Rainwater Harvesting | UK Rainwater Harvesting Systems Suppliers

Rainwater Harvester System for Domestic & Commercial Use

The basic principles of rainwater harvesting is to conserve mains water consumption, and, conserve natural resources. The water collected by the system can be utilised to flush toilets, water gardens and supply home appliances, for example a washing machine.

They can be installed in domestic homes or commercial (business) premises and public buildings. In practice an average household can save up to 50% of their domestic water consumption by investing in a rainwater harvesting system. A rainwater harvester system is flexible in meeting the demands of any project or development including small homes to large commercial buildings.

A system can be installed relatively easily, dependent on site conditions. Usually a harvester can be installed underground, if this is not possible, then the roof of the building would be another option to consider. A suitable storage tank to collect rainwater is required. For example, for a typical four bedroom home would collect water to keep a 5000 litre tank topped up for a whole year.

What is meant by "Payback Time"?

Quite simply the payback time is determined by your initial outlay for your chosen renewable energy option (the hardware and installation costs) verses the time it takes for your savings in energy costs to pay for the green energy solution you have chosen for your project. Thereafter, you begin to save money on your utility bills. A typical low cost solution for home energy generation is a domestic wind turbine for your home, as the initial costs are lower than say the installation of solar panels or a ground source heat pump, these installations may take longer to pay for themselves. It is worth considering seeking specialist advice for any renewable energy option to determine if the solution is the right one for your needs.

The rainfall collected by run-off from roofs is stored in a tank until it is required for use. When there is demand for water it is pumped to the point of use, this action negates the use of the mains water supply. In some areas water demand has begun to exceed supply, this has brought about some localised flooding in certain areas of the country. Rainwater recycling, or greywater recycling can help alleviate local flooding and reduce demand for mains supplied water.

How It Works

Rainwater is collected from the roof of the property, through guttering and downpipes, to a storage tank, the water is filtered at this point. A submersible pump is used to deliver the rainwater under pressure (for high demand), or if this is not required, a normal header tank can be used.

Sizing The Storage Tank

This is determined by considering the amount of rainwater you wish to store, this depends largely of the roof area and your local annual rainfall, in addition consideration should be given to the amount of water to be consumed on the premises. This is determined by the buildings occupancy and facilities that are likely to demand water.

Reasons for Using Rainwater Harvesting

It can displace a large amount of water that would normally be provided by the mains supplied water, this can help reduce the cost of using mains water. In remote rural areas it can be useful as a backup for off-mains supply. In the case of the code for sustainable homes, having such a supply meets the code standards for water supplies. As part of a rainwater management scheme it improves stormwater run-off, and can improve the flow-rate off the site location. Rainwater harvesting is growing in popularity, and local authority planning departments encourage the use of such systems.

Types of Rainwater Harvesting Systems

For House and home domestic systems; they can also be expanded to include Garden/irrigation systems. Can be used for commercial applications for large commercial premises. Greywater recycling systems. Compliance with the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM standards.

Rainwater Harvesting Systems and Greywater Recycling

Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Commercial and Public Buildings

Systems are now being installed in buildings used for multiple occupancy, commercial, and public sector buildings, including offices, local authority buildings, schools and hospitals. When constructing extensions to property they can be easily installed.

For commercial purposes, commercial property's often have a large roof area, by collecting this rain water and recycling it for use as an aid to supplement mains water usage, this is particularly useful in buildings with high occupancy levels, and can make a substantial saving on main water consumption. In addition such building owners may qualify for the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme, allowing tax concessions and subsidy for capital equipment with a short payback period.

Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Drinking Water

For larger dwelling houses, it is possible to upgrade rainwater to a full tap water drinking standards, this can be achieved using carbon filtration and ultra-violet sterilisation methods to enhance the quality of the water.

Building Design Products

The current design of buildings should encompass the environmental principles whilst maximising the sustainability and practicality of the building for the owner. There are many specialist consultants available in this field, find out more about Sustainable Homes.

Find companies for Building Design Products

Further information about Environmental Building Design Products

Funding & Grants

Please note that some of the entitlements may change due to varying legislation, and Government sponsored schemes. See also Home Energy Saving Grants.

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The Old Filling Station
Great North Road
Great Ponton
Grantham
Lincolnshire, NG33 5AQ
Tel: 01476 530302

Installers and Microgeneration Scheme MCS accredited contractor for biomass thermal and biomass CHP (combined heat and power) technology, Biomass Wood burning boiler heating systems, automated pellet boilers, Log multi-fuel Boilers, specialist heat distribution for homes and commercial business premises. Rainwater harvesting system specification, supply and installation services available. Also provide a range of residential, commercial and industrial Air Source Heat Pumps for heating and cooling applications. Members of the (REA) Renewable Energy Association Assurance Scheme.

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