Tag Archives: featured

Rainwater Catchment, Rainwater Harvesting Education

Take The WaterSense Quiz

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Screenshot of "Test Your Water Sense" game menu with options and a water droplet mascot.In Seattle, we are not facing a water shortage. Here at RainBank, we take aging water systems, water usage, storageand rainwater collection seriously. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun while being mindful about water.

Who hasn’ttriedthefun quizzes on Buzzfeed– like “How Many US States Have You Visited?” or “How Well Do You Know the Solar System?”

The EPA has joined the quiz frenzy with a WaterSense Quiz, a fun game to test your knowledge and share some facts aboutwater.

The object of the game is to move the water-efficiency hero, aptly namedFlo,through water pipes and answer water-efficiency questions while avoiding water-wasting monsters such asSogosaurusandDrainiac.

It may seem like child’s play, but if you try the EPA’s new interactive online quiz, you’ll be sure to learn a few factsabout water usage.

Click here to playthe game(Editor’s note – this version may not be mobile friendly), or click here to view a text only version of the quiz.Take yourturn and leave us a comment to let us know how you scored!

Rainwater Catchment

Can Rainwater Collection Control Stormwater Issues in WA?


Water droplets resting on a green leaf with prominent veins.
Photo courtesy of danschenker.com
Is promotion ofrainwater 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, wherestormwaterrunoff 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. Countyand municipality funded educationusing media andpublicservice announcements promoting rainwater catchment practices while offering incentives such as theRainwise program would generate interest. A properly funded program of encouragement and incentives would create morepublicinterest to adopt rainwater collection, as it has with the Rainwise Program, while money being spent to promote would be absorbed by the cost savings totheoverwhelmed systems we experience now.

Rainfall collection and use can be part of thesolution 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 saythat most Seattleites would welcome being part of the solution — if given the opportunity.

How-to, Rainwater Catchment, Residential Rainwater Collection

Rainwater Catchment System Key Factors

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A modern, circular greenhouse with a translucent roof surrounded by greenery.Whether you are designing your own rainwater catchmentsystem or having one designed by a professional,success of your rainwater catchmentsystem 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 myneeds?

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 equals38,128 gallons.

One inch of rain is needed for the healthy growth of plants.Thisequates 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 todrought 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.

Row of rain barrels connected to a gutter system for water collection.If 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 havecity 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 upcomingposts.

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