becomes polluted with gas spills, brake fluid, and oil spots that already soak the roadbed. Catching it earlier is key. Catching it right off the roof is the perfect moment for a water-saving solution. That way the water not only benefits the homeowner's landscaping. It ultimately replenishes whatever underground aquifers may be nearby.

Some California municipalities now sponsor grant programs that partially cover the installation of such systems. A typical system might run a few thousand dollars. So, it's a system a bit more sophisticated than simply placing an empty trashcan underneath the raingutter's downspout. But, for the most part, we're not talking high technology. No, this is obviously not The Big Answer to the water shortage. But it is one more inspired idea that's already helping, however modestly, to solve a big problem.

While that's not dramatic, it may fit what could be called a divine pattern. After all, inspired ideas—ideas from the divine source—are numberless, and often come our way in bunches. Like raindrops. Applying many of them, learning to squander none of them, may very well become a hallmark of 21st-century problem-solving.

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