Harvest & Absorb

In central Massachusetts, where Kevin Young creates outdoor living rooms for clients, water run-off following typical late-afternoon thunderstorms is more of a problem than the dry spells his state usually experiences late July through September. Seasonal torrential downpours generally give the ground more of a drink than it can handle. 

“What happens is there is so much water that comes down that the wastewater treatment plants can’t handle it, so they often open up the gates and let it flow back into the river,” Young says.

Considering the contaminants that run-off water collects before it lands in the region’s reservoirs, supplying solutions to prevent water from rolling in sheets off soaked turf and other impermeable surfaces – parking lots, driveways, sidewalks – seems, to Young, the right thing to do.

Excess water is hardly the water dilemma confronted in states like Texas, Alabama and Georgia. But either extreme – too much or not enough water – can present a business challenge.

Not for Young. He addresses water issues as part of an overall greening of his installation offerings. Lately, he is introducing clients to rain harvesting systems and permeable pavers that absorb water. His display featuring a rainwater harvesting system by Aquascape was a hit at a local home and flower show. The system collects, filters and pumps recovered rain water so it can be used for irrigation or even washing the car.

“In half a day, I passed out 500 fliers to people who are interested in the system,” he says, adding that the technology “replaces the rain barrel.” Indeed, it serves the same old-fashioned purpose of harvesting rain water and allowing homeowners to recycle it rather than tapping into municipal water stores. “People are interested in being green and saving what they can,” Young acknowledges. 

Young focuses heavily on selling various rain-saving systems to clients, including those sophisticated exchange systems. They can collect up to 20,000 gallons of water in a basin dug underneath a pondless water feature.

Or, customers can simply choose hardscape materials like permeable pavers that prevent water run-off. These pavers can be rigged with a liner underneath that ushers collected water into a collection system for reuse.

“You can save money by collecting water that falls from the sky for free,” points out Young, relaying the type of education he provides clients.

People are buying in. Young’s business has grown a steady 30 percent each year since he launched in 2006. So far this year, landscapes in his region are looking lush because of a cool start to the summer, and plenty of rain. He’ll avoid planting lawns and garden beds until fall, when he can be assured of consistent rainfall.

“There have been a few instances where we installed shrubs and we just couldn’t water them,” he says of mid-summer plantings and the occasional watering bans that occur in his area. Many people run irrigation systems off of private wells. Still, the “poor man’s fertilizer” (rainwater) is much better than irrigating, so Young likes to schedule plantings in spring and fall.

In dry times, he’ll focus on selling his sustainable water solutions to a body of customers who are interested in doing what they can to go green. “All of us want to save more and be better to the planet,” he relates. “I’m trying to provide people with solutions to problems.”

Jump to:
Introduction
Medium Business - $500,000 to $2 million
Large Business - More than $2 million

The author is a freelance writer based in Bay Village, Ohio.