Rainwater Harvesting
In the UK approximately 100,000 litres of rainwater falls on the average 4 bedroom detached property in a 12 month period. Thats a lot of water which just ends up down the drain. According to the environment agency we use an average 161 litres of mains water per person per day. For a family of four that’s a staggering 235,000 litres a year. We can’t stop using water - but we can stop wasting it!
According to Thames Water’s usage chart we use 8% of this water for clothes washing, 7% outdoors and 24% for toilet flushing. That equates to 39% or 91,650 litres of water per year. The amazing fact is that this 91,650 litres of water does not need to be mains water. i.e. it does not need to be “wholesome’ or fit for consumption. Thats where Rainwater Harvesting fits in. All of this none wholesome water requirement can simply be provided by the water that falls on the roof. If you further factor in the natural softness of rainwater, then you reduce the need for chemical de-scalers and reduce the need for chemical detergents and fabric softening agents among other things.
There are several different types of Rainwater Harvesting systems available, generally they are direct or indirect. A Rainwater Harvesting system usually consists of a large underground storage tank, that rainfall is diverted into and thus harvested. It is then pumped into a building “directly” to services as required. Or it is pumped into a building and into a small storage tank. From here it is piped to services as required, this is known as “indirect”. Both systems have mains water back-up so that if a rainwater store runs dry, there is always water available for use.
The average domestic RWH installation costs approximately £5,000 installed. Costs are affected by type of system used, size of property and location of equipment and services. It also depends on the amount of ground works required too. Correctly sized it will provide all of the household washing machine, toilet flushing and garden water requirements, complete with automatic mains water back-up.
This reduces household mains water consumption, cuts costs and cuts carbon emissions, saving money and the environment. It can give a property a higher score on its energy performance rating and help achieve a higher level on the code for sustainable homes.
We can provide a complete installation service from start to finish, as experienced installers as well as Registered Heating Professionals (RHP) and Registered Plumbers (RP) with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers (CIPHE). We have full Public Liability Insurance and guarantee all our work, parts and labour for 12 months.
We are experienced installers and we Specify, Design, Install and maintain our domestic RWH systems to best suit your individual situation and requirements.
For further independant consumer advice and information please see:
www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/greenerbuildings/sustainablehomes
