Tag Archives: Skagit

Potable, Rainwater Catchment, Rainwater Harvesting Education

Potable Rainwater System in Skagit County


Close-up of a worn, metallic fountain pen nib on a black surface.Skagit County Health and Planning Departments allowed construction of a rainwater collection system as the primary source of water for construction of a new family residence. As many as 5,000 property owners may now have a solution to a wellmoratorium that has been imposed in the river basins because of instream flow rules.

Chris Webb of Herrera Environmental designed the 10,000 gallon potable system to supply the residence with enough water to support a family of four, year round without another water source. Filtration, along with ultra violetdisinfection, will treat the rainwater to a qualitystandard whichsurpasses groundwater and most well water. Water samples will be taken and sent to a lab for testing with results shared with the Skagit County Department of Health.

RainBank will work with Skagit County to help set standards for rooftop collection for potable use, with the hopes that the practice will allow property owners in the affected river basins to have a viable source of clean, safe drinking water and be able to develop their properties. Other counties in the Puget Sound region have recognized rainwater collection as asupplementary source to wells, city water, and community water sources and sole source use in conditions that a traditional source is not available.

RainBank Rainwater Systems, with 15 years experience in designing and construction of sustainable, potable rainwater collection systems iscommitted to educating the public and county officials in thebenefits of rainwatercollection.

Photo Credit: Abhinaba Basufrom Redmond, United States-Skagit Tulip Festival PanoramaUploaded byX-Weinzar

 

Rainwater Catchment, Rainwater Harvesting Education

When Will Your County Adopt Rainwater Collection for Potable Use? 


Children exploring a shallow water patch on a rocky riverbed.Snohomish County has over 1,000 water districts that are close to drying up, which ramps up theneed to purchase potable water from the city of Everett. Spada Lake is dangerously low, which jeopardizes water availability for fighting fires

Pierce County faces a similar issue – small water districts are running out of supply, forcing the potentialfor needing to purchase water from the city of Tacoma. The Center for Urban Waters, led by the University of Washington Tacoma, promotes rainwater collection, while some of the districts are not fully supportive of the concept.

Is it time for both of these counties to adopt RWC for potable use?

Snohomish County is surrounded by other counties that have expanded RWC to include potable usage. These counties recognize that potable use of rainwater for single-family dwellings is not a threat to public safety or to the revenue of their water districts. King, Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan, Jefferson, and Island counties all accept the benefits of potable RWC for single-family dwellings.

RainBank Rainwater Systems along with support from the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) will continue to educate these two counties as well as others by offering seminars, workshops, and general discussion on the benefits of RWC to motivate them to allow potable usage of rainwater.

Please watch the recently aired KIRO News report about small water districts that are running out of water.

Photo courtesy of King.

Rainwater Catchment, Residential Rainwater Collection

Project Update: Two Sole Source Potable Rainwater Systems

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White truck crossing a narrow suspension bridge over a river.RainBank Rainwater Systems was contractedto install a 10,000 gallon, sole source, potable rainwater catchment system in Baring WA, just east of Index. The system was designed by Chris Webb, PE of Herrera Environmental Consultants for a single family dwelling. The system will provide potable whole house usage as the only source of water for this 839 square foot home. With 41.2″ annual rainfall, the system is capable of supplying 100% of the household demand based on occupant’s usage requirements.

The small parcel size and the small bridge over the Skykomish bridge limited the feasibility of safely drilling a well and there is no public or community water system. RainBank Rainwater Systems always enjoys a challenge – and this one has many – from a very small lot with wetlands, large boulders throughout the property, the bridge, and location of site

Two large black water storage tanks in a rural setting.RainBank Rainwater Systems hasrecently begunconstruction of another 10,000 gallon, sole source, potable rainwater collectionsystem in the Skagit River Basin, which has been affected by the in stream flow rates, along with a well drilling moratorium. The system was also designed by Chris Webb and Herrera Environmental Consultants for a single family dwelling. Again, the system will provide whole house potable water as the only source of water. The house is3500 square feet, so 33.2″ annual rainfall will meet the daily demand for 95% of the days in this model with no change in use. The reality is, that the occupants would decrease usage during times of drought and therefore the 2 – 5,000 gallon cistern volume is considered capable of supplying 100% of domestic use.