Autumn Rainwater System Maintenance

pollenThe dog days of summer in the Seattle area are nearing an end as the cooler, wetter days of Autumn approach.

With Fall rapidly approaching, bringing its gift of rainfall to the Pacific Northwest, rainwater collectors need to prepare for our harvest. Your quality of stored rainwater will be greatly enhanced if your system is ready. Gutters and screens should be cleaned of debris and residue, remembering to divert that water during this part of maintenance of your rainwater collection system. Keep an eye on those gutters during the windy times to be sure that they stay free of accumulation of leaves and needles.

Please remember to be safe with the use of ladders. The goal here is to send the cleanest water we can into our cisterns. You don’t want to send that yuck into your storage; it can decay quickly, cause odor and discoloration of your stored water. While carbon filters will help in the removal of odor, it is not as effective in eliminating discoloration (tannins). It is always a good idea at this time of year, to flush your downspout to storage conveyance lines. If you have clean outs installed, remove them and flush out any accumulation of sediment and/ or debris. If not, a garden hose flushing at each downspout to conveyance line is a good spot to conduct this simple task.

If your system has a sump tank and screen basket, give it the once over. A shop vac with the filter element removed makes this job easy by removing the sediment from the bottom of the sump. A teaspoon of bleach, mixed with about 10 gallons of water for a final rinse will help remove bacteria that may have accumulated during the summer months. Lift your float switch up inside the sump to activate your pump to be sure it is operational. You don’t want to find out that you missed out on collection because of a faulty pump or switch.

Skagit_FiltrationAutumn is also a good time to change your filters and your UV bulb. Most UV bulb manufacturers recommend that the bulb be changed once per year. They do have a life expectancy and begin to lose their intensity, which may result in improper disinfection. Your filters may have sat during vacation without circulation and could have allowed “festering” of the particulate that they have absorbed. Or, because of summer fun, you have not thought about changing them when needed – so it is time. I always shock my system this time of year. With filters removed but UV lamp turned on, add a couple of tablespoons of bleach into the first canister. Replace the canisters without the filters. Open each faucet until you smell a little bleach then close the faucet immediately. Repeat with all faucets in the household. Let the bleach water sit in the plumbing for about half an hour. Then, open all faucets and let run to flush the bleach out of the lines. Replace the filter elements and you’re done.

Good maintenance of your rainwater collection system will ensure the best quality of water available.

Environmental Benefits to Rainwater Harvesting

woman in rain-756647_640Whether it is a small rain barrel garden system or the largest commercial irrigation system, there are many environmental benefits to rainwater harvesting.

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a climate that sustains and nurtures our forests, lakes, rivers, and lifestyles. Often we grumble a little about the long dreary rainy days of autumn and winter, dreaming of summer months of enjoyment and recreation that our beautiful state offers. It is the rain that feeds our mountains with snow, keeps our rivers and lakes full, our forests green, our air clean, and our water supplies replenished. We are fortunate to live where the climatic conditions offer a seemingly never ending supply. and never give it much thought. Water from oceans, lakes, rivers turn into water vapor during evaporation, then condensate into droplets that form clouds. As the clouds become heavy they lose their water through rain or snow and the cycle starts over again. Protecting the cycle of water with sustainable, environmental practices and conservation will help ensure our water supplies for future generations. 

What if we interrupted that cycle for a moment? Borrow that water briefly? Then, return it to the natural cycle without a lot of energy. Rainwater harvesting does just that by on site collection, storage and use returning it through infiltration.  Rainwater harvesting:

CONSERVES WATER : 50 – 70 % household use is used for landscaping. It does not need to be treated to drinking water standards.

CONSERVES ENERGY: Rainwater collection bypasses a centralized system, conserving energy.

PREVENTS FLOODING & EROSION: Less stormwater to manage by diverting it to storage, then usage.

DECREASES WATER CONTAMINATION: Limiting runoff which pick up contaminants as surface water.

REPLENISHES AQUIFERS:  Washington State Ecology determined that in stream flow rates and Aquifers benefitted from rainwater collection and infiltration.

Other benefits include lower monthly water bills, provides naturally soft water, use of less detergents and soaps. If properly filtered and disinfected, rainwater can be used for whole house demands including drinking water, free of chlorine and other additives used in municipal water supplies. Rainwater collection can be a practical answer to storm water and drainage codes, allowing for mitigation of the roof area as an impervious surface. 

So when it rains here in Seattle, look at it as a gift – a gift that we can pay forward by common sense stewardship of this life sustaining resource.  

Test Your Water Sense

Take The WaterSense QuizFortunately, Seattle is not dealing with the crippling drought experienced in 2015. However, since water is such a precious resource, we feel it’s always a good time to test your water sense.

We originally shared the following post in August 2014.

In Seattle, we are not facing a water shortage. Here at RainBank, we take aging water systems, water usage, storage and rainwater collection seriously.  But, that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun while being mindful about water.

Who hasn’t tried the fun quizzes on Buzzfeed – like “How Many US States Have You Visited?” or “How Well Do You Know the Solar System?”

The EPA has joined the quiz frenzy with a WaterSense Quiz, a fun game to test your knowledge and share some facts about water.

The object of the game is to move the water-efficiency hero, aptly named Flo, through water pipes and answer water-efficiency questions while avoiding water-wasting monsters such as Sogosaurus and Drainiac.

It may seem like child’s play, but if you try the EPA’s new interactive online quiz, you’ll be sure to learn a few facts about water usage.  

Click here to play the game (Editor’s note – this version may not be mobile friendly), or click here to view a text only version of the quiz. Take your turn and leave us a comment to let us know how you scored! 

If you have any questions or comments about rainwater collection, we’re always happy to hear from you.