Napa architect helps invent storm water protection system for wineries

Inventing things is not John Wards profession, but architecture led him to an invention that saves money and the environment.

As an architect designing a Napa Valley winery, Ward conceived the solution, called the VinValve, during the design phase of a project.

Manual diversion valves were being phased out by the county at the time because they had to be activated by humans who weren't always paying attention to the issue.

The county came back to us and said, were not going to allow manual water diversion valves anymore in outdoor areas instead, were going to require you cover the crush pad with a roof, Ward said.

Constructing a roof would have required more spending, more raw materials and more vehicle trips during construction. Also, a roof would have blocked scenic views of the valley.

So, I went back to them with an idea for a rain-activated automatic valve system, Ward recalled. After a quick first rinse of the work area, the below-ground-level device is automatically activated to divert water from crush pads into holding tanks for treatment, and sends rainwater to storm conveyance systems.

Filing a patent application was a first for me, said Ward, who co-developed the system with Auburn general contractor Butch Chamberlain.

I couldnt have done this without Butch, said Ward. Having the idea is one thing, but bringing it to fruition required a partnership.

Ward grew up in the Sierras, where he developed an appreciation for the natural environment, moved to Sacramento at age 17 then to Napa in 1999, where he met his future wife Kelly, who is a landscape architect. They live in Napa with their daughter, Helena, 1.

I invented some crazy things when I was really young, and have always been pretty mechanical, but with this I just saw an opportunity to solve a problem, like any other architecture problem, he said.

The rest is here:
Napa architect helps invent storm water protection system for wineries