rainwater harvesting

The concept of capturing rainwater and storing it for later use is well documented from pre-Roman times and on all major continents.  In industrialized countries (until recently), the practice has died away with the introduction of reliable water supply mains. 

The rainwater harvesting industry in Colorado is at its infancy, and information along with durable and reliable solutions needs to be offered to help regulators, designers and engineers to ensure that its benefits are brought to as wide a market as possible.  The reputation of the industry and its products needs to be safeguarded.

Rainwater can be used for several applications, including:

• Landscaping
• Watering gardens
• Flushing toilets
• Washing Machines
• Drinking water (with proper purification)

Mission Statement

To design, specify and deliver safe and effective supplemental water source systems.

Components

Every rainwater harvesting solution has 8 basic components that are vital to the functionality and reliability of the system.  These components include:

1) Catchment Area

This is the surface on which the rainwater falls.

2) Conveyance

These are the gutters and downspouts connected to your house that bring the rainwater to the collection system. To ensure your collection system is free of debris, we recommend using leaf screens for the entire length of the gutter, which reduces the rainwater harvesting system's maintenance.

3) Vortex/First Flush Fine Filter

The Vortex/First Flush Fine Filter has a fine mesh as small as a 280 microns on its interior that filters out silt, sand and debris, preventing it from entering your storage tank.  This type of filter also provides overflow protection for extreme rain events. 

4) Smoothing/Calming Inlet

The Smoothing Inlet is designed to distribute the harvested rainwater entering the tank evenly by dispersing the water in an upward and outward motion. The Smoothing Inlet is critical to ensure that the stored water is not disturbed when rainwater fills the tank. The Smoothing Inlet design also disperses the rainwater in a motion that facilitates the oxygenation of the entire tank.

5) Storage Tank

The storage tank is the single largest investment for your rainwater harvesting system.  Although there are a multitude of options for storing your collected rainwater, based on these general assumptions of rainfall, to get efficient use and sufficient storage, most homeowners will need more than what a 50 gallon rain barrel on the end of a downspout can provide.  Front Range Precast offers solutions to help store your water- click here to see the different configurations you can use.

6) Floating Filter

The floating filter is used to keep the suction filter clear of any contaminants on the surface or bottom of the tank, drawing the 'premium' water to the pump, extending the pump's life cycle. 

7) Pump

A submersible pump is used to draw the filtered rainwater from the tank for use.  Depending on usage, you can install anywhere from a 1/2 horsepower pump up to a 1 horsepower pump.

8) Overflow

The overflow mechanisms in a rainwater harvesting system sheds excess water from extreme rain events and prevents backwash from entering the storage tank.  In some cases it also skims the top of the stored water to clean the tank.  It also prevents rodents and animals from entering and contaminating the collected water.

Have any questions?  Need more information? 

Please contact our Technical Sales Representative by clicking on the link,

or call our toll-free number: 1-800-783-3207

Sources:

Design for Water: Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment and Alternate Water Reuse.

Rainwater Management Solutions: http://www.rainwatermanagement.com