Category Archives: Rainwater Catchment

Rainwater Catchment

The RainBank Year in Review 2014

new-years-in-village_w725_h544It has been an exciting year for RainBank Rainwater Systems and the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA).  Momentum began late in the first quarter of 2014, and really picked up speed during the fourth quarter; the outlook for rainwater collection in 2015 is very bright.

For your reading pleasure, I’ve chosen some blog posts for you to review, which will give you a good sense of the types of projects we’ve completed, and the content that resonates strongly with our audience.

Cement Cisterns Collect Urban Rainwater …One way to solve this issue is with a cement vault, constructed beneath the house, which stores the captured rain water for potable use.

Rainwater Harvesting Industry Conference …This class will advance Ken’s accredited professional endorsement to Inspection Specialist. Ken is also pleased to announce he was voted in as northwest regional representative of ARCSA and will be an advisor to the education committee.

Should You Use an External or Submersible Pump in Your Rainwater Collection System?… As mentioned in a previous post, centrifugal pumps are the most common type used in rainwater collection. 

From the many new jobs and customers we have met this year, to my speaking engagement at the ARCSA conference, we’ve been kept very busy at RainBank.

From the first potable system installed in Seattle city limits by RainBank, to the 4- 25,000 gallon tank builds for the Sea Scouts in Galveston, TX. I would like to thank each and every one of our customers, peers, and associates for making this past year a growth year for RainBank and our industry.

I would like to thank my team: Sonia, Gordy, Vicki, and Chad for your excellence, pride and devotion. I would like to send my appreciation to ARCSA for its commitment and promotion of our industry, and my deepest respect to those who have paved the way in bringing rainwater collection to the level we are experiencing today. Happy New Year.

Rainwater Catchment

Change Your Way of Thinking About Rainwater Collection

Orangutan in The Rain (c) Andrew Suryono, Indonesia, Entry, Nature and Wildlife Category, Open Competition, 2015 Sony World Photography AwardsCollecting the rain makes better sense than complaining about it. Whether you collect it in rain barrels or your storage needs require larger cisterns, rainwater collection and use has a host of benefits. Here is why you should change your way of thinking about rainwater collection:

Rainwater can be a clean, safe, reliable source of potable and non potable water. Rainwater is relatively clean to begin with and if collected, conveyed, stored, filtered and disinfected properly, it can meet the needs of small scale watering to whole house potable use.

Rain barrels can collect water inexpensively for small watering needs, with down spouts being diverted to a rain garden when full, as well as during the rainy season.

Larger cisterns can collect water all winter long to have a large volume for irrigation needs during the summer months. If collected water is pressurized and filtered, it can be plumbed into toilet facilities and laundry to supplement city water usage. If filtered and disinfected, whole house potable usage can be achieved whether large cisterns are used for year-round use or as small storage as a supplement to city water.

So, instead of saying “DARN RAIN!!!!”, consider changing your way of thinking about rainwater collection.

Orangutan in The Rain (c) Andrew Suryono, Indonesia, Entry, Nature and Wildlife Category, Open Competition, 2015 Sony World Photography Awards

Rainwater Catchment, Technical Information

When are Diaphragm Pumps Used in a Rainwater Collection System?

Diaphragm PumpAlthough centrifugal pumps are the most common type of pump used in rainwater collection systems for both sump pumps and pressure pumps, diaphragm pumps could be used in some applications.

The diaphragm pump, or positive displacement pump, uses a flexible membrane that separates the pump housing into two separate chambers. The membrane is pushed or pulled by mechanical means to enlarge or collapse a chamber, forcing the fluid to discharge. Non return valves are used on both sides of the diaphragm to prevent back flow. Electrical, mechanical, or manual can be the power supply for a diaphragm pump. A hand pump is a piston type diaphragm pump and used throughout the world, where there is no source of a power supply.

Air, chemical, and liquid can be pumped with a diaphragm pump with high efficiency. However, because of the reciprocating mechanical action or “pulsating” that occurs, a diaphragm pump would not be suited where a “steady flow” is desired .  Diaphragm pumps are very efficient in suction lift and, in some cases, could effectively be used to transfer water from a sump well below the the desired cistern location.

A more common use for a diaphragm pump in a rainwater collection system is a small air compressor used to keep large amounts of stored water from going anaerobic or with chemical treatment such as chlorine, if required.