Tag Archives: education

Rainwater Catchment, Rainwater Harvesting Education

Rainwater Collection Main Topic at IAPMO


Close-up of a worn, metallic fountain pen nib on a black surface.The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) invited Chad Lindsly of RainBank Rainwater Systems to speak at its chapter meeting in Seattle.

According to its website, “The ASSE International Chapter of IAPMO, LLC, is an ANSI-accredited standards developer and product certification body comprised of individual and sustaining members who represent all disciplines of the plumbing and mechanical industries. Its mission is to continually improve the performance, reliability and safety of plumbing and mechanical systems.”

The presentation and discussion led by Lindsly included benefits of rainwater collection, feasibility, mitigation of stormwater, urban planning, permitting process andARCSA/ASPE/ANSI standard 63, and codes .

It was a good turnout of representatives from King County Health (KCH), Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE).

RainBank Rainwater Systems is an American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA)lifetime member business with active Accredited Professional (AP)status. We at RainBank are dedicated to educating regulatory agencies about standards and best practicescommonlyused in the industry.

We look forward to future discussions of Rainwater Collection with interested parties.

Contact us below to schedule a presentation for your group or organization.

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Rainwater Catchment, Sustainability

Helping Future Rainwater Harvesting Engineer


View through a circular metal structure to a cloudy sky.Future Rainwater Harvesting Engineer Seeks Help from RainBank

Seattle based RainBank Rainwater Systems receives many requests for information. Some questions come from homeowners building residential systems, others from architects, general contractors and engineers who may be interested in a commercial system design for toilet flushing or irrigation.

Recently we received an inquiry from a high school student in New Jersey interested in rainwater harvesting for a school project on water conservation. He was well prepared with a budget, total square foot of collection area, a plan of usage and most importantly, interest!

Hoping to harness hisenthusiasm, Chad Lindsly, RainBank Engineering, worked with the student on this theoretical design with demand/supply calculations, collection/storage coefficients, conveyance, filtration, costs and return on investments, all through email. He actually instructed the student on how to design a system, while meeting the scopeof his school project. Between them, Chad and the student designed a sustainable, cost effective rainwater system that fell withinthe parameters of the school project’s criteria. The student is turning in his work today and we wish him the best.

RainBank Rainwater Systems has always been at the forefront ofthe advancement of conservation and sustainability education. Chad continues the tradition by paying it forward and taking the time to engage with a potential future engineer.

Rainwater Catchment, Rainwater Harvesting Education

Standards for Rainwater Collection


Close-up of a worn, metallic fountain pen nib on a black surface.The 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.