Russell griffiths Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Ok so I've just read through the other thread on rainwater harvesting and I have my opinions. So the reason this has just come up is the company carrying out our flood risk assessment and rainwater mitigating measures has suggested we tell the planners we are going to flush the karzie with rain water as it will give our GREEN build a bit more clout. Now personally I think this is a load of BS and don't agree with the whole water reusing thing at all. So so the real question is did anybody use water harvesting in your planning to gain a few brownie points or do you not think it carries any weight. Cheers fed up russ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Yep ... using 3 buried IBCs and a pump when I put them in ... total cost about £350 I think, commercial systems start at £2k.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 We did, stuff the Brownie points. And (sod it he beat me to it), I'm copying @PeterW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alphonsox Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 From personal experience they laugh at you In Northern Ireland if you suggest it........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 Don't understand @recoveringacademic Do you mean it gained you brownie points or not to bother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 I am not concerned to gain Brownies. I like them, but at my age it doesn't matter.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Like @recoveringacademic I decided it wasn't worth it if you pay £2-3k for a system which is essentially a roto moulded tank with a pump in it, a filter and a level controller. Most of the commercial ones use some sort of diverter to ensure there is no chance of cross contamination between supplies, and have an air gap to ensure that any potable supply that is used to top up the system cannot back siphon. Filtering is the key and I plan to filter at 4 places - gutters will have leaf guards/hedgehogs in them - downpipe gullies will filter out the smaller stuff and allow settlement of some other crud - floating pick up filter in the tank to ensure whats piped up to the pump is as clean as possible. - 5micron and activated carbon 10'' filters in the garage prior to the pump to finally clean the water. I had considered also using an a tank based ozone bubbler to disinfect the water but tbh it was too much hassle and I will just shock the tanks occasionally with pool tabs. Tanks will be linked at the bottom with ordinary 25mm MDPE fittings onto the IBC outlets and the pump will have a floating pickup in tank 1 where the rainwater will also enter - sounds counter intuitive but means that tanks 2&3 become pure storage and the movement of water between the tanks at the bottom will keep the MDPE clear of crud. As I'm in Anglian Waters supply zone this will all be going in after the build is signed off - whilst it's all fine and above board, AW ask for the make and manufacturer of any RWH system and I don't want to get into a bun fight about whether I've met a BS ... The system as designed meets it, but I can see them adding more hoops and tbh the infrastructure for it is going in but it won't be commissioned until Post connection and sign off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 5 hours ago, PeterW said: [...] and I don't want to get into a bun fight about whether I've met a BS ... [...] I'd missed that one. Thanks. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 @recoveringacademic let me send you the calculation spreado that I've got that's got the correct calcs and the BS numbers on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 @PeterW, I look forward to your missive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted February 8, 2017 Author Share Posted February 8, 2017 Not sure if we have strayed away from my original point i dont care for rainwater harvesting and actually think it's a crock. But if I say I'm going to have it will it keep the know nothing planning fools happy ive done some rough sums and it won't cost a fortune so willing to tow the line if they think it's important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundtuit Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 I can't get rainwater harvesting to stack up either. Unless I'm mistaken, 3 IBC's worth of Anglian Waters finest costs £4.61 (plus sewerage rates if you're on mains sewerage, but I'm not). Even at PeterW's diy cost of £350, that's 75 full re-fills to break even. I haven't got into the detail of weather patterns, but I suspect that frequently when it's when it's 'wet season', you don't benefit so much as the tank is already partially full, and when it's summer, you have to supplement with mains water anyway. Maybe greener to buy the water, and in doing so, contribute to the running costs of your water suppliers industrial-scale rainwater harvesting system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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