Tag Archives: irrigation

Commercial Rainwater Harvesting

Commercial Rainwater Harvesting: Niche to Mainstream

62907kirkland0503_PubSafetyBldgIt’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since we completed the project outlined below. We are thrilled to say that interest in rainwater collection has skyrocketed, bringing it from niche to mainstream. Here’s a throwback Thursday post outlining what happened in May, 2014:

RainBank Rainwater Collection Systems is pleased to announce completion of two 5,300-gallon rainwater collection tanks for the new Kirkland Public Safety Building. Both tanks will collect water from a segment of the building’s roof and divert to irrigation for new plantings. The Safety building was a former Costco building remodeled for the city of Kirkland to be used as the new courthouse, police station and jail.

New landscaping will be watered automatically by the rain tanks via a computerized controller which will regulate how long and what times watering will take place. With 10,600 gallons of storage and a roof collection area of approximately 20,000 sq. ft., even a small amount of rain in the summer should supply the new plantings with rainwater.

Kirkland Public SafetyInfiltration of the soil during watering will reduce the building’s stormwater runoff and save money by not using city water.

RainBank Rainwater Collection Systems is proud to be part of this and other commercial projects making the Seattle area a better place to live.

RainBank Systems are built with the highest quality components and installed by our trained staff. Don’t forget to ask us about our steel water tanks – and the industry unmatched 20-year warranty.

We will continue to highlight and share our projects and information with you. We look forward to installing your system in the near future.

This article was originally published under the title Rainwater Harvesting Cuts Costs & Reduces Stormwater Runoff at RainBank.info

Rainwater Catchment

Rainwater Saves Money in Seattle

statue-5998_640According to a press release issued by Drexel’s College of Engineering, “research by a team of Drexel University environmental engineers indicates that it rains enough in Philadelphia, New York, Seattle and Chicago that if homeowners had a way to collect and store the rain falling on their roofs, they could flush their toilets often without having to use a drop of municipal water.”

Franco Montalto, P.E., PhD, an associate professor in Drexel’s College of Engineering, and director of its Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Lab states, “Philadelphia and Seattle are the two cities where percent water savings would be greatest if residential neighborhoods were all equipped with rainwater harvesting systems.”

RainBank Rainwater Systems has been designing and constructing systems throughout the Pacific Northwest for more than 15 years. Many of our Seattle customers have included rainwater collection as part of new residential construction and retrofitted existing homes. Toilet flushing, laundry facility, and irrigation can all be supplied with non potable rainwater. Whole house usage or potable water can be achieved with proper filtration and disinfection as well.

You don’t need a lot of storage to save money. RainBank Rainwater Systems has designed and installed 3,000 gallon systems that supply an average 2,000 sq. ft. home with 60% of its household use, simply because of the amount of fall and winter rainfall.

Read more from Drexel University Engineering: Here’s Why We Should Use Rainwater to Flush Toilets

Environment, Rainwater Catchment

Rainwater Harvesting Systems For Irrigation

In my blog posts I often neglect to discuss rainwater collection for irrigation demands, even though the most common use of rainwater collection is for non potable use.

While my focus is often on potable whole house usage for residential systems and irrigation as a means of infiltration for commercial applications, the benefits of rainwater collection for both potable and non-potable demand have positive effects for both applications.

Irrigation demands for both commercial and residential can effectively be supplied by collected rainwater. All new construction in Washington State is required to infiltrate runoff on site. This mandate is intended to reduce runoff that increases urban flooding and pollution. Impervious surfaces, such as roads and parking lots, typically have oils, greases, and heavy metals. Yards often contain fertilizers, chemicals, and animal waste – all of which can be carried off to our streams, rivers, and lakes. Some of these are a source of drinking water in Seattle and other cities. Groundwater recharge is reduced as urban populations grow. Land development dramatically affects groundwater recharge with increased impervious surfaces. A rainwater harvesting system allows more opportunity to infiltrate the soil and recharge groundwater supplies.

roof gutter rainBy capturing roof runoff and storing it for use in irrigation, a developer can infiltrate this runoff on site and meet the requirements set forth by the city and state. Stormwater runoff is decreased; infiltration is increased, while saving costs from reduced demands on city water.

Rainwater is relatively clean as it falls on our roof. If properly collected and stored, very little filtration is needed, resulting in a clean, viable source of water for irrigation with less threat to our environment. Following conservative landscaping methods using swales, rain gardens, drought tolerant plantings, and permeable surfaces, irrigation demands can be reduced – allowing for a cost effective means of irrigation. Even more cost savings can be achieved by including toilet flushing in the rainwater system design.

Both commercial and residential developers can benefit from rainwater harvesting systems intended for irrigation. Cost savings, water quality, and environmental protection are all positive outcomes for the developer and community. Being known in the community as a business or residence that cares about our environment and its resources is often admired by customers and friends. Future generations need for us to practice conservation now to ensure safe, sustainable water sources.  Rainwater collection can be part of this commitment.