Greetings, I live in central New York. I have plumbed my house to use rainwater for flushing. I have held off finishing the driveway for 1 yr in order to incorporate a rainwater colllection system. But I can’t find anyone who can/will install the entire system. Many people will sell me the parts and pieces, but I need someone to make sure it works. Can anyone recommend a vendor?
Answer
Richard,
In order to use rainwater for flushing toilets in your house will require you to install a rainwater processing system.
I’m not sure from you question, but is it you intention to use the water which is collected on your driveway?
- I would not recommend this method of harvesting since it is prone to sedimentation runoff and high amounts of organic material.
- Consider using only the water collected from you roof and if possible install a standing seam metal roof to minimize debris from entering your storage tanks.
Being that you are in New York, you will have to bury your storage tanks or locate them indoors to protect from freezing.
Consider a greywater system
Also, due to the winters and freezing you may consider installing a whole house greywater system which reduces the water usage by 30%.
- This type of system reclaims the runoff from showers, laundry and baths.
- It is filtered, treated and pumped to the toilets.
Setting up your system
Prior to the inlet on the tanks you will need to install a “First Flush Diverter”. This will allow the first minute of rainfall to bypass the storage system allowing debris and organic matter to pass by and not contaminate your storage tanks.
Contact Brac Grey Water Systems, they manufacture a variety of grey water and rainwater filtration systems for residential and commercial applications.
Their systems can be installed by any qualified plumber.
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