Greenman Dan, Inc. is a Metairie-based landscaping company that has created an underground rainwater containment system that makes it simple and easy to solve water runoff problems while reducing landscape irrigation costs. The company, led by Dan Johnson, is now in the Propeller Social Venture Accelerator Program as a social innovation fellow in the New Orleans area.
Currently, New Orleanians must comply with the city’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO) that requires landowners to capture the first 1.25 inches of water per each rain event, while also allowing them to store and repurpose the water to lower bills.
“This high volume of rainwater strains the city’s drainage pumps,” explains Johnson. “Rain water runoff causes repeated urban street flooding, land subsidence, and high costs for the City and homeowners alike.”
Greenman Dan’s 1,000-gallon system was launched at Project Home Again this July, part of the company’s new focus on water management, one of the main focuses of Propeller as well. Entrepreneur Johnson hopes to keep 120,000 total gallons of rainwater from reaching storm drains with his system.
“The system has exceeded my expectations,” said Oji Alexander, Senior Project Manager at Project Home Again. It addresses all of our needs, functionally and aesthetically. The bulk of our water bill is attributed to watering our gardens. I’m anxious to see the savings. I’m also very excited to start incorporating this system into our new construction.”