Even if you're in a area with high precipitations and your water supply is connected to the public water system, a rainwater harvesting or wastewater recirculation system is an investment that will pay for itself over time, especially if you use the water for gardening and other outdoor activities.

Rainwater harvesting implies collecting water from the roof in tanks and storing it for later use. Harvesting can be in a barrel, an above ground tank  or an underground tank. We discussed the types of water storage tanks in the article What are water storage tanks, types and applications!


The rainwater harvesting system can be well set up, so that every ounce of water drained from the roof is captured and then used in conjunction with pumping systems to supply the house, garden irrigation system, etc.

Or it can be classic, collecting it in an above ground water barrel or tank, which when filled will direct the rest of the water to the drain.


Traditional vs. modern system

The traditional rainwater collection system refers to barrels, which have a capacity of approx. 200 litres, and are simply placed under the gutter.

 

The classic system includes water storage tanks with a capacity between 750 litres and 3000 litres. Of course, the capacity can be much higher as some of these water storage tanks can be connected to each other. The water collection system should be designed to collect as much water as possible. Classic tanks are usually placed outside, and are fitted with drain valves to refresh the water in the tank.  Suppliers such as Fortis, Roth, CEMO, offer cylindrical and rectangular tanks of various capacities, which can also be adapted to each company or household needs.


 

The underground water storage system requires a previous installation project, because underground water tanks have large capacities, large sizes, require digging, therefore it will be difficult for the user to dig a large hole in the garden after the lawn and flowers have grown.

As the water in these tanks will stagnate longer, a filtration system is needed, to prevent bacteria to grow, insects to develop, etc.

Roth comes up with a solution for those interested in underground water storage tanks. Roth's product range includes underground tanks of various capacities: 1000 - 10,000 litres, cylindrical shapes, filtration and pumping accessories, the whole range is designed to collect rainwater and use it for outdoor activities.


 

Rainwater harvesting requires a responsibility. It's not enough to place a tank under the gutter, it requires minimal maintenance to have a clean tank and water suitable for gardening. So here are some guidelines on how to clean them.


How to clean an aboveground water storage tank?

Ideally, water tanks should be emptied and cleaned every 6-9 months.

Procedure: You should leave a small amount of water in the tank and use a special brush to clean the inside walls. Rinse the tank with filtered water and let it dry.

Add water and chlorine or special cleaning solutions as indicated on the packaging and leave for 24 hours, then empty the tank down the drain.

Rinse the tank thoroughly so that no traces of chlorine remain, let it dry and reconnect it to the collection system.


How to clean an underground water tank?

An underground water storage tank has no problems related to season and low temperatures and do not need to be cleaned as often. Manufacturers estimate cleaning every 4-5 years, but it can be done even sooner if contamination or algae are observed.

Cleaning is done in the same way as for an aboveground tank, but note that when draining chlorine solution from an underground tank, you must bypass the septic system.

Underground water storage tanks also need a water pumping and management system that constantly checks the volume of water in the tank, so if there are cracks, you can find out about them early.

 

Do you need a pump to use the water stored in your tanks?

Small capacity water storage tanks or barrels, do not need a pump. Using this type of tanks limits water use to the area near the tank, but it's a simple system that doesn't need electricity to operate.

If you want to use water collected in large above ground or underground systems in your household, then you need a pump.


Can rainwater become a source of drinking water?

Dust particles and air pollution constantly affect rainwater, so it is not recommended to drink it without prior analysis and filtration.

Also water collected from roofs, especially in urban or industrial areas, absorbs pollutants from every surface: dust, pollutants, bacteria, pesticides, bird poop, which will combine and end up in the water tank along with the rainwater.

The formula of this collected water differs from time to time, but regular testing with special instruments will help you discover what kind of contaminants you are dealing with and you will be able to choose a water filtration and purification system if you want to turn your collected rainwater into drinking water.

There are various treatment methods depending on the type of contaminants: reverse osmosis system, carbon filters, ultraviolet purification, chlorine, boiling, etc. In some cases you may need to use more than one method to purify water.

You may wonder whether it is worth the effort to filter water, but consider that there are areas where people rely heavily on rainwater harvesting to supply their household water needs.


How is rainwater used?


If you live in an area with little pollution, and filtering and converting rainwater into drinking water is easy, then you can consider yourself lucky because you can use it for all your household processes.

If it can't be used for human consumption, then you can use it for sanitation or irrigation.


The most common uses of rainwater are:

Hydration and cooking if the water is properly treated and filtered

Washing, laundry and toilet flushing

Watering the garden

Irrigation of agricultural crops

Filling swimming pools, ponds

Washing cars and other household items

Water source for watering animals

Industrial uses such as water source for fire fighting systems.



 

Is it legal to collect rainwater?


It may seem strange to you, but in some countries there are restrictions on water harvesting because municipalities use rainwater to supplement public water supplies.

Massive collection could cause an imbalance in nature in terms of lakes, ponds, rivers, etc.


Of course, this danger does not yet exist in Romania, but given climate change, annual droughts, desertification in certain areas of southern Romania, it is necessary to find alternative sources of water in addition to the main public source, to secure your water needs and to reduce water bill costs.


In the next blog article we will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of rainwater storage.

Until next time, please imagine, if you run out of water for a week, how does your life change? Do you have other sources of water?


Don't hesitate to contact us to find out more about the water storage tanks in the Eurial offer.