Category Archives: Sustainability

Rainwater Catchment, Sustainability

Good News for Seattle Rainwater Collection Community

The Space Needle appears upside down in raindrops on the window of a car in January. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)
The Space Needle appears upside down in raindrops on the window of a car in January. (Ellen M. Banner / The Seattle Times)

The Seattle Times reports, “Between the beginning of December and Thursday night, a total of 22.78 inches of rain fell at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the official climate station for Seattle. The winter months have also been warmer than usual in Seattle, with no measurable snow and higher than average temperatures in December and February.”

If El Niño predictions of a warmer wetter Spring are correct, rainwater harvesters in Seattle can expect their cisterns to remain at high levels leading into summer.

Our neighbors to the South in California have seen increased rainfall this winter, but are already hoping for a wetter Spring. “Sacramento is in the peak of it’s rainy season, but there is no substantial rain in the forecast. The Sierra snowpack has fallen below normal levels for this time of year.” reported by the Sacramento Bee. Jan Null, a private consultant with Golden Weather Services explains, “This year’s winter is yet another reminder that El Niños are unpredictable and any long-range weather forecast is suspect. The nexus of warm water in the Pacific is farther West than usual this year. That is a factor in determining where the rainfall will fall.”

According to federal water planners, surface and groundwater supplies available now will not meet water demands in the future. In order to meet the demand, we must conserve water and develop alternative supplies now. The American Rainwater Catchment Association (ARCSA) advocates that one solution is rainwater collection, which captures, diverts, stores, uses, and returns water to the aquifers by infiltration. Rainwater can be used for irrigation, and livestock watering. If properly filtered it is a great source for laundry and toilette facility. Captured rainwater, after being properly treated can be used for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.

RainBank Rainwater Systems has been part of this conservation movement for more than 15 years, with designs and installs throughout the Pacific Northwest for commercial and residential systems. We are the Northwest Master Dealer for Contain Water Tanks Inc. and dealer of Wisy products. RainBank offers dealership opportunities for those who are wanting to expand their business in water conservation and rainwater collection. RainBank Rainwater Systems offers ARCSA accredited system designs, permitting, in house engineering, licensed plumbers, and a progressive approach.

Use the form below to contact us about becoming a dealer.

Infrastructure, Sustainability

Water Is a Limited Resource We Can’t Live Without

polar-bear-484515_640As World Water Day 2016 approaches (March 22) , I’d like to share this throwback Thursday blog post with you as a reminder that water is a limited resource, without which life cannot be sustained.

As more and more cities are showing signs of water stress due to aging infrastructure, we must pay attention to the fact that Americans are being poisoned by their water supplies – and that is a public health crisis.

As we shared in 2015, “According to the World Water Development Report by the United Nations “A 40% shortfall of freshwater would be experienced as soon as 15 years.” Eight cities throughout the world were cited to witness severe fresh water shortages due to failing infrastructure, saltwater intrusion, sewage and plumbing failures, population growth, and pollution. The report went on to recommend actions of”… read more.

More about World Water Day: World Water Day is an international observance and an opportunity to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference.

Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of water. For 2016, the theme is  ‘Water and Jobs’, to focus on the correlation between water, work and the push for sustainable development.

Environment, Sustainability

Northern Neighbors Considering Rainwater Collection as a Potable Source

Tank with treeOur neighbors to the North are considering rainwater collection as a potable source. Rainwater collection is just good practice for sustainability and conservation.

Last year, the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) was joined by the Canadian Association of Rainwater Management (CANARM) in a joint effort to promote rainwater collection throughout Canada.

In a recent article in the Nanaimo Bulletin, Julie Pisani, regional district director of drinking water, is embracing rainwater collection for potable usage with regional directors approving the use of rainwater as amiable source. The directors are hoping the resolution will ultimately be considered at the Union Municipalities Conference this September. Dr. Paul Hasselback, Medical Health Officer stated “If they have the appropriate treatment in place, it may be a viable solution”. The BC ARCSA representative is Ken Nentwig and can be reached at ken (dot) nentwig (at) gmail (dot) com

As British Columbia moves forward in their efforts to promote rainwater collection as a potable source, we encourage the District Directors to contact counties and cities in the Puget Sound Region. San Juan County has supported RWC for potable use for more than twenty years. In 2009, the Greater Seattle area adopted RWC for potable use as well as others in the region.