Rainwater Collection & Harvesting Systems

harvesting systems - design
installation - service

Rain is Living Water.

Rainwater is a renewable, sustainable and a high quality water source for your home or cottage.

It is soft, neutral in pH, free from disinfection by-products, salts, minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants that cause staining, pipe corrosion or smell. As well as being "nature's watering agent" for gardening, disinfected rainwater is an excellent water source for general household use - either on its own or as a supplement.

Rainwater - IS IT SAFE? Absolutely -providing it is collected, stored and disinfected correctly. Today, rainwater harvesting is popular in parts of Europe, Hawaii, and Japan, and mandatory in places like Bermuda, parts of Australia and New Zealand. There are over 250,000 known users in the United States, and a thriving rain collection industry in Texas, Hawaii, Arizona, California and Oregon.

A rainwater harvesting system has four main functions:

• catch rainwater from the roof and gutters
• transport the water through the downspouts and piping
• remove debris and cleane the water
• store the water for its intended use

A rainwater collection and storage system can be as simple as capturing rain in a barrel for gardening or complex enough to include input from an architect, engineer, rainwater specialist and filtration and water treatment specialist.

Catchment of rainwater for outdoor use is quite simple, but even for garden water, care needs to be taken to reduce the amount of debris, i.e. pollen, bird droppings and organics that find their way to the storage tank. These organics can feed summer algae blooms in the tanks that negatively affect water quality and increase system maintenance.

Where rainwater is to be used inside the home, considerably more attention to collection techniques is necessary. This often includes debris catchment devices, gravity filters and the use of a first flush diverter. For indoor use the water should also be disinfected with traditional methods such as chlorine or simple particle filtration and an ultraviolet light. More sophisticated techniques that don't require a lot of water for maintenance are available through water treatment specialists such as Tiger Purification Systems.

An increased commitment to ongoing operation and maintenance and seasonal cleaning schedules is also required to ensure healthy, safe water. A well-designed rainwater system will provide clean, safe water for your home or cottageSome tips for designing an effective rainwater system are described towards the end, but first let's look at whether rainwater harvesting will meet your needs.

Next - How much rainwater can I collect & will rainwater work for me?

Mail:
Box 3-3
Thetis Island, BC V0R 2Y0
Canada

Phone: 250-246-2155
Fax: 250-246-2175

E-mail: info@rainwaterconnection.com