The first few months of 2023 brought with it to California months of rain, atmospheric rivers and the deepest snowpack the Sierra has seen in decades. The state’s water supply is looking better than it has in the past several years.In Sacramento County, officials are encouraging people to continue saving water. The problem is that much of the water from the storms flows into the Pacific Ocean, but the county is encouraging you to save the water and points to residents already committed to the process.One such resident is Elder Yehudah, whose backyard is a plentiful place filled with citrus trees, vegetables, plants and bees. He also has plenty of water.”You can use rainwater for everything,” he said. Yehudah and his family use rainwater for showering, cooking and drinking.Even though Yehudah grows his own food, he’s more than a backyard gardener. He’s a master gardener, certified botanist and rain-catcher.He stores rainwater in several intermediate bulk containers or IBC totes that hold 270 gallons and up to 330 gallons of water. “The biggest thing that was always concerning me is being someone that lives in California and being part of helping the state when it comes to drought,” Yehudah said.He’s helping save water by collecting rain from his roof gutters. He connects pipes and has filters to keep the toxins out so he can use the water for drinking, cooking and bathing.”The water gets down from the main roof into a filter right here,” Yehudah said.There’s enough water in Yehudah’s backyard for at least six months and for emergencies.Sacramento County Water Resources applauds the efforts of Yehudah and encourages more homeowners to take the steps, no matter how minimal, to capture the rain.”He’s someone who is going the extra mile to make sure he’s saving water and doing what he can,” said Matt Robinson, with the water resources department. “It’s so important nowadays to work on saving water. We can only do so much as a water entity.”Robinson explained part of his department’s goal is to make the public realize that water that goes into creeks untreated becomes lost to the Pacific Ocean, emphasizing the need to save every drop somehow. Sue Tranquili is a landscape designer who specializes in turning yards into rain-catching lawns.”Everybody who has a yard can do something,” Tranquili said. “We can reduce our water use, making soil deep and rich so it can hold more water.”Tranquili advises homeowners to add plants and trees that grab the rain and hold it through the summer, meaning no watering on those hot days.Rain chains replace downspouts from the gutter, moving the water that would normally go into the street. They’re decorative and useful.”We’re also saving water by reducing localized flooding by not putting water into the gutter in the storm season,” Tranquili said.Tranquili suggests if there is only one thing you can do to help save water, mulch your yard and plant a tree. The way Yehudah captures California rainwater also captures the attention of nearly half a million Tiktok followers and companies who want him to try his products.Yehuda refers to himself as a preparedness influencer with a focus on helping people prepare for just about anything. Rain catchers like Yehudah take some of the burdens from Sacramento County’s 27 different water companies, and you don’t have to pay for it.Sacramento County Water Resources offers rebates to residents for their efforts to save water, such as using rain barrels.Homeowners could also get money for converting existing grass and sprinkler systems to drip irrigation systems with native and drought-tolerant landscaping.
The first few months of 2023 brought with it to California months of rain, atmospheric rivers and the deepest snowpack the Sierra has seen in decades.
The state’s water supply is looking better than it has in the past several years.
In Sacramento County, officials are encouraging people to continue saving water. The problem is that much of the water from the storms flows into the Pacific Ocean, but the county is encouraging you to save the water and points to residents already committed to the process.
One such resident is Elder Yehudah, whose backyard is a plentiful place filled with citrus trees, vegetables, plants and bees. He also has plenty of water.
“You can use rainwater for everything,” he said.
Yehudah and his family use rainwater for showering, cooking and drinking.
Even though Yehudah grows his own food, he’s more than a backyard gardener. He’s a master gardener, certified botanist and rain-catcher.
He stores rainwater in several intermediate bulk containers or IBC totes that hold 270 gallons and up to 330 gallons of water.
“The biggest thing that was always concerning me is being…
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