permaculture

[Wesley Roe and Santa Barbara Permaculture Network <lakinroe@silcom.com>]

WATER – THE NEW CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH

Educational Conference and Membership Meeting
of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association

<http://www.arcsa.org/>http://www.arcsa.org/

September 15 -18, 2008
Sheraton Delfina Hotel
530 W. Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405


Rainwater catchment ­ or “harvesting” ­ is an
ancient practice now enjoying a revival as an
alternate water supply. The practice involved
collecting rainwater from a roof or other surface
before it reaches the ground and storing it for future use.

ARCSA promotes rainwater catchment systems in the
United States through educational opportunities
and the exchange of information at our Web site
and through our workshops. Our membership
consists of professionals working in city, state,
and federal government, academia, manufacturers
and suppliers of rainwater harvesting equipment,
consultants, and other interested individuals.
Membership is not limited to the US, and we
encourage all rainwater harvesting enthusiasts to join our organization


Optional Accreditation Workshop Day/Sponsor Exhibit Set-Up
Monday, September 15, 2008  8 am – 5 pm
The Basics of Rainwater Harvesting
All-day workshop for the general public and ARCSA members
who are pursuing accreditation. Individuals seeking
accreditation must apply through the ARCSA website and be
approved for the course. Test must be turned in within 90 days.

ARCSA.
American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association
919 Congress Ave., Suite 460
Austin, TX 78701
T: (512) 477-5445
F: (512) 477-9490
www.ARCSA.org


Day 1: Committee Meetings, Board Meeting, and Official Start of Conference
Tuesday, September 16, 2008

ARCSA Board Meeting – Open to All Attendees
Espada Room
Lunch on your own
1 – 2 pm
Conference Welcoming Addresses
Welcome from ARCSA President Tim Pope, Northwest Water
Source, Friday Harbor, WA
Keynote Address by Andy Lipkis, TreePeople Founder
Beverly Hills, CA  Delfina Ballroom
2 – 3 pm
How Commercial Developments Can Go “Green” By
Harvesting and Reusing the Rain
Dave Thomas, Architect, Ambia, Inc.
Tacoma, WA
Mark Buehrer, PE, Founder/Director of 2020 Engineering,
Bellingham, WA
Richard Jennings, Principal, Earthwrights Design
Santa Fe, New Mexico
3 – 3:30 pm
Break with Sponsors
Pre-Function Area
3:30 – 5 pm
The Latest in Residential Design Across the United States
Chris Brown, Executive Director, California Urban Water
Conservation Council, Sacramento, CA
Tim Pope, Northwest Water Source
Friday Harbor, WA
Billy Kniffen, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent
Menard, TX
Delfina Ballroom
6 – 7 pm
Networking Reception
Poolside


Day 2: Full Day of Seminars
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
7 – 8 am
Continental Breakfast
Penthouse Level of
Hotel
8 – 9:30 am
Nature’s Cycle: National and International Research on
the Pros and Cons of Drinking Rainwater
Stan Abbott, Senior Lecturer, Microbiology & Communicable
Diseases, Massey University, Wellington, Australia
Dr. Dennis J. Lye, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH
Delfina Ballroom
9:30 -10 am
Break with Exhibitors
Pre-Function Area
10 – 11 am
Disinfection and Filtration: Tried and True Methods and
Hot, New Products
Lee Jaslow, Resource Conservation Technologies
Baltimore, MD
Stephen K. Wiman, Ph.D., Good Water Company
Santa Fe, NM
Speaker TBD, RainHarvesting
Delfina Ballroom
11 am – noon
The Stormwater-Rainwater Connection
Neal Shapiro, City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA
Kathleen Higgins, CH2M HILL
Noon
Networking Lunch
Mezzanine Level
Rooms
1 – 2 pm Or 2:15
Who’s Water Is It? An Overview of Western States’ Water
Rights and Their Impact on Rainwater Harvesting
Kurt Unger, Esq., Ph.D., Washington State Department of
Ecology, Olympia, WA
Delfina Ballroom
2:15 – 3:30 pm
Federal, State and ARCSA Initiatives to Develop Uniform
Rainwater Harvesting Standards
Bob Boulware, PE, President, Design-Aire Engineering,
Indianapolis, IN
Speaker TBA, GreenPlumbers®
Doug Pushard, HarvestH2O, Santa Fe, NM
3:30 - 4 pm
Break with Exhibitors
Pre-Function Area
4 – 5 pm
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™)
Lance Williams
Delfina Ballroom

Day 3: Membership Breakfast/Meeting, Half Day of
Seminars, and Optional Site Tours
Thursday, September 18, 2008
7 – 9 am
Breakfast for ARCSA members
Vote on items needing member approval
Espada Room
9 – 11 am
Plants Prefer It: Why Rainwater Harvesting Should be a
Normal Part of Landscape Design
Brad Lancaster, Author of “Rainwater Harvesting for
Drylands and Beyond, Volumes I and II,” Tucson, AZ
T. Barnabus Kane, Nature West, Inc., Skull Valley, AZ
Bobby Markowitz, Landscape Architect, Earthcraft Design,
Santa Cruz, CA
Delfina Ballroom
11 am - noon
Open Forum
What are the big issues in your part of the country?
Ask the experts - information sharing and trouble-shooting
between peers
How can ARCSA help its members reach their goals?

Optional post- conference events
Noon – 3 or 4 pm
Option A
Shuttle bus tours of Santa Monica sites using rainwater harvesting
Option B
Shuttle bus tour to TreePeople headquarters in Beverly Hills
Each tour costs an additional $30 and includes lunch

Registration Information: ARCSA members enjoy an
early-bird rate of $195 if registering before August 15, $295 if
registering August 16 through September 14, and
$395 if registering onsite. Non-ARCSA members’ registration rates
are $295 until August 15, $395 from August 16
through September 14, and $495 onsite.

Venue Information: The conference venue is the
Sheraton Delfina, 530 W. Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, California. The
negotiated room rate is $192.00 per night for a
traditional room. Oceanview rooms and Suites cost more.

The reservation deadline is August 15, 2008 to
receive a room at this rate. Please call the hotel at (310) 399-9344 and
ask for the ARCSA rate. If you are interested in
locating a roommate to share expenses, contact ARCSA at (512)
477-5445 or info@arcsa.org .

The Sheraton Delfina is a certified “green” hotel
by SustainableWorks ( www.sustainableworks.com ).
Parking: Because the hotel only offers valet
parking at a rate of $28 per night, we strongly encourage you to take a
taxi, a shuttle service, or Santa Monica’s “Big
Blue Bus, Rapid 3” which offers direct buses to and from LAX. The Big
Blue Bus costs $1.75 each way.

Sponsorship Opportunities: The national ARCSA
conference offers companies a unique opportunity to market their
products and services to individuals, installers,
designers, and other companies with a solid interest in rainwater
harvesting. All sponsorships include
registration, exhibit space, and acknowledgement on ARCSA website, program
materials and signs at the conference. NEW:
Sponsors will have an opportunity to show their products and
services to the general public on Monday at a
free Open House. Sponsor levels are: Platinum - $2000; Gold -
$1500; Silver - $1000. and Bronze - $500. Vendors
($250) may provide their company’s materials or giveaways to
conferees, in addition to a separate registration
fee that depends on ARCSA membership.

See www.ARCSA.org for more information!


About ARCSA

The American Rainwater Catchment Systems
Association was founded in 1994 by Dr. Hari J.
Krishna in Austin, Texas, to promote rainwater
catchment systems in the United States. Our
memberships consists of professionals working in
city, state, and federal government, academia,
manufacturers and suppliers of rainwater
harvesting equipment, consultants, and other
interested individuals. Membership is not limited
to the US, and we encourage all rainwater
harvesting enthusiasts to join our organization.

Today, over 300 people from around the world are
ARCSA members, and ARCSA has offered many
exceptional educational opportunities with
conferences and speakers featuring some of the leading professionals in RWH.


ARCSA’s core objectives are as follows:

    * To promote rainwater catchment systems through meetings and seminars,
    * To provide networking between people with 
experience in rainwater catchment systems and 
those who might need technical or professional 
assistance in developing or building such systems,
    * To provide a forum for discussion of new 
methods, techniques, and materials pertaining to rainwater catchment systems,
    * To develop informal publications to assist 
in the design and use of rainwater catchment systems, and
    * To establish acceptable treatment methods for harvested rainwater.