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.
Potable, Rainwater Catchment

Is Rainwater Clean and Safe to Drink?

clear-water-glass_smRainwater is generally considered clean to begin with, however, water is an excellent medium for growth and transport of disease causing organisms.

The good news is rainwater is relatively easy to filter and disinfect, and disinfected rainwater may significantly improve drinking water supplies.

The clean water act of 1974 and recent amendments have enhanced the protection of drinking water. But, news bulletins throughout the United States of contaminated municipal supplies have spawned an increased interest in rainwater harvesting as a source of drinking water. People are looking toward alternatives to an aging, overwhelmed infrastructure to provide a safe, clean source of drinking water for the household and family.

Water quality problems associated with rainwater harvesting systems most often originate in the catchment area, conveyance system, or storage components caused by:

  • System was poorly maintained
  • Collected water was not properly disinfected
  • Conveyance and storage were poorly designed
  • Simple measures were not taken to ensure the quality of the water

All harvested rainwater that is intended for potable use must be treated effectively to minimize the risk of harming human health. To ensure a RWH system is producing high quality water, proper techniques in design, construction and maintenance along with testing need to be conducted.

Recent plumbing codes set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) along with the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) have been adopted at the national level and must be adhered to by designers and contractors installing rainwater collection systems meant for potable and non potable use. 

Rainwater harvesting can be a safe, reliable source of drinking water if codes and practices are conducted. Ask if your designer and installer are ARCSA Accredited Professionals and are up to date on the latest plumbing codes. 

Infrastructure

Cost vs. the Value of Water

coins-1015125_640Humans cannot survive without water.  But, how much should water cost?

Below is a throwback Thursday post about the cost of Seattle water:

The Seattle water system is a good one, provided by Seattle Public Utilities. But, as the demand grows with urban development and population, the cost of Seattle water will need to rise to support expansion.

A recent article by Gene Balk in the Seattle Times makes some interesting points.  Balk mentions “…bafflingly — drought-stricken Fresno, Calif., has some of the cheapest water in the nation. At a 50-gallon-per-person usage, a family of four would pay just $41.63 — less than one-quarter of the cost in soggy Seattle.”

Balk goes on to write: “Seattle has such high rates because we’ve invested more than most places in our water infrastructure in recent years. We relocated our reservoirs underground, in compliance with federal mandates, to keep our drinking water safe from contaminants. “

We can clearly see that it’s not the amount of Seattle water that is the generator of costs, it is the infrastructure required to convey and treat the water to potable standards.

Approximately 70% of household water demand is for non-potable usage. Irrigation, water closets, laundry, and wash down account for this non potable use. Rainwater collection can mitigate non potable use of city water and have a positive effect on our centralized water system and environment.

The commercial building owner and the home owner can enjoy healthy savings on future Seattle water bills by utilizing rainwater collection. Stormwater reduction could be significantly recognized through on site filtration if buildings and homes in the urban environment adopted rainwater collection.

Seattle is a progressive city in many ways and rainwater collection is part of that progression.

This article was originally published under the title The Cost of Seattle Water at RainBank.info

Rainwater Catchment

Rainwater Systems Designs

ruler-1030968_640RainBank Rainwater Systems designs potable and non potable rainwater catchment systems throughout Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

RainBank’s experienced team provides customers with an integrated, progressive approach to sustainable, premium water systems.

Our customers include;

  • Eco-friendly homeowners seeking to add rainwater collection or integrate into plans for a new premium or custom built residence
  • Architects developing plans for premium residential projects
  • High-end building contractors specializing in custom builds
  • Commercial contractors where rainwater harvesting is a component to the scope of the project

We work closely with our clients early on in the project to insure the system design will meet the client’s needs and desires. We spec only quality components, chosen based on our 15 years of experience, ensuring performance for years to come.

RainBank is a full service LLC with in-house engineering, design team, and licensed plumber. Our designs meet all county and state plumbing codes and their requirements. RainBank is familiar with the permitting process in most counties and will process the permitting to alleviate the guesswork for our clients. Our designs include;

  • Calculations of domestic demands & supply, MIDs, & sizing 
  • Drawings from down spout to storage, cistern placement, conveyance, filtration train, connection to household  and civil
  • Complete list and specs of components along with manufacturer cut sheets
  • Operations and maintenance manual
  • County permitting from health department

We install our own designs to ensure the system will meet the high standards we have set in the industry. We offer inspections of other systems for evaluation, real estate and insurance transactions, always with a detailed written report including sampling results and photos for submittal.

RainBank’s team is ARCSA  Accredited & ARCSA  Inspector Specialists.

Need more info? Contact us below: