Category Archives: Rainwater Catchment

Rainwater Catchment

Can Rainwater Collection Control Stormwater Issues in WA?

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Photo courtesy of danschenker.com
Is promotion of rainwater collection an opportunity for counties in Washington State to control stormwater?

As of October 2009, rainwater collection is legal in all counties in Washington State. Many county Health Departments are allowing collected rainwater for potable use as well. King County, the largest county in the state, allows for potable usage. Seattle Public Utilities offers rebates for rain gardens in certain areas of Seattle such as Ballard. The Rainwise Program encourages home owners to collect and use roof runoff to help control storm water. Many consumers have taken advantage of this program and are practicing good storm water control. The GSI or “green storm water infrastructure” mandate addresses the issue of storm water runoff for new construction by total infiltration of impervious surfaces on site.

But what about all the existing buildings and houses throughout our state including Seattle area, where stormwater runoff still overwhelms sewer systems, causing intentional sewage release into the Puget Sound during large rain events?

What can the counties and municipalities do to encourage existing building and home owners to control their runoff, thus reducing or eliminating these large releases?  Public awareness is an excellent start. County and municipality funded education using media and public service announcements promoting rainwater catchment practices while offering incentives such as the Rainwise program would generate interest. A properly funded program of encouragement and incentives would create more public interest to adopt rainwater collection, as it has with the Rainwise Program, while money being spent to promote would be absorbed by the cost savings to the overwhelmed systems we experience now.

Rainfall collection and use can be part of the solution to Seattle’s storm water issue, augmenting the GSI mandate by addressing runoff, not only from new construction, but from existing buildings and homes as well. It’s fair to say that most  Seattleites would welcome being part of the solution — if given the opportunity.

Commercial Rainwater Harvesting, Rainwater Catchment, Rainwater Harvesting Education

Protecting Clean Water – Ditch the Myth

Protecting Clean Water - Ditch the Myth

Through education and research, RainBank is committed to sharing information of value to readers that can help them learn more about why it’s important to have clean water and how to design, build and maintain rainwater harvesting and collection systems for home and business.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seek to protect clean water and have proposed a rule to clarify protection for streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act.

Here is a link to facts that were published in order to dispel apprehensions and misunderstandings about the proposed rule.  The site also points out that the proposed rule will help cut through red tape to make normal farming practices easier, while also ensuring that waters are clean for human health, communities, and the economy.

How-to, Rainwater Catchment, Residential Rainwater Collection

Rainwater Catchment System Key Factors

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Rainwater Catchment System Key FactorsWhether you are designing your own rainwater catchment system or having one designed by a professional, success of your rainwater catchment system design is dependent on some key factors.

 

What do I want to accomplish with my design of a rainwater catchment system?

Irrigation, toilet and or laundry facility, supplementary to well water or city water, whole house usage, and sole source are the main purpose of designs.

How much rainwater can I collect from my roof? Will it be enough to supply my needs?

One inch of rainfall per 1,000 square feet of roof will yield approximately 623 gallons of water. Evaporation, wind, and spillage account for 15 – 20 % of loss. A 2,000 square foot roof with 36″ of annual rainfall may yield 44,856 gallons. With an efficiency of 85%, that equals 38,128 gallons.

One inch of rain is needed for the healthy growth of plants. This equates to .623 gallons per week for 1 square foot of planting, which can add up rather fast, so keeping your irrigation needs small and giving consideration to drought tolerant plants is recommended.

Toilet and laundry facilities account for 49% of household usage. Designing and building a system for this purpose alone can cut your water and sewer bill in half. New construction is the best time to implement this type of system however, retrofitting plumbing in an existing home can be accomplished.

Rainwater Catchment System Key FactorsIf the collection area is small or available space for storage is restricted, a supplementary system can be achieved with “slim line” style of cisterns or buried tanks. A small roof can still be effective in collection if used for a supplementary source to well water or city water.

Whole house usage, or potable water, can eliminate dependency on city water or well water, where you can still have city or well water as a back up during dry times. With the advanced filtration and UV disinfection offered today, safe, reliable drinking water for whole house usage will exceed the quality of most well and city water.

Now that you are considering what usage of collected rainfall would best suit your needs, we will discuss sizing, configuration, implementation, and maintenance of a designed rainwater catchment system in upcoming posts.

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