As rainwater harvesting is becoming a more popular choice for stormwater management and runoff reduction, additional features are becoming available to allow for monitoring, report generation, and managing systems from a website interface.Just like many stormwater treatment systems, sometimes rainwater harvesting systems are forgotten about because

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) stores rainwater for reuse to supply non-potable uses like irrigation, wash water, toilet flushing, and laundry.  During long dry periods the demand will drain the storage cistern down to a critical level where the pressurization pump(s) will need to shut down to prevent dry run damage.  Make up water is typically a

Bioretention Part Three: Lessons Being Learned – Siting Issues and Inlet DesignNot done with siting issues yet, maybe this becomes five parts?   One issue on siting and design is the hydraulic grade lines.  Recall from your road drainage days the equations that were used to space catch pits and throat openings?  The equations allowed for you to

As a volume based stormwater control measure, bioretention systems are providing beneficial use in that they reduce runoff volumes and peak flows. In areas where combined sewers are an issue, bioretention can reduce CSO frequency while increasing evapotranspiration and helping with groundwater recharge via infiltration processes. Common design

Most people do not think about how they get the water they use; they just turn on the tap and the water is there. The same holds true for rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems. Most people understand there is a cistern that collects and holds the harvested water. But what they may not realize is that with every large scale RWH system there is a

Using harvested rainwater is not new, it has been in practice for thousands of years (3000 B.C., and may be even earlier).  But we have something that wasn’t available back then; the ability to disinfect rainwater to make it safe for human contact or ingestion.  Harvested rainwater can be safely used outdoors and indoors if the correct steps are

At about 2.5% of the total water volume on the planet, we’ve always had roughly the same amount of freshwater.  Unfortunately, it seems that, at the local level, the amount of fresh water made available through precipitation is increasingly erratic, with the last year featuring historic floods in the eastern US and historic drought in the west.  In

All stormwater systems need to be maintained to continue operating effectively, and rainwater harvesting (RWH) is no exception. Unfortunately, many owners do not care that their stormwater BMP is not functioning due to lack of maintenance. Maintenance of RWS systems is critical for owners that depend on their continued operation and associated

There are a wide variety of cistern materials to choose from. Because they are often smaller in size, residential systems offer more options, but not all will scale to tens of thousands of gallons in a cost-effective manner. This article focuses on commercial and institutional scale projects where storage requirements are thousands of gallons and

As the need for effective stormwater treatment and volume control grows, so does the number of available stormwater control measures (SCMs) such as filtration systems, hydrodynamic separators, bio-retention  systems, green roofs and pervious pavement. As part of their due diligence, engineers go through an evaluation process to determine if the

Factors Impacting Rainwater Harvesting ROI When you mention a commercial rainwater harvesting system (RWH) to an engineer, developer or owner, one of the first questions you get is “what’s the ROI?” Return on Investment and Net Present Value vary widely depending on specific project variables and there is no one correct answer.  The three largest

After the first part of our four-part Rainwater Harvesting webinar series, Rainwater Harvesting as a Runoff Reduction Tool, participants had the opportunity to ask our Rainwater Harvesting experts questions.We didn't have enough time in the hour to answer all of the questions, so we are posting them here so that they are available to all. These

After the first part of our four-part Rainwater Harvesting webinar series, Rainwater Harvesting as a Runoff Reduction Tool, participants had the opportunity to ask our Rainwater Harvesting experts questions.We didn't have enough time in the hour to answer all of the questions, so we are posting them here so that they are available to all. These

After the first part of our four-part Rainwater Harvesting webinar series, Rainwater Harvesting as a Runoff Reduction Tool, participants had the opportunity to ask our Rainwater Harvesting experts questions.We didn't have enough time in the hour to answer all of the questions, so we are posting them here so that they are available to all.These were

A rainwater harvesting cistern is comprised of many components. Our experience is that some of these components are often overlooked, which can negatively impact water quality. Here is our list of the top five commonly missed rainwater cistern components and why they are important .1. Calming InletThe calming inlet reduces the velocity of water

 This short video explains how rainwater harvesting is a logical and feasible approach to managing stormwater runoff, citing example usage for a typical commercial office building.Current engineering practice divides management of drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater. A typical commercial office building may average 3.1 million gallons of

1. IrrigationIrrigation is the most common application for harvested water. Treatment requirements are lower, which makes the harvesting system simpler, and the demand can quickly drain the cistern to make room for the next storm event. However, relying solely on irrigation for net-annual runoff reduction is rarely enough. In most locations, there

Water is necessary for economic growth, a healthy environment and vibrant communities for future generations. With gridlock in Washington and broken budgets at all levels of government, it may not seem like the right time to make broad changes in water management policy. But change is happening and the catalyst for that change is stormwater