National Radon Action Month!

January is National Radon Action Month and EnergySmart wants to help!! We are offering free radon test kits* as part of our services! Normally test kits range from $15 - $40, plus the cost for analysis, but Boulder County Public Health is covering the cost of both the kit and the lab analysis for enrolled EnergySmart participants.

Have you had your home tested for radon recently?

Did you know that Colorado has moderate to high levels of this naturally occurring colorless, odorless, radioactive gas?

Radon
A gas that comes up through the soil and normally dissipates, radon becomes a cause for worry when it sneaks into your home through cracks, joints, loose-fitting pipes, etc. The gas will accumulate, especially in the winter when we close our windows and seal up our homes against the cold.

Dr. Maria Neira, the United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO) warns, "Most radon-induced lung cancers occur from low and medium dose exposures in people's homes. Radon is the second most important cause of lung cancer after smoking in many countries."
  
According to Colorado State University Extension, "surveys show that homes in most Colorado counties have the potential for radon levels above EPA’s recommended action level."

Map of Radon Zones in Colorado

Red area is high risk (greater than 4pCi/L). Orange area is moderate risk (2 - 4pCi/L).  
There are no low risk areas in Colorado.

Keep your home safe, and your family healthy! Enroll with EnergySmart and an advisor will bring a test kit. If high levels are detected, Boulder County Public Health can advise for a radon-free home!


Read more about radon and understand the risks:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/consumer/09953.html

http://www.epa.gov/radon/states/colorado.html

http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/radon/en/index1.html

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/brochure/profile_radon.htm

Video: Radon the Invisible Killer - produced by the Colorado Department of Public Health, 2006



* There is a limited supply of the free radon test kits and they will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. The only thing the customer needs to do is leave it in their house for about 5 days, note the date the test began and ended on the test kit packaging, then simply drop the kit into the mail to be sent to the lab.  Even the postage is paid, so there is truly no cost to the homeowner for the kit.  The radon test kit is available for free to EnergySmart participants living in owner-occupied, single-family homes (the kits do not work well in multi-family buildings and rental units are not eligible). Participants must agree to have the lab release the results to Boulder County Public Health for statistical purposes, as well as for follow up (as to what steps to take next) by BCPH if the results show elevated radon levels.

written by Kate Taft

Reusing your water, a DIY experience pt. 1

creative commons photo courtesy of gildas_f

Hello, and welcome to rainwater harvesting version 2.0! If you missed our first article, which explains these concepts, Grey Water Reuse vs. Rainwater Harvesting is a short introduction. As promised, this article includes some do-it-yourself resources.

Please note, in the state of Colorado there are serious limits to the residential collection of rainwater.

Essentially you cannot collect your rainwater unless you match ALL of the following criteria:

• The collection property is residential
• The landowner uses a well for water supply, and there is no water supply available in the area from a municipality or water district
• The roof from which the rainwater is collected is used primarily as a residence
• The water is used only for the uses that are allowed by, and identified on, the well permit

Please check the fact sheet for more details. It is very important to check with the Colorado Division of Water Resources and your local building, zoning, and environmental departments before you develop a rainwater harvesting system to determine what plumbing requirements, local restrictions, neighborhood covenants, or other regulations or guidelines might apply to your project (see a list for contact info at the bottom of the article).

So you match the criteria, or you have a home elsewhere, and you’re thinking that you want to harvest rainwater, but where do you begin? First off, you’ll need to decide on a vessel to collect your rainwater, as well as the best place to put it. Choose a spot near a gutter or roof spout to place your vessel. The spot that you choose then needs to be leveled. Follow this YouTube link for a video that shows how to use gravel as a leveling tool: http://youtu.be/x1VLAJ0kXP4. Cinder blocks are also a popular option for leveling.

In order to get the water from your gutters into your vessel, use PVC piping. Measure and install your piping as the bridge from your gutters into your vessel. Cover your vessel, or storage tank, with a tight mesh or a ventilated lid to avoid mosquito breeding, reduce evaporation loss, and avoid contamination, and algal growth (full instructions at Grow NYC   ).

Once captured, there are a few different ways to purify your rainwater. Here we’ll discuss first-flush devices. A first flush device takes the first water from your roof and diverts it so that it can be filtered before it enters your storage tank. Since rainwater rinses your roof, if you do not use a first flush device, the first of the rainwater will carry most of the dirt straight to your tank.

 More information on first flush devices can be found:

●                     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_flush

●                     http://youtu.be/lV_jwlvrgsE

For more detailed instructions including materials, specs, and diagrams, grownyc.org has put together a very in-depth manual on rainwater harvesting that can be viewed here: http://www.grownyc.org/files/osg/RWH.how.to.pdf. Your system can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Just take some time and see what other people have done before you make your first moves!

Rainwater DIY

●      http://greywateraction.org/content/about-rainwater-harvesting

●      http://www.youtube.com/topic/RSTssoI6i-Y/rainwater-harvesting

●      http://youtu.be/mEQ3p9akQDg

The Colorado State University Extension Office has a very up-to-date fact sheet on Graywater Reuse and Rainwater Harvesting. This fact sheet can be found here: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06702.html.

Additional Information

Additional information, including frequently asked questions (FAQs), is available by visiting the Colorado Division of Water Resources at http://water.state.co.us/.                Or call: 303.866.3581

For more information, contact your local county health or planning department or visit:

●          Water resources division website water.state.co.us  

●          Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment: http://www.cdphe.state.co.us

●          Colorado Division of Water Resources: http://water.state.co.us

●          American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association: www.arcsa.org

Texas Rain Water Collection information: www.twdb.state.tx.us/innovativewater/rainwater/docs

written by Roxanna Shohadaee