Fresh water is an increasingly scarce and expensive resource, and with droughts becoming more frequent in many parts of the country the supply of fresh water is by no means guaranteed. Continued housebuilding coupled with changing rainfall patterns results in greater demands on our water infrastructure, and hosepipe bans now seem inevitable for future years.

For many everyday uses we don't need to use expensive purified drinking water.

Rainwater can be collected as it falls onto roofs and stored for use in the home or garden.  This saves the huge amounts of energy used to pump water from deep in the ground.

Since rainwater isn't treated it's great for garden watering and irrigation.

Reasons for harvesting rainwater :-

• Reduced water costs - rainwater is free!
• Low Emboddied Energy - saves pumping water from deep underground.
• Immune to hosepipe bans - water your garden all year round.
• No minerals - no limescale, increased appliance life and reduced cleaning.
• No Chlorine - ideal for fish tanks or ponds.

Where can rainwater be used? 

Rainwater collected from roofs is ideal for use in:

> Washing machines

> Toilet flushing 

> Garden watering

Rainwater is suitable for use in homes, in commerce, public buildings, and in industry.

Domestic Water Usage Chart from the UK Rainwater Harvesting Association

Please note - as filtered rainwater is not sterilised we can not recommend it for drinking, bathing or cooking use.

Rainwater is suitable for any non-potable water uses.

How to collect rainwater

Rainwater can be collected and stored safely using a 4 step cleaning system:

With good planning and the right components a rainwater system can be largely maintenance free.  The rainwater quality is ideal for many uses in both the home and the workplace. A professional system will use a 4 cleaning step system:

1. Filter The first cleaning step in the rainwater system is the filter.  The rainwater flows from the roof to the filter.  Here dirt particles and debris are separated from the water. The cleaned water flows to the tank. The dirt is washed to waste or soakaway. There are many different filters, suitable for different roof areas, with various working principles and connection possibilities to allow for their use in many different installation situations.
2. Calmed Inlet By using an underground tank, the water is stored in dark and cool conditions. The second cleaning step takes place at the bottom of the storage tank. Any fine particles in the stored water settle to the bottom of the tank. The rainwater Calmed Inlet prevents any disturbance of this sedimentation layer. At the same time the Calmed Inlet ensures that oxygenated water is introduced to the lower layers of the stored water in the tank.This oxygen rich water prevents anaerobic bacteria colonising in the storage tank - ensuring that the water stays fresh.
3. Overflow Siphon Any particles that are lighter than water (e.g. flower pollen) float slowly to the water surface. Well designed Overflow Siphons, with a skimming effect, removes any floating particles. Regular overflow from the storage tank is important to get the optimum water quality. It prevents souring of the water. The floating layer could otherwise build up over time, and so reduce oxygen diffusion at the water surface, which in turn could lead to anaerobic reducing conditions in the tank.
4. Floating Pump Intake The Pump Intake floats at all times, suspended just below the water surface where the cleanest water lies.  From this position the cleanest water is extracted by the pump.  A ball float, filled with air, suspends the intake, which has a further filter and a check valve to prevent backflow of water into the tank.

Green Roofs

The rain yield from green roofs is 30-50% and whilst it can sometimes be a bit discoloured it is still suitable for toilet flushing and garden watering. 

Building a house?

Rainwater harvesting can help in obtaining planning permission by demonstrating a more sustainable design with lower carbon footprint, lower demand on already over-subscribed water pumping stations, and lower stormwater drain loading via the attenuation of runoff water during heavy rainfall, which also reduces flooding.

For barns, field shelters, etc, rainwater can be collected at the point of use. Producing instant saving over the cost of installing pipework over distances.