My Global Garden » rainwater harvesting

Catch the rain

Debbie — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:18:59 +0000

The South East is exepcting a stormy and wet night with a severe weather warning issued by the Met Office and up to 8cm (3in) of rain expected to fall as well as fears of flash flooding.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/aug/22/severe-weather-southern-england

With heavy rainfall it is a good time to think about the value of harvesting some of this precious resource:

Rainwater harvesting in the UK has increased by approximately 300% in the last two years
Rainharvesting can replace up to 50% of a household mains water consumption, and up to 85% on commercial installations
Collecting rain from your roof reduces surface water by approximately 60% per plot
Rainwater harvesting in Germany is over 100 times the current use in the UK
The payback period can be as quick as 3 years on buildings with large roofs and a high non-potable water demand

http://www.revolutionpower.co.uk/rain_water.php

http://www.kingspanwater.com/

http://www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/

Rain arrives but not for Spain

Debbie — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:00:07 +0000

The rain finally arrived in the SE of England last night after almost a month of drought. As I sit writing this blog there is a sheet of very heavy rain refreshing all my plants and no doubt bringing sighs of relief from gardeners everywhere.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/7884027/Heatwave-at-an-end-as-rain-arrives.html

Heavy rain is great for filling water butts - up to 4inches is predicted in some areas this week. According to the Low Carbon Diet, installing a rainwater butt can save 0.6kg of CO2 per year - equivalent to a three mile drive in your car and up to £200 off your water bills.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jan/21/observermagazine.ethicalliving

The UK currently uses 70% more water than we did 40 years ago and this is rising all the time. In the recent hot weather up to 70% of domestic water may have been used in the garden.

Spain may be the holders of the World Cup but they are not doing so well with their rainfall. Barcelona sometimes has to ship water into the city using huge tankers when their reservoirs are only quarter full.

Gardens in Barcelona are being planted with artificial turf to beat the city’s water crisis. Its a drastic way to beat the drought but maybe UK gardens will have to consider replacing our precious lawns. http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=82397

Water usage is crucial in Southern Europe due to exceptionally high temperatures and low rainfall in the past ten years.This is an issue that many more countries in Europe might have to deal with in the not too distant future.

It is possible to have a lawn in our changing climate if you follow a few simple rules: http://www.globalgardening.org/uploads/pdf/lawn_care.pdf

Summer water turns to gold

Debbie — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:10:02 +0000

Summer gardening has just taken on a new dimension this week with the announcement by my local water authority that they are going to charge more for mains water during certain months. Southern Water is to be the first utility company to charge extra to supply water to more than a million customers from 1st June to the end of September.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article7042133.ece

A wiser way to use the water we have is to harvest the rain. ?That would mean that we don’t have to rely so heavily on the profit generating water companies in the first place!

Rainwater harvesting is a simple and really effective way to do this .It is also an ancient method invented by the Romans and there is a real need to educate people about how useful it is.If you are not sure what rainwater harvesting involves then read this useful Q&A page:

http://www.savetherain.info/media-centre/rainwater-harvesting-faqs.aspx

There are many different systems that offer a range of features to help you harvest and store collected rainwater efficiently PLUS save you money.

RAINWATER HARVESTING SAVES UP TO 50% ON DOMESTIC WATER BILLS

Connect with rainwater experts who can offer advice on everything from choosing the right system, installing it in your home to making sure you use it efficiently.

http://www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/

www.rainharvesting.co.uk/

http://www.greensteps.co.uk/sc/rainwater-harvesting/75

http://www.rainwaterharvesting.biz/

http://www.biggreensmile.com/departments/rainwater-harvesting.aspx?deptID=RAINWATER&gclid=CKzzmqCl2JoCFRIgZwod0FYL2w

http://www.h20-group.co.uk/Rainwater_Harvesting.php

http://www.etills.com/

http://www.ecofirst.net/Rainwater-Harvesting.asp?gclid=CJSVudWl2JoCFQMFZgodbgo62Q

Harvest that rain water

Debbie — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:55:20 +0000

Water is one of the most important infrastructure issues in the world today. Population growth, environmental concerns, drought conditions and the restriction of sufficiently large fresh waterways close to metropolitan areas have driven the necessity to find alternative solutions.

Water availability per person is decreasing (Figure 1), while water withdrawal per person is increasing (Figure 2). In its simplicity, demand is up, supply is down as this chart shows:

Figure 1: Water Availability Per Capita*	Figure 2: Water Withdrawals*

Rainwater harvesting is one way to renew our incessant demand for a regular water supply - this may have been prefected by the Romans but it appears that Americans are way ahead in realising the value of this simple system as the environmental effects of climate change begin to take hold.

In Seattle, budget constraints and rising water prices have spawned the construction of rainwater harvesting systems. Utilities have recommended changes to the land use and building codes that encourage water conservation. SPU has also sponsored some wildly successful sales of rain barrels to Seattle residents.

Chicago encourages its citizens to disconnect downspouts. In addition, Chicago’s Water Agenda 2003 included a rooftop garden initiative, a pilot program for permeable alleys, and rain gardens planted in the City’s rights-of-way.

Austin offers rebates of up to $30 for newly installed rain barrels and of up to $500 for installation of rainwater harvesting systems, following design approval by the City.

The 10,000 Rain Gardens Program in Kansas City is an example of regional efforts to educate and introduce water conservation to the Kansas City community. Rain gardens are areas of vegetation on porous ground that can filter and drain excess storm water. Kansas City officials encourage their residents to plant these gardens on their own property.

Over the border in Canada, The City of Toronto Downspout Disconnection Program offers a free service to homeowners to disconnect downspouts from the sewer system and install rain barrels which are available at a discount.

Find out more about the effectiveness of Rainwater Harvesting on this informative site

http://www.waterresourcesgroup.org/wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Make_a_Rainwater_Harvesting_System#History_of_Rain_Water_Harvesting

Water is a free and valuable commodity that we should use more effectively.

Maybe the UK government should demonstrate their commitment to the environment by introducing council tax incentives that encourage homeowners to use rainwater systems instead of handing big profits to the Water Authorities.

Let me know your thoughts on this soggy issue?

Rainwater harvesting - Indian style

Debbie — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:10:49 +0000

If climate change means more monsoon style rain then rainwater harvesting will need to become part of everyday life. This amazing video shot in India sums up the simplicity of rainwater harvesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWnhYIIKY0U

We need to harvest rain for our gardens but in India the rain provides food needed to survive.

Find more info and where to buy rainwater systems:
http://www.myglobalgarden.com/blog/where-can-i-buy-a-rainwater-harvesting-system

House sales affected by rainwater?

Debbie — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:41:48 +0000

If you want to make your house more attractive to buyers in the current market then try this as an idea:

INSTALL A RAIN-WATER HARVESTING SYSTEM

According to a UK survey, sponsored by Save the Rain a significant proportion of homeowners (1 in 3) would be more likely to buy a house if a rainwater harvesting system was already installed. With the increasing amount of rainfall falling from the skies over the UK this is a serious option that many sellers might like to consider to beat the current storms in the housing market.

A rainwater harvesting system will also save you money in the future as many of the water companies are threatening to put up their water rates by up to 60% over the next five years.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1043365/Householders-hit-1-000-water-prices-set-soar-60.html

A major reason for installing a rainwater system is that it will help the environment by saving billions of water and prevent flooding which is now a serious threat to many homes in the UK. Not to mention the benefits of having harvested rainwater for your plants on tap when the next drought arrives - seems hard to beleive at the moment but it will!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM?

It comprises a storage tank which can be buried under garden or path, drive or patio which collects water from the roof, filters off leaves and other debris and then stores it. Then, when you flush the toilet or run the taps, a pump in the tank comes on automatically.

The system holds about 3 weeks worth of water, depending on the size of the building. The tank can be topped up by the water mains in case of drought as it should not run dry. If the tank gets too full after heavy rain, an overflow pipe discharges the excess to a soakaway.

A rainwater harvesting system starts saving you water immediately, and will do so for many years, with minimal upkeep and maximum reliability.There is a very useful website which identifies key questions that you might now be asking about rainwater harvesting systems such as:

Answers can be found at: http://www.savetherain.info/media-centre/rainwater-harvesting-faqs.aspx

Or check out the UK Rainwater Harvesting Association at: http://www.ukrha.org/

Sun then rain offers silver lining

Debbie — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:12:13 +0000

Yesterday, I visited a glorious garden near Lewes in East Sussex where the blossom on the trees looked simply stunning in the sunshine - it was truly magical as you can see from my photo above.This was the culmination of 10 days of truly spectacular weather with temperatures reaching 19c and literally no rain.

Today, I awoke to more typical April showers - the blossom will really suffer in the rain. So will the more tender plants that some gardeners may have been tempted to plant outside when it was warm and sunny last week. They are in for a bit of a shock - its down to 10c and 5c forecast for tonight.

The delights of english gardening!

Time to think about how rainwater harvesting is increasingly important for our gardens as we experience less regular rainfall patterns like this.

Read these interesting articles by the UK Rainwater Harvesting Association which explains more about this subject http://www.ukrha.org/articles/7

Check out Freerain who specialise in designing, supplying and fitting a range of rainwater harvesting systems http://www.freerain.co.uk/

Marcus Fox from Freerain is a rainwater harvesting guru who has provided this introduction to inspire you to seriously consider the value of a domestic or business rainwater harvesting system. The initial costs may seem high but, the pay-back will last forever - extreme winter rainfall is here to stay!

Marcus writes his own blog which has excellent practical and technical advice:

http://rainwater-harvesting-systems.blogspot.com

Or ‘wet’ your appetite with:

Rainwater harvesting is not a new practice, but since the introduction of
clean and reliable water supply during the Victorian period the practice of
collection your own water fell out of practice.
In Germany rainwater harvesting is much more common and they as a country
have been leading since the 1970s. In the UK a few companies including
Freerain Ltd have been supplying a range of systems and together these
companies formed the UK rainwater harvesting association. One of the
associations aims is introduce standards in to the industry. A new British
Standard is due to be released in the next few months which should help to
reduce the number of poorly designed and in some cases illegal systems.

A well designed rainwater harvesting system should always include a filter,
either on the downpipe(s) or an underground inline filter. This prevents
too much organic matter entering the storage tanks and protects the pump
and/or blocking of hoses and spray heads. For storage volumes larger than
about 1000 litres, the system really should be underground, this is in part
due to the aesthetics of having a large tank above ground around the house.
Importantly, an underground storage tank is more expensive to install but
they have several advantages. 1) It’s much easier to get the water in the
tank and through filters using gravity. 2) The water is kept dark and cold,
reducing the rate of algal growth and bacteria.
Other aspects of a system should include a calming inlet which allows the
water to enter storage smoothly and helps to retain oxygen levels and
promote good (aerobic) bacteria.
It is important that a system is sized to overflow a few times a year, this
helps to remove a scum layer from the tank and helps circulate the water. A
tank which is too large is not good, for two reasons. 1) The customer will
be buying capacity they will never fill and secondly, the water quality will
be much lower as the it will be turned around quickly enough.

Performance

A domestic system can supply around 50% of the demand for an average house
and substantially more for other applications such as gardens. This of
course depends on the available collection area (roof), the local rainfall
and the efficiency of the collection system.
We are often asked about how we calculate the system of tank, especially by
gardeners. They are sometimes concerned that we are advising small tanks
compared to their proposed usage. But it actually rains significantly about
every 18 days in the UK and even during hot periods, an hours thunder storm
can replenish the tanks very quickly. It’s important to give adequate
coverage, but it is not worth chasing every single last drop.

Costings (underground)

A domestic system (for WC flushing, washing machines & outside tap use, with
mains back-up) you will need to spend around £2000-2700 + VAT supplied
A garden system for garden use only, from about £1400 + VAT, supplied.

Installation costs vary and really a domestic system should be considered by
new-build projects or complete refurbishments. This is because it is
necessary to amend both drainage and internal plumbing and if this is in an
existing house, then this will prove costly. For a planned new-build, I
would budget around £800 for the installation.

Rainwater Harvesting means business

Debbie — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:25:07 +0000

Thought I would continue with the issue of water conservation as I feel passionately about this subject.

The Government has introduced more incentives for businesses to install Rainwater Harvesting systems . The message seems to be working as there are an increasing number of new buildings and rennovations using Rainwater Harvesting as an effective and cost-efficient method of providing water.

An excellent example of this is the Kings Cross International Terminal which has its own system located underneath the station. This was installed by Rainharvesting Systems based in Gloucestershire http://www.rainharvesting.co.uk/

The return on these systems is excellent which could mean that more companies will consider Rainwater Harvesting as an option for cutting costs in the uncertain economic climate. Articles like this from htt p://www.businessgreen.com / help to create a different mind-set in the business world.

Government urges businesses to collect rainwater

Rainwater harvesting systems estimated to deliver payback within three years, with rebates available on initial investments

The government is calling on businesses to consider installing rainwater harvesting systems on roofs and other open surfaces as a means of cutting their mains water costs.

Government-funded agency Envirowise is seeking to promote wider adoption of the technology and is highlighting the availability of an incentive scheme that allows firms to claim rebates on all investment made in rainwater collection systems in the first year of installation.

http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/uk/Topics-and-Issues/Water.html

Claire Sweeney, water specialist at Envirowise, said that water collected from roofs, car parks and other open areas can be used in all kinds of areas that use mains water, such as toilets, cooling systems and appliances.

“In general, businesses will not need to treat the water unless its for drinking or food preparation and the tax breaks can mean the scheme is a worthwhile investment,” she said.

According to Envirowise calculations, some versions of the technology can deliver a return on the initial investment within two to three years.

The amount of water that can be collected depends on the size of collection area and the size of storage tank installed, but any supply can always be backed up from the mains in the event of drought.

As well as helping save on water bills, rainwater collection systems can help improve
the overall BRE environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) performance for a building, which may help increase the attractiveness of the building to tenants or potential buyers.http://www.breeam.org/

Leicester City Council has reduced the volume of mains water used at Humberstone Golf Course by 20 per cent through the installation of rainwater harvesting for irrigation. The project is expected to deliver a return on investment within five years.http://www.leicester.gov.uk/housing/PDFs/HumberstoneGolf.pdf

Met Office to forecast rain much earlier

Debbie — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:22:14 +0000

With the UK at increasing risk of monsoon rainfall due to climate change, the Met Office is channelling a large proportion of its£10 million research programme in 2008 into finding ways of predicting extreme rainfall - this time last year the UK received the largest combined rainfall since records began in 1766.

A new computer modelling system will now provide multiple “what if” forecasts of how weather might develop over a period of time. Whilst the Met Office has always been able to pick out possible extreme events - severe weather warnings - they were less able to calculate how likely they were to occur until a relatively short period of time before.

Flooding is now a huge issue for many parts of the UK and this early warning system should help the emergency services to evacuate more people from their homes and help to reduce the level of insurance claims - last years floods caused £3 billion of damage.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7453522.stm

Having our rain fall in buckets highlights the importance of rainwater harvesting systems for our homes. Research suggests that a third of all home buyers are more likely to buy a house if it has a rainwater harvesting system. Check out these excellent sites to source one for your home and to use the rain water in the garden: http://www.savetherain.info/

http://www.freerain.co.uk/

http://www.rainharvesting.co.uk/

http://www.envireau.co.uk/