Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is one of those simple concepts that reminds us of old-fashioned sensibilities. Basically, it entails the collection of the rainwater that falls onto a roof, the storage of that water and its utilisation for domestic purposes.
The water is collected by normal roof gutters then passed through a filter to remove dirt, leaves and other debris picked up from the roof, gutters or down pipes. The filtered water passes into a storage tank.
Filtering is an important part of the process as any decaying organic material that remains in the water will consume oxygen through microbial action possibly making the water putrid. The storage tank should be sized to ensure occasional overflow. This will have the effect of skimming floating organic material from the surface of the water. Heavy particles will fall to the bottom of the tank where they will form a negligible layer.
Water is pumped from the tank by means of a submersible pump with a floating filter, thereby drawing the cleanest water from just beneath the surface of the water.
A mains water connection is also necessary to provide a top-up as and when required.
The harvested water can be put to many purposes. Through filtration it is particle free and is suitable for most domestic applications ~ toilet flushing, clothes washing and garden usage. Under certain circumstances it may also be suitable for human consumption although the water will require analysis and further filtration, pH correction or UV sterilisation may be required.
System maintenance is minimal, the filter will need to be cleaned 4-6 times a year. More complex systems that utilise pH balancing or UV systems will need additional maintenance.
If you enjoyed that post, then read these...
Rainwater Harvesting ~ 'If Only...' on August 29th, 2008
I'm not in the habit of giving advice (well at least not until recently), but the one regret that I have (well in addition to...
Solar Water Heating on March 13th, 2008
Solar water heating systems use energy from the sun to heat water for use in the home.
Photovoltaics on April 21st, 2008
Photo = light & voltaic = electricity
Photovoltaics is a technology that utilises light to generate electricity.
Heat pumps on October 9th, 2008
Many people visiting this site are looking for information about heat pumps, being one who believes in giving the people what they want I thought...
Pellet Stoves - a current evaluation on March 5th, 2008
I feel like I've somewhat misrepresented pellet stoves in the past.
Posted in Systems of interest | 1 Comment »






