Author Topic: Rainwater (Read 4721 times)

waterhouse · « **on:** December 28, 2011, 07:34:24 pm »

Does anyone use collected rainwater in their home, and if they do is it treated in any way?

Anke · « **Reply #1 on:** December 29, 2011, 12:40:19 pm »

We built our house 5 years ago and included a rainwater harvesting system, just the most basic one trhat was available. It was just future proofing in case water does get metered at some point in Scotland. We only connected it to all our toilets (3) and the washing machine, plus one tap in the garage. It is not treated, but filtered only. If the tank is empty (or system is not in use) the header tank gets filled from the mains and you won't know any different.

We have found that it doesn't work very well, and the filters keep blocking meaning that the toilets do not get re-filled..., so now we have turned it off and unless/until water gets charged for we just use the mains. (We are in Scotland and have enough rain to not feel guilty about using mains water for flushing the loo and other uses that would not need treated water.) Our toilets have half-fill opions, and we don't have baths, so I think we do not use that much water...

jaykay · « **Reply #2 on:** December 29, 2011, 12:59:30 pm »

My entire house runs on it, though it collects in the beck first

Comes in through a string filter to remove sticks and fish, and then through a UV filter to remove bacteria.
The string filters need changing every quarter or so and the dirty ones pressure washing so they can be reused.

waterhouse · « **Reply #3 on:** December 29, 2011, 01:35:16 pm »

That's very interesting. We also have a basic rainwater harvesting system that feeds loos and washing machines with filtration only. It runs from a 5000l underground tank and a bunch of IBCs to top it up. It sounds like yours too with a built in header tank. Black IBCs are so cost effective.

Trouble is it is surprisingly low tech for a German device. We are metered and have had drought conditions so the underground tank does empty. The header arrangement is rather naf so we find that the pump endlessly cycles until we're driven mad and shut it off. It's also failed once, but just in warranty. Next time it fails we'll change the pump for one with a pressurised header - slow filling loo cisterns mean that each flush needs 4 cycles of the pump. I'm also looking for a simple tank gauge so we know when it's running low.

Any idea where UV treatment stuff can be got

jaykay · « **Reply #4 on:** December 29, 2011, 02:06:58 pm »

It must be common round here as we all have the same sort of system. Will ask my plumber friend (I inherited my system when I moved in)

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #5 on:** December 29, 2011, 03:15:05 pm »

Quote from: Anke on December 29, 2011, 12:40:19 pm

We are in Scotland and have enough rain to not feel guilty about using mains water for flushing the loo and other uses that would not need treated water.

Like you I am in a very high rainfall area and I struggled for a long time to understand the need for water conservation in such a region.

As I came to understand it, the main thing is that the mains water is treated, using chemicals, which process is of itself not green.

It defeats me how we still don't have infrastructure for making sure that treated water is used for drinking, cooking and dishwashing only, nor, as far as I am aware, plans to create such. Surely all new houses should be built with rainwater harvesting and dishwater reuse as a minimum? And new water systems laid with a future clean / unclean system in mind?

waterhouse · « **Reply #6 on:** December 29, 2011, 03:46:57 pm »

It's possible to do but really needs to be integrated into a major scheme because the building techniques are still not mainstream. Look at http://www.p3eco.com/principles.html for a project in Oxfordshire that is underway. You have to follow the green tabs on the right of each page to get the whole story.

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #7 on:** December 29, 2011, 06:50:52 pm »

Quote from: waterhouse on December 29, 2011, 03:46:57 pm

It's possible to do but really needs to be integrated into a major scheme because the building techniques are still not mainstream. Look at http://www.p3eco.com/principles.html for a project in Oxfordshire that is underway. You have to follow the green tabs on the right of each page to get the whole story.

Well I wish them luck and hope the developers won't squash the vision of the eco-planners. If they can get this one to work it should become the model for others, which would be great.

(Such a shame the picture to the caption 'Cattle farming' shows a ewe and lamb!!

And never mind Hi-Viz jackets, the horseriders aren't even wearing hard hats!)