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Rain Gardens - Phoey ! Permit Delayed !


I am all for sustainability but I am a tad annoyed by having my building permit delayed because I did not give calculations for the size of the rain garden I am having to build on my property . For those of you who are unfamiliar with rain gardens they are a sort of above ground soak-away and garden feature . They are meant to ensure that under all but the most extreme rainfall conditions that the rain that falls on the roof and other impermeable built structures is directed into the soil where it would have gone if the home had not been there . I am aware that in cities such as London where properties are very close together there is a problem with too much water flowing into old Victorian drains due to so many gardens being made impervious largely for car parking . This does not seem to be an apparent problem in Coupeville ! However I am new in town and a foreigner to boot so what do I know . I just intend to be a model citizen so am happy to go along with the requirements that are placed upon me .
I did not do any calculations before as I could find no figures for the state let alone the town to say by what factor I needed to multiply the roof area to get the size for the rain garden . My application had the impermeable area and I assumed the town would already have a factor and would tell me the size they required .
I was directed to the Washington State University annex near the jail in town . They were not yet open so I had a brainwave and went to the brand new library where I paced out the two rain gardens and the building . This gave me a figure of about 5% and seemed reasonable . I went back to WSU and was referred to the book on rain gardens which I had used in my application to describe their construction . I told them it did not give any figures - they seemed surprised and directed me on to the Washington Conservation District .
They were also very helpful .at first referred me to the same book then a book on how to save rainwater then back to WSU then finally they arranged top call an engineer .
He called me up then e-mailed me a book :-
"Reusing Rain in The pacific Northwest Rain Gardens " .
I consulted this and was stunned to discover that is suggested I needed 20 % - 4 times what the library had . Coupeville has about 18 inches a year and with a 12 inch deep rain garden one of this proportion would hold two inches of rainfall - on roof and itself - A whet months worth . As it is designed to drain into the soil within a few days this seems more than adequate if not down right excessive !

As a local told me - If you don't want it to look like a desert better plant drought resistant plants in it .

Time will tell !

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