• We focus on water, directing our solutions to attaining a "hydrologically invisible" footprint. In other words, we direct our solutions towards keeping water onsite longer to take advantage of its greatest utility. Whether a new development or a site improvement, we are there, thinking outside the box to combine the latest technology with old school tried and true methods to produce the highest function and quality for your project.
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  • Our mission is to bring insight and innovation to water management projects. We believe the principle of sustainability applies to our communities and our clients, as well as to our environment. We therefore strive to find solutions that reduce resource use and improve water quality while decreasing client costs. For example, while planning a wastewater treatment system we may suggest alternative practices to reduce chemical use. Thus, we aim to integrate water resource management whenever possible to optimize efficiency and minimize energy use. Continually researching the latest material and tools to aid in these goals, we don’t hesitate to team with other skilled professionals to complement our range of services when needed.
  • Sustainable H2O Solutions Includes:
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  • S&G WATER CONSULTANTS
    • Water/Wastewater Science
    • Hydrology
    • Winery Specialists
    • "Rainmakers"
  • WINKLER AQUASCAPES
    • Ponds Specialist
    • Aquatic Ecosystems
    • Water Features
    • "Water Wonderworker"
    • Calif. Lic. #870177
  • KELDER ENGINEERING
    • Civil Engineering
    • Site Development
    • "Wizard of Details"
    • Calif. Lic. #C58383
  • FLICK ENTERPRISES
    • General Engineering Contracting
    • Water Features
    • "Installer Extraordinaire"
    • Calif. Lic. #808237
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  • Click on the links above to learn more.
 
  • Heather Shepherd
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  • Heather has spent her career in the pursuit of clean water and water conservation. She developed the use of Constructed Wetlands for treating winery wastewater, and installed the first such system in 1998. Since then, she has built twenty-eight constructed wetlands in California, Oregon and South Africa. Heather later began helping wine and food processing industries develop water conservation and chemical reduction plans. She has consulted on projects ranging from ecological risk assessments due to contaminated water to erosion control strategies for vineyards. More recently, Heather taught graywater reuse and water conservation workshops, and designed the first three commercial and multi-residence graywater reuse systems in Sonoma County. In 2008, Heather was invited to help Sonoma County develop new graywater regulations.
  • Heather has written and published several papers on constructed wetlands for winery wastewater treatment and spoken at several conferences. Her papers have been published in Water Environment Research, International Ecological Engineering, American Vineyard, Vineyard and Winery Management, Practical Winery and Vineyard Management and Wine Business Weekly. She has also presented papers at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Proceeding of the 2nd International Specialized Conference on Winery Wastewater, Bordeaux, France and at the 27th IAHR Congress on Water for a Changing Global Community, San Francisco. She has been invited to speak at the Annual Hazardous Waste Managers Meeting, the First International Workshop and Seminar on the Effects and Treatment of Cellar and Distillery Effluent in Stellenbosch, South Africa, The Green Wineries Conference, the East Bay Watershed Association and others.
  • Prior to employment in environmental consulting, Ms. Shepherd spent several years in environmental education and outdoor leadership. Other interests include outdoor pursuits, dance and Tae Kwon Do.
  • Tim Winkler
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  • Winkler Aquascapes specializes in aquatic ecosystem contracting. With well over 26 years of experience with aquatic systems, Tim brings a wealth of knowledge and practical understanding to Sustainable H2O Solutions. Tim has been in business since 1985, working with fish and aquatic plants. In 1993 he began Winkler Water Gardens, a source for aquatic and wetland plants for his projects as well as for numerous nurseries and home improvement centers throughout the United States. After many years Tim still has a passion for the design and installation of ponds, lakes, water gardens, as well as bio-filtration and aeration systems and water features such as waterfalls and fountains, along with fish care and treatment. He provides expert troubleshooting for problem situations and develops effective maintenance plans to keep ponds and water features healthy. Tim is dedicated to developing natural, ecologically balanced ponds that function without chemicals. Recently adding natural swimming pools and “eco islands” to his repertoire of expertise, Tim continually seeks and develops new and interesting approaches to fulfilling his mission: To utilize natural ecological principles in the creation of aquatic ecosystems that function consistently and enhance our environment.
  • Kurt Kelder
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  • Kurt launched Kelder Engineering in 2005 in Cloverdale after 10 years of working with consulting engineers in Healdsburg and Long Beach. Kurt has expertise in grading, drainage, street and utilities planning, site development and permitting, vineyard development and erosion control, and regulatory permitting and compliance. His deep attention to detail and client needs enables Kurt to provide the design elements needed to ensure a smooth permitting process and a fully satisfying final product. Kurt’s love of the wine country drives him to seek environmentally integrated solutions to various site constraints such as poor drainage or erosive conditions. Through his project experience Kurt has become increasingly attentive to energy efficient approaches to water system design and site management, including methane capture from wastewater systems. Kurt has enabled projects to move forward through lot line and setback concerns without delay. Not afraid of hard work, Kurt gets out on site with his crew to ensure correct, timely and economical installations of his designs.
  • Ethan Flick
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  • With over 28 years of experience, Ethan brings exceptional understanding of site dynamics and installation techniques to Sustainable H2O Solutions. He is committed to excellence and constantly seeks the most efficient and effective methods of installation. Ethan loves his work and has always been committed to quality oriented business, understanding that one size does NOT fit all sites and each situation is unique. He enjoys the challenge of finding the most advanced products to suit the job, but relies on traditional approaches when that makes the most sense for the site. Often faced with unusual settings, Ethan has crafted machinery specifically suited to those situations. For example, when undertaking the installation of subsurface drip irrigation systems required for greywater reuse, Ethan designed and built a small scale trencher and pipe layer that minimizes soil disturbance and can be hand operated in difficult to reach sites.
  • Ethan believes in old fashion honesty, treating others how we would like to be treated, and putting others first. He believes that sustainability includes relationships within our communities, maintaining that environmental health is a community endeavor.