My friends at Rainwater Warehouse, a leading provider of rainwater harvesting technologies, asked me to publish this press release about the introduction of a complete line of rainwater harvesting systems and products now available for purchase on their new website. I was happy to oblige since I thought many readers who are green professionals  might be interested in this product line.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, DECEMBER 19, 2011 — Rainwater Warehouse has launched a new website offering a complete range of rainwater harvesting systems and products. According to Principal Jack Burden, Rainwater Warehouse provides a complete range of residential and commercial rainwater harvesting products. The company offers packaged solutions directly to green build developers, builders and homeowners. They also provide commercial grade rainwater harvesting components to builders & owners of commercial properties.

The company offers complete rainwater harvesting systems and rainwater harvesting components with field-tested dependability. These systems include the highest quality components, separating their systems from the likes of those you may find at a boxed retail location. “It is important that you pay close attention to the components that are included in any rainwater harvesting system. Many systems on the market today are made with low quality components; our systems are built to last,” Burden explained.

Featured on the website is the Rainwater Warehouse Deluxe Rainwater Harvesting System, sold with a 300 or 500 gallon tank. The system offers multiple mounting options for downspout, filter and tank placement and boasts of easy installation in fewer than 30 minutes. Included is an overflow system, 3/4″ hose bib, Leaf Beater, 300 or 500 Gallon UV inhibited tank, 1/6hp submersible pump w/ 8′ electric cord and assembly instructions. The systems are turnkey, no additional parts are required.

The Deluxe Rainwater Harvesting Systems are supplied with corrosion-resistant schedule 40 PVC pipe and fittings. “Thinner wall pipes will decay and become brittle after prolonged exposure to sunlight. These systems are field tested to stand up to the sun, lawn equipment and are tamper resistant,” Burden asserted.

The tanks have manways installed at the top which are sealed tightly to prevent accidental death or injury. Molded of food grade polyethylene resin, the tanks have a long term UV package and are suitable for use in or out of direct sunlight. The high impact resin is not affected by warm or cold temperatures. This allows captured water to be used for emergency supply if required,” said Burden.

If you are not in the market for a package system, Rainwater Warehouse also provides individual components and downloadable kit plans for the “do it yourselfers”. They offer a range of products and services including fixed cost design review, the Apex PumpBuddy®, Leaf Beater® and custom made commercial grade downspout filters. The filters come in your choice of aluminum, stainless steel or copper.

Also available for purchase is a decorative downspout filter and a custom decorative pipe sleeves with a special precast footer. The decorative systems can add an architectural element to the home or hide the visible elements of a rainwater harvesting system. “Homeowners can now harvest rainwater without detracting from the beauty of their homes,” stated Burden. “We offer solutions that are not only dependable, but allow the average homeowner to install and use with ease.”

Homeowners once purchased rainwater harvesting systems to decrease their water footprint or save money on their utility bill, but rainwater can also prove to be a useful asset in times of emergency. “Rainwater harvesting systems can prove to be a necessity in the event of wildfire, flooding, drought or other domestic or natural emergencies,” said Burden.

Create peace of mind with an independent, alternative water source using a Rainwater Warehouse Deluxe Rainwater Harvesting System. You will never have to worry about water regulations or drought when you have your own source of harvested rainwater. When you purchase a system from Rainwater Warehouse you aren’t just buying a system, you are buying independence. Rainwater Warehouse provides only the most durable systems and components, field tested and proven to withstand the elements.

All major credit cards are accepted and the team is available to speak to if you have any questions prior to purchase. For more information you can visit Rainwater Warehouse on the web at www.rainwaterwarehouse.com.

How will the 1.1 billion people living in India today cope with climate change? As resources dwindle and weather patterns become more erratic, the country’s rural majority will dive deeper into poverty due to global climate disruption if action is not taken to alleviate the risk. Through rain water harvesting and accessible career training, local forward-thinking institutions are transforming communities to be better prepared for environmental hardships ahead.

A reporter from National Geographic wrote this article about one community that, after decades of suffering from the chokehold of poverty, has become an “incredible example of how rainwater harvesting can create prosperity.” Government environmental regeneration programs have helped villagers install rainwater storage systems,  and this investment in sustainable development is proving highly effective.

"Kamla Devi was Rajasthan's first woman to graduate from Barefoot college as a solar engineer." Photo credit: The Guardian

Elsewhere in India, Barefoot College is training rural women to become green entrepreneurs in an effort to help the country grow in a way that is environmentally responsible. Barefoot College’s low cost, decentralized and community driven approach capitalizes on the potential already present in villages by training the women in skills including solar engineering, healthcare and water testing. Check out this article about one of the College’s success stories,  a 19-year-old, semi-literate woman from a small village who “has broken through India’s rigid caste system to become the country’s first Dalit [“untouchable”] solar engineer.”

It’s a simple idea. Save water, use it later. People around the world have been harvesting rainwater for thousands of years, but the concept is now experiencing a revival in light of water scarcity problems that are caused by global climate disruption.

How it works: While there are many ways to harvest rainwater, it is usually done in one of two ways: the water is collected either from roofs or saved in underground cisterns. Roof catchment systems move the water into a storage container (sometimes underground), like a rain barrel, through pipes or gutters. To see it for yourself, click this link for pictures of the various types of rainwater harvesting systems available. The collected water can then be used for watering lawns, washing cars, flushing the toilet or whatever else you can think of.

A model of an underground rainwater storage system

In India, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have taken an active role in generating the capital needed to build catchment systems. Groups like Jal Swaraj create rain centers that provide information, resources, and training for locals. In turn, these locals present their wealth of traditional wisdom about how best to interact with nature. The NGOs give money or building materials thereby enabling residents to put their knowledge to work and appeasing the water crisis in their area.

Rainwater harvesting is gaining momentum in the U.S as well. Because there are so many rainwater harvesting companies in America nowadays, it is becoming easier and cheaper to buy and/or install rainwater collection devices in your own home. Here are just a few companies to choose from:

RainHarvest

Rain Harvesting

American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association

Water Tanks

It’s really exciting that investing in technology that helps the environment by reusing natural resources is catching on. In Malaysia, the Environment Ministry is encouraging developers to make rainwater collection systems a selling point for house buyers and to stress the point that while these systems might be expensive today, they will save a lot of money tomorrow. Hospitals are in on it, homeowners are in on it, even hospitals and baseball teams (which I will write about later on because that’s an interesting story in and of itself). The revival of rainwater harvesting is essential in times of environmental uncertainty and I can only hope that more people will save and reuse resources in this way.