Tag Archives: rainwater collection seattle

Rainwater Catchment, Residential Rainwater Collection

Should You be Concerned About Storm Water and the Seattle Environment?

Should You be Concerned About Storm Water and the Seattle Environment?Storm water is a concern in the Puget Sound area. Storm drains are overwhelmed during a large event resulting in sewage being released in our waterways. Fish, shellfish, and marine animals experience the brunt of these spills. Plus, toxins from roof run-off enter our storm water systems with every rainfall. Roof runoff carries oil from our driveways into the drain system and into the Puget Sound. Pesticides, fertilizers, and pet fecal matter is carried from or roof runoff into the street drainage system and into the storm water resulting in these pollutants entering the ecosystem.

By collecting the rainwater from our roofs and redirecting it to be used for irrigation, laundry facilities, toilet flushing, and potable whole house usage, residential runoff can be greatly reduced causing less impact on our environment.

The State of Washington has allowed rainwater collection for residential and commercial usage since 2009.

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Commercial Rainwater Harvesting, Rainwater Catchment

Seattle Businesses and Utilities Reduce Costs With Rainwater Harvesting

Seattle Businesses and Utilities Reduce Costs With Rainwater Harvesting Since irrigation and water closets consume the majority of water in commercial buildings, many Seattle businesses and utilities are finding cost savings by installing rainwater collection systems.

Using rainwater for irrigation and water

Seattle Businesses and Utilities Reduce Costs With Rainwater Collection

closets, companies are not only saving a significant amount of money from the municipal water company, but also on sewage charges since sewage is based on the amount of water used.

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Rainwater Catchment, Residential Rainwater Collection

Why Rainwater Catchment Systems Matter

Do you know that the average annual rainfall of 36 inches in Seattle and a 2,000 square foot roof can collect over 44,000 gallons of rain annually?  That’s over 120 gallons per day of potential usage; well enough to sustain a household of four.

The Elk River in Charleston, W.Va. A coal-processing chemical spill last week cut off water to more than 300,000 people. Tyler Evert/Associated Press
The Elk River in Charleston, W.Va. Tyler Evert/Associated Press

A recent chemical spill in West Virginia emphasizes the vulnerability of our water supplies and reinforces the value of harvesting rainwater.  A professionally designed and installed rainwater collection system will provide a significant amount of clean, safe drinking water for residential and commercial use.

The average home within Seattle city limits may not have much space for storage, however, with just 3,000 gallons of storage, a potable supplementary rainwater catchment system with  2,000 square feet of roof, can mitigate up to 70 percent of your city water use. With new slim line designs of water storage tanks, affordable and practical rainwater catchment systems are being installed within Seattle city limits.

With the cost of city water on the rise, potential disastrous effects such as the West Virginia spill, along with other incidents to municipal water supplies, rainwater harvesting is a viable, safe, and affordable alternative. Whether potable for full household use or non potable for irrigation, toilet, and laundry use rainwater collection is legal in Washington State and in Seattle.

Rainwater collection can create SAFE, decentralized water supplies.

Do you want to learn more about rainwater harvesting? Complete the form below to consult with Ken Blair.