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.
Rainwater Harvesting Education, Sustainability

Where Can You Learn About Rainwater Harvesting?

The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) is a rainwater harvesting industry membership organization with a broad range of professionals working in private, city, state, and federal government, academia, designers, installers, manufacturers and suppliers of rainwater harvesting equipment, consultants, and individuals interested in preserving, growing and supporting sustainability through rainwater collection.

arcsalogoThe mission of The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association is to promote sustainable rainwater harvesting practices to help solve potable, non-potable, stormwater and energy challenges throughout the world.

In 1994, Dr. Hari J. Krishna of Austin, Texas founded the 501(c)(3) non-profit American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) to bring renewed attention to the ancient practice of rainwater harvesting. For thousands of years collecting rainwater was a common method for providing water, but over the last century, wells and municipal water supplies took over as primary water sources. The diminishing supply of fresh water in wells and aquifers, concerns of quality and population growth are among the top reasons for the resurgence of rainwater catchment. The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) was created to promote sustainable rainwater harvesting practices throughout the United States and the world.  Read more.

ARCSA is involved in efforts including:

  • Favorable regulatory atmosphere
  • Educating professionals and the public regarding safe rainwater design, installation and maintenance practices
  • Community outreach education through a volunteer board of directors, augmented by regional directors located in various parts of the United States as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe

RainBank Rainwater Systems president Ken Blair is lifetime ARCSA member, ARCSA accredited Professional, ARCSA Systems Inspector, and ARCSA Northwest regional rep. Ken is a available for ARCSA workshops for interested parties as well as local governmental agencies, engineering and architectural firms. Contact Ken using the form below for more information about a workshop for your agency or group.

Residential Rainwater Collection

How Can Urban Homes Benefit From Rainwater Collection?

RBRWC9241510Just like rural homeowners, urban households can benefit from rainwater collection. Unlike rural homes, most city homes have less space available for storage. Slim line water tanks and underground storage options allow those who live in an urban environment to collect, store, and use rainwater for a number of purposes.

You do not need a lot of capacity of storage for supplemental use of rainwater. For every inch of rainfall, a thousand square feet of surface will yield 623 gallons of water. A 2,000 square foot roof in Seattle will yield over 44,000 gallons of water annually. Even with only 3,000 gallons of storage, winter use can be as much as 100% or can be stored for summer irrigation demands. See chart below  – an average 2,000 square foot roof yields over 44, 000 gallons with only 3,000 gallons of storage capacity based on 120 gallons of daily demand.  (click the image for larger view)

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Rainwater is a clean source of water that needs very little treatment for irrigation, toilet flushing, or laundry facilities. Further treatment with UV disinfection allows for whole house demands including drinking water. With more demands on our water districts due to drought conditions, every drop helps. Why not benefit from this natural resource, rather than send it down the curbside drain?

Infrastructure, Residential Rainwater Collection

Can Structures be Spared from Wildfires?

The summer of 2015 was one of the costliest and deadliest for the U.S. Forest Service. Spending around $200 million per week, the service battled drought-driven wildfires across the country during this time. According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Oregon and Washington were among the hardest hit states, with hundreds of thousands of acres burned, human and animal lives lost, homes and businesses decimated.

Here is a reminder about how steel tanks might mitigate loss in a wildfire situation:

wildfire-568617_640Fire is a frightening concept, but an unfortunate reality.

In rural areas, away from municipal resources, a water tank used strictly for fire suppression may be the only way to protect your family, farm, house, or business.

An exterior wildfire suppression system includes an array of sprinklers supplied by a water source. If there is no natural water source, a water storage tank designated as the source of water supply can make the difference in protection. Sprinklers attached to the roof and around the perimeter of the building are meant to saturate and create humidity. The idea is to soak the property’s vegetation and roof of the home.

The amount of time a system will run depends on amount of water available. A system with 30,000 gallons of storage can prodsteel tanksuce 30 gallons a minute for 16.6 hrs. If used with a wetting agent, the solution will stay intact for a longer period. Having a source of water designated for fire protection can be an investment that could save your home.

RainBank Rainwater Systems has been installing corrugated steel water tanks for over 15 years and recognizes the benefit of onsite water storage for wildfire protection. The National Fire Protection Association provides codes and standards for fire protection that are available for free for online viewing.

Through its Fire Adapted Communities Program, the NFPA offers information and specific actions you can take, to lower your risk in the event of a wildfire. Take a look to learn about how you can protect your home and your community from the devastation of wildfires.

This is a throwback Thursday post from RainBank, originally published on August 24, 2015  under the title Protect Your Home and Business from Wildfires