Shiloh
The drip system drain's from the bottom as it run's,The flood/drain of course keep's the water in the bucket's for 15 min. then drains them.You can prolly run a drip system outdoor's or in a green house..just keep your resevoir out of the sun.You right about the weather in NOR-CAL, I'm from Sacramento,I've had some monster outdoor crop's down there.