The Rain’s Entrance
The rain has finally come. Two months of no rain had cultivated a sense of worry regarding the water table levels . Conservation of the precious H2O here on the mountain has been a fervent plea expressed through the weekly web newsletter and with educational signs postered everywhere water is used (whether it be in the bathrooms, kitchen, dining halls, garden, etc), available to all those living and retreating here. For me, conservation at MMC is no different than living in an rV, where limited water stores is very much an issue (especially when boondocking). I’m grateful to have this rV experience behind me, as this helps me to be super conscious of my own usage, assisting and educating others, if the opportunity arises. The Mount Madonna Center (MMC) moves towards its sustainability goals by implementing improvements in water conservation by asking those on the mountain to:
- Limit showers to 3 minutes
- Turn faucets off in between tasks
- Flush toilets only when necessary
- Use the outhouses whenever possible
Additionally,
- All water used comes from the property.
- Rainwater runoff is collected seasonally in three lakes for firefighting, agriculture, and recreation.
- On-site wells provide for drinking water and domestic water use.
- All toilets and showers heads are low flow.
- Treated grey water from the Conference Center and Mount Madonna School is re-used for watering of the garden and landscape plants.
- Grey water from many of our other buildings is returned back to the ecosystem after treatment via septic systems and leach fields.
I am thoroughly impressed and in awe at the environmental policy steps that MMC has set in place to encourage and practice resource conservation. Clean water is so precious, and not available to all on our planet. The Mount Madonna Center provides an amazing model as to what a community can achieve with thoughtful diligence and proactive steps towards a healthier better planet.
