Tag Archives: rainwater collection design

Infrastructure, Sustainability

Rainwater Harvesting and Life on Maui

Maui 2004As some of us living in colder climes hunker down for the cold weather, now is a good time to share an article from Maui Now about green living with rainwater catchment systems.

The article effectively and simply illuminates the benefits of collecting rainwater for either landscaping or drinking water, outlining the components and why each is important for a system that will either supplement or replace city water.

Some folks may find (at least on Maui) that the property they’re interested in purchasing is off grid, with no city water source available. Others want to supplement city water to save money and reduce demand on city infrastructure, decelerating the onset of potential future water shortages.

According to the article, ‘With a rainwater catchment system, you will be able to capture rainwater, divert it to a storage area, save it in a safe and clean place for later use, and then create a system for water distribution.”

RainBank is an experienced rainwater collection system design firm and consults on systems for residential and commercial use. RainBank designs potable and non-potable systems to be used for irrigation, laundry, toilet and wash down facilities. RainBank follows its designs through the permitting process; clients have an advocate to navigate the confusing maze of government entities and regulations. RainBank president Ken Blair is ARCSA AP (Accredited Professional) and IS (Inspector Specialist), both of which require continuing education for certification. RainBank also serves as ARCSA’s Pacific Coastal Regional Representative.

Rainwater Catchment

Is Your Engineering Firm Well-Versed in Rainwater Collection Design?

Ken Blair, RainBank LLCIs your engineering firm well-versed in rainwater collection design?

With rain water collection systems becoming more accepted, many engineering firms are being asked for rainwater collection designs to meet the demand of both commercial and residential systems. But how much experience does the engineering firm have in storm water management and rainwater collection? Does the firm use consultants from the industry to help with their design? Does the firm belong to the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA), or another association such as the Cascadia Green Building Council?

The members of these organizations are a great resource for engineers, architects, designers, microbiologists, contractors and suppliers who are part of the industry and have experience that will benefit the firm in their design. There are long-time members of ARCSA that have brought the industry to where it is now. With their experience, a well designed, operational system will meet the intended use that the customer is looking for.

The proper design of storage, filtration, disinfection, and conveyance of rainwater is essential to a system’s success. Unless the engineer has experience in rainwater collection design, many industry standards can be overlooked. The plumbing code has written standards that ARCSA helped write, along with ANSI. ARCSA accredited professionals have to meet ongoing education credits in order to stay active in their accreditation.

RainBank Rainwater Collection Systems offers consulting and seminars to both engineers and architects and recommends to consumers that they check with their engineer or architect on their experience with rainwater collection.