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 Catchment

Simple Steps to Reduce Pollen

As we near pollen season, there are simple precautionary steps that will help ensure that your stored rainwater remains sweet and desirable. Simple maintenance practices throughout the year are necessary, including keeping your gutters clean of debris, keeping trees trimmed back from collection surfaces, and being vigilant about system cleanliness.

Organic matter such as leaves, pine needles, and pollen can cause tannins or discoloration, along with unpleasant odor, in your stored water. Gutter screens are very effective for larger debris, but pollen will pass through these screens and be conveyed into your stored water without smaller micron pre filtering in place. Screen basket liners will need to be changed as accumulation of pollen fouls the fabric.

RainBank Rainwater Systems has developed a more effective method with less maintenance requirements by removing organics down to 25 microns before conveyance to storage, effectively eliminating the threat of your stored water turning anaerobic. This design feature increases the effectiveness of prescreening while reducing maintenance tasks.

RainBank Rainwater Systems has been designing and installing superior rainwater collection systems for over sixteen years in the Pacific Northwest and is dedicated to the improvement of the industry. Let us design and install a system that will provide years of clean, safe, sustainable water for whole house potable demand.

Contact us and tell us about your rainwater collection needs:

Commercial Rainwater Harvesting

The Wonder of it All

You may have read about the revamped Wonder Building in downtown Spokane, Washington.

According to a recent article, “,,,nearing completion of a $15-million restoration and expansion of the historic Wonder Bread Bakery at 821 West Mallon in Spokane, WA. Formally known as the Spokane-Continental Bakery, the early 1900s-era building is in the final stage of a transformation into Wonder Spokane, a roughly 112,000-square-foot creative office building.”

Here is a video of RainBank’s inside look at the water detention tanks we’re installing in this historic building, expected to open to the public this summer as a 12,000-square-foot retail market, offering food and artisanal products, onsite parking and a dramatic rooftop deck overlooking downtown and Riverfront Park.

The four 6,500 gallon, dome roofed tanks will capture stormwater coming off of the roof and will be infiltrated onsite.

Click here to see more steel water tank projects from RainBank. Don’t forget to contact us with questions about your next project.

(Photo credit Connect Media)

Rainwater Catchment

Happy New Year 2018!

Happy New Year from all of us at RainBank.

We look forward to serving you in 2018 and beyond!