Increasing numbers of people are turning to Rainwater Harvesting due to concerns over water supply, enforced hosepipe bans, escalating mains water costs and climate change. As well as providing the opportunity to save substantial amounts of money, rainwater harvesting also reduces dependence on the relevant water utility for water supply.
The rainwater harvesting process is essentially the collection of filtered rainwater from roofs and its storage, normally underground, for re-use as and when required. With water usage for everyday essentials such as washing machines, toilets and gardens accounting for up to half of domestic water usage the potential savings in water rates are significant and with costs likely to continue their upward trend these savings can only grow. More importantly, the total dependence on mains water is diminished and the small but collectively very significant drop in mains water usage enables us to conserve what is rapidly becoming a precious natural resource.
The concept behind most rainwater harvesting systems is relatively simple. Significant expertise is required, however, to ensure that the required benefits are achieved.
Rainwater is collected from the roof and is normally processed by a cross-flow filter located in the neck of the tank. This filter removes any debris that may be present. An overflow management system is also built in to ensure that flooding cannot occur. For larger areas an external filter is available according to the catchment area.
Water storage:The size of water storage tank or system is a critical element in the design. All StormMaster systems have built in calming inlets to ensure that water quality is optimised. For domestic systems they also have the filtration units located within the neck of the storage area.
Submersible Pumps:A range of submersible pumps is available typically delivering upwards of 4.5 cubic metres of water per hour. The precise type and configuration of pump will depend upon the rainwater harvesting system requirements.
Control Units:The complexity of the StormMaster control units will depend upon the system being installed. Typically, however, the following functions will be included as a minimum.