Located in the South Park neighborhood of South Seattle, Oromo Church of God Prophecy is committed to reaching the Ethiopian/East African Community with news of Gospel of Jesus Christ in Oromo and Amharic languages. Oromo Church’s RainWise installation manages rainwater runoff from over 3,500 square feet of flat roof area. The project

• allows the church to conserve water,
• reduces the potential for flooding,
• showcases how a faith community can become RainWise,
• protects Puget Sound from combined sewer system overflows.

The installation was completed in July 2016, with a total of $7,745.07 covered by the RainWise rebate program.

Two 530-gallon slimline cisterns on the east side of the building capture water that falls on to the roof, then slowly release the water via the cisterns’ low-flow valve. An overflow pipe connects the cisterns, so when one fills up, there is another to hold water in heavy rains. The low-flow valve is key to this stormwater system in combatting combined sewer overflows into the Duwamish River.

ECOSS invited Bishop Fekadu A. Shone and church leaders to share their experience with the RainWise program.

How did you get involved in RainWise?

We were first approached by ECOSS in 2013. Initially, we wanted to have a rain garden installed. But since the perc test failed we had to regroup and come up with a new plan. In the end, we decided to install two cisterns at our church. Although the process has been long coming, we are happy with the outcome.

What do you like the most about the program?

I like the community focus of this project. ECOSS helped educate the church leadership and congregations on the environmental impact of this project and how our community can be a part of the solution to help solve stormwater pollution.

How have the church members reacted to the cisterns?

For a lot of our church members this has been the first time they have encountered GSI. Our members and leadership are grateful for the education and guidance we have received.

What benefits have you reaped from RainWise?

Education: We have learned so much more about water quality and pollution. ECOSS helped educate the church leadership and congregations on these issues.

Funding: Thanks to ECOSS, King County and the City, we did not have to spend any out of pocket costs on our RainWise project.

Water conservation: We now can save water from our cisterns and use the water for our plants during the dry season.

Stormwater Facility Credit: By installing Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) our sewer bill will be reduced by up to 50%.

Project partners include church leadership, King County staff, RainWise outreach staff and the creative design talents of the RainWise contractor, WengerDesigns. All stakeholders worked together to keep thousands of gallons of rainwater out of the sewer system each year.