Tag Archives: ARCSA

Commercial Rainwater Harvesting, Residential Rainwater Collection

Ancient Practice Becomes a Hot Commodity

spider-985845_1280How is it that the ancient practice of rainwater harvesting is just catching on as a hot commodity to make and save money in commercial and residential worlds?

Businesses around the US are learning that in some areas, government is requiring better management of stormwater runoff, which necessitates the development of rainwater use across industries. Not just for drinking, captured rainwater can be used to toilet flushing and even to cool equipment.

At the recent ARCSA annual conference, held in drought-afflicted California, folks with an interest in rainwater harvesting gathered to learn how and why this ancient practice has moved from niche to mainstream. In the clip below, with excerpts from the ARCSA conference, CNBC’s Jane Wells talks about the business of capturing rainwater in California.

So, whether you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person and are seeking products, a Seattle homeowner in a small space wanting to design and install a residential system for lawn watering and laundry, or a commercial business in search of a steel tank to mitigate stormwater runoff, there’s a rainwater solution that can save the environment while saving you money down the road.

As this ancient practice becomes more and more popular, be sure to know your professionals and visit the ARCSA resource guide to ensure your rainwater system is designed and built to the highest industry standards.

Rainwater Catchment, Rainwater Harvesting Education

Standards for Rainwater Collection

water-321524_640The Rainwater collection industry is rapidly becoming more accepted, consumers are becoming more aware of water shortages, quality of water, and increasing costs of operations of a centralized water system are being passed onto the customer. Many are turning to a supplementary source of water, whether from a simple rain barrel, for small irrigation needs or a large-scale sustainable system for whole-house demands. The industry itself is changing and becoming more complex. States and counties throughout the US are witnessing such a rapid growth in interest of rainwater collection, many are struggling with regulations and standards to ensure public safety. In addition, increased demand is beginning to outpace the supply of available, qualified RWC system designers and installers. Without proper regulations standards, improper designs and installations by unqualified persons can lead to underperforming or even dangerous systems.

Without quality information and education, governmental intervention can lead to laws that do nothing to protect the consumer and the industry itself. Therefore the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) is the leader in education and information about RWC. The American Society of Plumbing Engineers, (ASPE) develops plumbing and design standards through a consensus of a standards development process in accordance with the American National Standards Institute, (ANSI). The Plumbing Engineering Standards are designed to provide accurate and authoritative information for design and specification of plumbing systems.

ARCSA/ASPE/ANSI63-2013: Rainwater Catchment Systems Standard was approved by the American National Standards Institute on Nov. 14, 2013 and was developed by a joint effort and sponsorship support from the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) International. The purpose of this standard is to assist engineers, designers, plumbers, builders/developers, local government, and end users in safely implementing a rainwater collection system. This standard is intended for application to new rainwater catchment installations, as well as alterations, maintenance, and repairs to existing systems.

ARCSA and RainBank Rainwater Systems are committed to education and the advancement of rainwater collection. RainBank’s president Ken Blair is ARCSA’s North West Regional Representative.

Rainwater Catchment, Sustainability

Is Rain Collection a Trend?

garden-617272_640The rise of the rain collectors may sound like a scary Halloween prank, but it’s a trend not to be ignored.

According to a recent article published on Earth911, more and more folks, from millennials to baby boomers, are learning how, and then capturing the rain, to mitigate higher water bills and help in conservation efforts, largely due to drought, but also associated to aging infrastructure.

Do you know that by capturing one inch of rainfall from the roof of a 1,000 square foot home, it means you could save up to 312 gallons of water (or what amounts to almost eight, 40-gallon baths).

If you want to know how much rainwater you might collect from your roof runoff, browse to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) rainfall calculator, which can estimate rainfall in areas from a couple square feet to several square miles.

Rainwater collection isn’t only for the home gardener.

Businesses are using collected rainwater for washing vehicles and toilet flushing facilities. Schools are collecting rainwater for community gardens and new multi-family construction could collect rainwater for potable use for tenants or homeowners.

As rain collection trends, it can create a confusing frontier of information and solicitations.

If you decide to have a system professionally installed, we encourage you to know whether or  not your chosen contractor has the accreditation and experience needed for a properly installed, potable or non-potable system. Visit ARCSA (The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association) to search for a designer and installer with the knowledge and experience to meet your needs.