PRODUCTS USED
Poor well water quality spurred a Virginia vacation residence owner to look for alternatives to a traditional water well for the potable water supply.
Faced with elevated iron levels in area well water needing multiple filtration units and water softeners to make water palatable, the homeowner decided instead to install a rainwater capture potable water system that includes an Infiltrator IM-1760C Potable Water Tank. Designed by Rainwater Management Solutions, the system provides a clean steady supply of water at a rate of 15GPM without the groundwater quality worries.
“We found the two-piece tanks easy to assemble and were extremely impressed at the tank construction and reliability. We plan to incorporate these tanks into our product line.” -TJ Smith, Rainwater Management Solutions
The potable water tank was installed downhill from the home so that the rainwater from the downspouts gravity flows to the tank. Sewer and drain pipe was placed in trenches from each downspout towards the tank and directed into one single line feeding the WISY WFF 100 filter. After drilling holes in the tank, the four-inch smoothing inlet, ½ horsepower pump, and multifunction overflow device were placed in the tank. Tank overflow runs down the hill to daylight. Pipe and electrical wire for the pump runs from the tank to the home through the purification unit that includes UV light, sediment filter, and carbon filter to bring the water to a potable standard. The water then moves into the pressure tank. The rainwater is connected from the pressure tank with the main water supply line for the home.
The UV light disinfects the water, eliminating any need for chlorine. All of the water used in the home comes from the rainwater harvesting system. An existing well on the property supplies water for lawn irrigation and outside uses.
The total cost of the rainwater collection and reuse system was around $7,000 making it considerably less than the potential cost to drill a new well on the property.