Water, Water Everywhere.... Never mind saving for a rainy day. How about saving for a dry one?

1. Water, Water Everywhere.... Never mind saving for a rainy day. How about saving for a dry one?

2. Archeological evidence show rainwater capture 4000 years ago • Ruins of cisterns built as early as 2000 BC are still standing in Israel.

3. Rainwater • Renewable, sustainable high quality water source • It is soft, neutral in pH • Free from disinfection by-products, salts, minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants

4. IS IT SAFE? Absolutely -providing it is collected, stored and disinfected correctly.

5. Rainwater Harvesting System Four main functions: • catch rainwater from the roof and gutters • transport the water through the downspouts and pipes • remove debris and clean the water • store the water

6. Rain Harvesting Systems As simple as capturing rain in a barrel for gardening

7. Or Complex from architects, engineers, and filtration/water treatment specialists Requiring input from

8. Types of systems • Full: no other source of water,total house system • Partial: back up well or city water: gardening, flushing toilets, laundry • Occasional: seasonal, gardening

9. Collection Techniques Above ground outdoor are Simple: • reduce the amount of debris, pollen, bird droppings or organics from getting into the barrel. • Protect the barrel/tank from UV • Control access to mosquitoes

10. For Indoor Use More attention and commitment Debris catchment devices and filters First flush diverter Pumps and piping Filters and disinfectants Maintenance and seasonal cleaning Testing

11. How Much Water Do I Need? Start by looking at your water practices. Are there ways to conserve water on a daily basis?

12. Indoor Water Conservation Average Indoor Water Use • Toilet flushing - 40% • Bathing - 32.5% • Laundry - 17.5% • Cooking / Dishwashing - 10%

13. Water Saving Appliances • Water saving appliances pay for themselves in 1 or 2 years because they reduce the size and the capital cost of the cistern (ie. less water needs to be stored). • Water-saving appliances • Faucet aerators and efficient showerheads • Low water use dishwashers and washing machines • On-demand hot water units • Composting toilets.

14. Toilets Low flush toilets lower indoor water use by as much as 15% & pay for themselves in a year.

15. Toilet Reuse of Grey Water

16. Summer Outdoor Water Use • 1 watering can = 3.3 gal. • 3 ft. shrub in hot weather (1 week) = 7 gal. • 18 in. pot in hot weather (1 week) = 1.8 gal. • 40 deck pots – drip water (1 week) = 50 gal • 1 sprinkler full flow (for 1 hour) = 240 gal. • Car washing (1/2 hour) = 120 gal. • Pressure washing (1/2 hour) = 40 gal.

17. Decision #1 What do you want your system to do?

18. A few basic considerations before you get started: • Annual Monthly Rainfall • Catchment Size • Tank Size • Cost

19. Portland Monthly Average Participation

20. Catchment Size How much rain will my roof collect? • Measure the perimeter of your roof then calculate the area as if the roof were a flat surface (like a floor plan)  

21. Measure the roof ignoring the angle of the roof. Length x Width gives us the square footage. 20’ x 50’= 1,000sq. Ft. 20’ Wide 50’ long Bird’s eye view

22. Calculate Potential Catchment Portland annual rainfall: 45.83 in per yr (or 3.82 ft) Roof Area 20’ X 50’ = 1000 sq ft 3.82’ of rain/yr X 1000 sq ft= 3820 cu.ft. 3820 x .80 = 3056 cubic ft. (assuming an 80 % efficiency of collection)

23. 7.5 gallons = one cubic foot • 3056 cubic ft x 7.5 gal./cubic ft = 22,920 gallons per year

24. SkyJuice Table

25. How Much Water Do You Use? To determine the size of the tank and how much water you will need, you must calculate how much water your household uses in a day.

26. Indoor Water Use • Most homes use 50-60 gallons per person per day. • Conservation minded households use 35-40 G/P/D and some are as low as 25-30 G/P/D.

27. To Calculate How much your family uses, here are some of the factors: Total Number of People in the Home

28. Bathroom Showers: Number of showers. length of showers, flow rate (gallon per minute of the shower head) Baths per week, amount of water in tub

29. Toilets: Number of time each person flushes, gallons per flush Faucets: times per day to shave, brush teeth, wash hands and minutes per use

30. Dishes/Laundry Dishes: how many dishes do you wash by hand, minutes water run with each wash, times dishes washed by dishwasher, times used per week, gallons per load (15 normal) Laundry: loads per week, water per load (55 gal normal)

31. Outside Water Use Lawn or garden watered times a week, minutes watered Other uses: wash Car, fill pool, rinse furniture, clean equipment minutes per week

32. Water Use Calculator • Found on the web • Allows you to enter all of your data and gives you the gallons per day used by your family

33. So, let’s say you conserve water and have 4 members in your family. 4 x 30 gal per person = 120 gallons a day for the whole household. 

34. What size of tank does your family of four need? Using rainwater as your primary water source, you need to consider how much of a reserve your household will require.

35. With an average of 3 inches per month, we still need to consider the possibility of a 50 day drought. 120 gallons per day x 50 days of drought = 6000 gallons

36. If you want the full home system, the tank needs to be 6,000 gallons. All indoor use systems share basic components and considerations.

37. Roof Material • Gutters and Downspouts • Roof Washing • Storage tank • Distribution System • Filtration • Installation Costs

38. The Roof • Non toxic and inert (non leaching.) This is particularly true of the roof that is subject to the oxidizing affects of sun and air borne pollutants. Avoid lead flashings around sky lights or plumbing vents.

39. Water Quality Water quality varies dependent on: • Type of roof material • Climate conditions • Surrounding environment

40. Water Quantity The quantity of rainwater that can be collected is also a function of roof texture. The smoother the better.

41. Metal Roof Most common roofing material used for rain catchment is galvanized metal that has been painted or enameled with a non-toxic material (lead free).

42. Other surfaces may be used if they do not contain lead, zinc coatings, or copper. Acceptable roofing also includes slate, reinforced concrete, cement tile, and terracotta tile

43. Asphalt Shingles • Asphalt shingles produce less water and are harder to keep clean. • Beware of the shingles that contain moss inhibitors for bathing and drinking.

44. Cedar Roofs Water collected from cedar roofs is acidic for plants and is impractical for indoor use.

45. Gutters The most common gutters are one-piece, baked aluminum gutters. Half-round vinyl is also excellent.

46. Gutters and downspouts must be lead, zinc, and copper free

47. Areas where the water can pool collect insects, organic materials and bacteria. Think of a gutter as a river - not a wetlands or swamp.

48. Gutter Guard + Keeps some debris out -Protects the debris that collects in the gutter from the sanitizing and self cleaning of sun and wind.

49. Debris Traps • Clean the water before it enters storage • A small leaf trap and cleanable pipe systems to catch the larger heavier debris may be all that is required.

50. Downspouts Anything from non-copper chains to traditional aluminum downspouts can be used to get the water down from the gutters