All posts by Ken Blair

A rainwater collection systems designer and consultant, Ken has designed and installed residential and commercial systems, primarily in the northwest United States for more than 10 years and, in 2014, began consulting and managing builds in other states. Ken is an accredited ARCSA Professional Designer / Installer and Life Member, the Northwest Regional ARCSA representative and advisor to its education committee and is available to speak about Rainwater Collection Systems design and builds. Ken is a United States Navy veteran, having served on active duty during the Vietnam War era. A career entrepreneur, Ken created a new business focus with a commercial dive company in Hawaii in the mid 1980′s to respond to and clean up oil spills, oil spill equipment training, service and maintenance for the oil co-op service industry. Ken is passionate about having a positive impact on the environment and is also a founding director of BANK-ON-RAIN (2011-2014), whose mission is to create grassroots solutions for rainwater collection for consumption and agriculture in developing areas of the planet.
Sustainability

Underground Containment at USC

In a move toward more sustainable practices, a new village on the campus of University of Southern California (USC) will host an underground rainwater collection and containment system.

According to an article in the Daily Trojan, “Water conservation at the new Village is an important lesson beyond the lecture hall,” said Vishnu Ratnam, an engineering graduate student. “It’s a good example to look at how you can put what you’ve learned to good use.”

The 15 acre property will have six underground wells and will be able to capture 200,000 gallons of water. The system will capture stormwater before it enters the Los Angeles River or the ocean, conserving water and promoting sustainability.

RainBank has designed and installed underground systems, which work particularly well in urban areas where space is at a premium. Click here to read more about a RainBank underground system.

Water Tanks

Why Steel Tanks Make Sense For Water Storage

Why do steel tanks make sense for water storage?

Fire suppression tanks from Contain Water Systems Inc., distributed by RainBank Rainwater Systems of Seattle, are fully NFPA certified and carry a 20 year warranty. Structural and seismic engineering and full installation are available throughout the U.S. Tank packages are delivered to your site where an experienced team will assemble, test, & certify that the tank has been built to Contain Water Systems’ quality standards.

All anti vortex, penetration flanges, caged ladders, and level indicators are specified to meet your project’s NFPA 22 and OSHA requirements.

Safety is always a priority for RainBank Rainwater Systems and Contain Water Systems. A ground level, through the liner access panel eliminates confined space entry during construction and maintenance.

No matter if your project is commercial or residential, rainwater harvesting, or fire suppression, costs are always a concern. Many dealers are third or even fourth party in steel water tank sales, of course each adding their markup. As a Contain Systems Inc. distributor, there is no middleman – which boosts affordability. We sell Contain Tanks to dealers and the public. We install what we sell, no subcontractors, and we stand behind our product line. Contain Water Systems Inc. water tanks carry an unmatched 20-year warranty if installed by RainBank Rainwater Systems or a certified installer.

Contact us for more information:

Sustainability

400 Year Old Dependable Rainwater System Design

What do you do for domestic water supply on an island that has no rivers, lakes or a dependable water supply?

The inhabitants of Bermuda, a small island in the North Atlantic have been collecting rain water from their roofs for hundreds of years. The white stepped roofs, once made of limestone, are still being used today to collect rainfall to be stored for later use. The steps in the roofs, designed 400 years ago were meant to slow the flow of the water to be collected from gutters with the water being stored under the house.

Roofs like this one built in 1640 are the only dependable source of domestic supply for the island’s 60,000 inhabitants. Limestone roofs were heavy which in part was a good choice against high winds and the white limestone mortar had anti-bacterial qualities. This practice is now mandated in building regulations requiring 8 gallons of storage for every square foot of roof. To meet the demands of increased population growth and tourism, desalination is being introduced with six plants on the island producing 13,500 meters per day.

Necessity is the mother of invention. These early settlers, as well as today’s inhabitants,  are meeting their needs through conservation and cooperation.

Read more at BBC News.