Rain Water Harvesting

	DESCRIPTION The concept of capturing rainwater and storing it for later use is certainly not a new one, although in industrialised countries, until recently, the practice had largely died away with the introduction of reliable mains-supplied water. With the ever-growing demand for water (and subsequent increases in cost), and the increasingly erratic weather resulting in more frequent and severe droughts and floods, the UK market demand for rainwater recycling systems is on the increase - mirroring what has already taken place in other industrialised countries. A system will generate significant environmental benefits through reducing mains water demand and reducing storm water run-off. Depending on average rainfall for a particular area and the size of the catchment area, usually the surface area of the roof, a well-designed rainwater harvesting system can be expected to meet up to 40% of a property’s water needs. The water harvested is filtered and suitable for all non-potable purposes from watering the garden (rainwater is, unsurprisingly, particularly beneficial to plants), washing the car, flushing the toilet and running the washing machine. The only cost in running a rainwater harvesting system is the pump, which in a typical domestic installation will cost around 5-10p per week. The resulting savings on mains water can mean that a domestic system can be expected pay for itself in around 10-15 years, and commercial installations in even less time. In addition, with water bills expected to rise 10% a year for the next five years then the payback period will be reduced further. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Rainwater is soft and therefore ideal for use in washing machines as it will not result in a build-up of limescale within an appliance, shortening its lifespan. An additional benefit in hard water areas is that less detergent is required, which means less pollutants released into the environment. Additional UV filtration can be added to bring up to drinkable standard if desired, although a typical rainwater harvesting system will probably not provide a sufficient quantity of water to meet all household needs and UV treatment adds significantly to the cost. MAINTENANCE A typical system and all its buried components can be expected to last an extremely long time and are easily replaceable if need be. There is also minimal maintenance - just a quick rinse of the filter under a hosepipe once a quarter or so. Back to full range

DESCRIPTION

The concept of capturing rainwater and storing it for later use is certainly not a new one, although in industrialised countries, until recently, the practice had largely died away with the introduction of reliable mains-supplied water. With the ever-growing demand for water (and subsequent increases in cost), and the increasingly erratic weather resulting in more frequent and severe droughts and floods, the UK market demand for rainwater recycling systems is on the increase - mirroring what has already taken place in other industrialised countries. A system will generate significant environmental benefits through reducing mains water demand and reducing storm water run-off.

Depending on average rainfall for a particular area and the size of the catchment area, usually the surface area of the roof, a well-designed rainwater harvesting system can be expected to meet up to 40% of a property’s water needs. The water harvested is filtered and suitable for all non-potable purposes from watering the garden (rainwater is, unsurprisingly, particularly beneficial to plants), washing the car, flushing the toilet and running the washing machine. The only cost in running a rainwater harvesting system is the pump, which in a typical domestic installation will cost around 5-10p per week. The resulting savings on mains water can mean that a domestic system can be expected pay for itself in around 10-15 years, and commercial installations in even less time. In addition, with water bills expected to rise 10% a year for the next five years then the payback period will be reduced further.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
Rainwater is soft and therefore ideal for use in washing machines as it will not result in a build-up of limescale within an appliance, shortening its lifespan. An additional benefit in hard water areas is that less detergent is required, which means less pollutants released into the environment.

Additional UV filtration can be added to bring up to drinkable standard if desired, although a typical rainwater harvesting system will probably not provide a sufficient quantity of water to meet all household needs and UV treatment adds significantly to the cost.

MAINTENANCE
A typical system and all its buried components can be expected to last an extremely long time and are easily replaceable if need be. There is also minimal maintenance - just a quick rinse of the filter under a hosepipe once a quarter or so.

Back to full range