A Greywater Recycling Systems, like the AQUALOOP System for example, can produce hygienic and clean water from shower, tub and bathroom sink, which can be reused.
(image: BRANZ)
The potential saving by recycling greywater can be up to 40% of potable water in a domestic environment. The AQUALOOP is not only saving potable water, but also sewage, as water which normally will be discharged into the sewer system will be reused, therefore saving twice.
The modular system can be used for small domestic dwellings and for commercial projects.
The AQUALOOP system has a NSF and BS certification, the only system that has achieved it so far.
It works with a tertiary treatment:
- coarse filtration
- aerated treatment
- membrane filtration (membrane life expectancy up to 10 years)
and eliminates 99.9999% of all bacteria and 99.7% of all viruses.
More info from:
Aloaqua Ltd
email: [email protected]
web: www.aloaqua.co.nz
]]>
Potable Water from Rainwater System
Rainwater collected from the roof of the house is pre-filtered via a PURAIN filter and collected in a 10000 ltr tank. The integrated AQUALOOP water treatment system micro filtrates (0.2 micron) the rainwater and transfers it to a separate 500 ltr holding tank. The speed controlled RAINMASTER FAVORIT SC 20 pumping and control unit supplies the house with the micro filtrated rain water and maintains a pre-set pressure in the line. The unit will switch over to mains supply if not enough rainwater is available and back to rainwater if it has rained again, all by itself. Thus only using the mains water supply that is required. No tank top up!
All the potable water supply, regardless if it is filtered rain- or mains water is treated with a UV system, thus eliminating any bacteria or viruses that could enter via the mains supply.
Greywater Recycling System
The bathroom greywater is pre-filtered and collected in a 500 ltr tank. The integrated AQUALOOP System is treating the greywater, breaking down organic compounds, micro filtrates (0.2 microns) the water and transfers it to a seperate 500 ltr holding tank.
A RAINMASTER ECO 10, pumping and control unit, supplies toilets, the washing machine and an outdoor tap with recycled bathroom greywater, thus saving up to 40% on potable water.
This AQUALOOP system is the one of many greywater system in Christchurch , Auckland, Queenstown, Tauranga etc, etc. the only NSF/ANSI 350 Class C certified system on the market.
Membranes have a life expectancy of up to 10 years with minimum maintenance requirements. The system was also tested by the Rainwater Harvesting Centre at Massey University Wellington. It is modular and can be sized from small domestic up to big commercial applications (life style, hotels, motels, camping grounds, swimming centers, laundries, office blocks, gyms etc, etc.).
What is rainwater harvesting and how does it work?
Rainwater harvesting is the capture, storage and use of rainwater. Anybody can do it and it can be designed and customized to suit the needs of the user (potable water from rainwater for example).
There are several types of rainwater harvesting systems, the following three are the main ones:
In-situ rainwater harvesting refers to the capture of rainwater where it falls. This system is useful in agricultural production systems where micro-catchments are used. For example Zai Pits ( Wikipedia Zai-Pits).
Run-off catchment is another rainwater harvesting system. Rainwater running of surfaces is channeled through pipes or trenches and collected in storage structures like tanks, ponds, swales (Wikipedia Swale ) and dams, to be used at a later stage or for attenuation and/or infiltration.
Then there are roof catchment systems. These involve capturing rainwater from roof tops and storing it either above or below ground tanks made from plastic, concrete or metal.
Some facts:
- In New Zealand around 10% of the population depend on roof collected rainwater.
- ~ 18% of total water consumption is used for flushing the toilet (domestic).
- ~ 23% of total water consumption is used for the washing machine (domestic).
- ~ 41% ( probably more if you add garden irrigation and outdoor use) of total water consumption could be covered by rainwater
- ~ 27% of total water consumption is used for showering (domestic)
(Watercare)
- Average water consumption per person in New Zealand 227 liters / day (Learnz). Water consumption varies quite significantly between the regions (Queenstown Lakes District Council 416 liter/day)
Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting
1. Low-cost Maintenance
You really don’t need to invest much money to keep the systems going. Purifying the water is not necessary if you don’t intend to drink the water.
2. Lower Water Bills
You can use your collected rainwater for flushing toilets, washing your clothes, and watering the garden. This’ll help in keeping your water bills to a minimum. (Sample system)
3. Great for Irrigation
Rainwater is pure rainwater without any added chemicals into it so you can make sure that this is reliable for irrigation. (Sample System)
4. Reduces Ground Water Demand
As our population increases, so does the demand for water. In many areas, we are reliant on dams, rivers and aquifers for our water sources.
5. Reduces Soil Erosion and Floods
By collecting rainwater, you can minimize the likelihood of flooding around your home and reduce the load on the council stormwater system.
6. Multi-Purpose
You can use rainwater in flushing down toilets, washing your cars and motorcycles, and etc. (Sample System)
Disadvantages of Rainwater Harvesting
1. Unreliable Rainfall
Rain doesn’t fall every day making it hard for you to collect some daily. However, for example, Auckland and other part of the country does not suffer from this compared to other centers.
2. Starting Costs
If you choose to have a rain harvesting system, then the time to implement these systems is when you are building your home as the additional costs are recovered quicker. Allocating funds for a system installed in your home is money well spent and will add value to your home.
3. Chemical roof seepage
Some roof coatings may contain harmful chemicals so it is advisable to talk with one of our consultants first to ensure your roof meets the guidelines.
5. Storage limits
There is a practical limit to how much water you can store on your property and is often limited by your section size and appropriate locations for the tanks . Especially in winter, the rain captured will be greater than the capacity of the tank. Rainwater tanks have to be designed to deal with this situation and to release the excess water to the council stormwater system in accordance with council requirements.
Rainwater Harvesting is a win-win situation for building owners, councils and the environment.
We can give you advice what systems will suit your needs and what is involved.
www.aloaqua.co.nz / [email protected] / + 64 3 2600 589
]]>
Every dwelling, domestic and commercial, should have a rainwater harvesting system! Here's a quick overview what is required in terms of material in order to use the water inside the dwelling for flushing toilets, the washing machine and for irrigation.
By the way, the Homestar rating system offers up to four points for dwellings which reduce the consumption of potable water in and around the dwelling through the collection and use of rainwater.
Apartment developments are also rewarded for incentivizing conservation through individual metering of each dwelling. A water calculator is used to estimate the percentage of household water demand able to be met with rainwater:
Standalone and Terraced Dwellings
(1)
The dwelling has a rainwater harvesting system with a minimum connected roof catchment area of 30m2 per dwelling, connected to a tank with a minimum rainwater holding capacity of 500L per dwelling, with at least one connection to a tap for outdoor water use.
0.5 points
The rainwater harvesting system is connected to and can meet all or part of the water use demand from, laundry, outdoor water use, toilets and dishwasher.
Up to 3.5 points
Apartments
(2)
The development has a rainwater harvesting system with a minimum roof catchment area of at least 30% of available roof area, connected to a tank with a minimum rainwater holding capacity of 5000L, with at least one connection to outdoor water use and /or common area water use.
0.5 point
The rainwater system is connected to and can meet all or part of the usage demand from, laundry (common or individual) and / or toilets and / or dish washing in every dwelling where points are claimed.
Up to 2.5 points
Each apartment dwelling has a separate water check meter that enables each apartment to be billed separately for its water use.
1 point
Rainwater Harvesting System 1
(up to 3.5 points for standalone and terraced dwellings)
In-ground or above ground tanks possible (not included in the below mentioned price)
Material required:
- RURAIN filter DN 100 4. Suction hose 1/2” 5 meter
- PLURAFIT calming inlet DN 100 5. Wall bushing DN 100 (if required)
- Floating suction device ½” 6. RAINMASTER Eco10
Tank sized according to requirements and space available. Different shaped tanks and colors available.
RAINMASTER ECO comes with mains water top up connection and switches over to mains water if the water level in the tank reaches a critical low.
Budget Price (supply only): NZ$ 2,425.- + Gst + Freight (tank not included)
Rainwater Harvesting System 2
(up to 3.5 points for standalone and terraced dwellings,
Apartments up to 2.5 points)
In-ground or above ground tanks possible (not included in the below mentioned price)
Material required:
- PURAIN filter DN 100 4. Pressure hose 1” 5 meters
- PLURAFIT calming inlet DN 100 5. Ground bushing DN 100 (if required)
- Submersible Pump set MULTI-05 6. RAINMASTER D24 fill-level indicator
Tank sized according to requirements and space available. Different shaped tanks and colors available.
A drinking water top-up switches on automatically for periods of shortage and supplies the cistern or tank to a set level.
Budget Price (supply only): NZ$ 2,645.- + Gst + Freight (tank not included)
Please note:
This is a guideline only; bigger pumping units might be required, dependable on the size of the house, number of apartments, toilets, washing- and dish washing machines.
Contact: ALOAQUA Ltd, [email protected] www.aloaqua.co.nz
phone: +64 3 26005879
Aloaqua Ltd, "Conditions of Supply and Sale" apply and are available on request.
]]>
Rainwater harvesting (also called roof-water harvesting or - collection) involves the collection, storage and distribution from the roof, for use inside and outside the home or business.
How can Rainwater be used?
For most rural communities rainwater is the only supply of water for human consumption, around 15% of New Zealanders rely on it for all requirements - drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, toilet flushing through to watering the garden. This also applies for other communities around the world.
Nowadays, even when mains or reticulated water supplies are available to communities, many people choose to use rainwater that is collected from the roof and stored in tanks to supply their water requirements.
Rainwater is an ideal source for our water requirements and momentum behind rainwater harvesting is building.
Rainwater is a safe and sustainable water supply.
Rainwater that is captured and stored correctly is a safe, economical and sustainable source of quality water. Safety measures can be applied to the manner in which rainwater is captured, stored and dispensed. In fact some people argue that rainwater is safer than water supplied through mains or reticulated water systems.
Mains water is typically stored in buffer-tanks or dams, treated with chemicals such as chlorine or fluoride to kill of bacteria and make it "safe", and then pumped through a network of pipes throughout the community.
It makes sense to catch the rain that falls for free without chemicals.
Main benefits of using Rainwater.
Significant economic, social and environmental benefits can be achieved by using rainwater.
By using a Rainwater Harvesting System to supply water for some, or indeed all of your requirements, you can reduce you dependence on mains water. Our water supplies and qualities are falling and water restrictions are in place in many communities to reduce our overall water usage and protect our supplies.
There is no better quality water available naturally then rainwater, Some say there are health benefits by using rainwater which is not treated with chemicals like most of our water is.
Rainwater falls for free - once you have installed a Rainwater Harvesting System, you use less mains water and can reduce tour water bills. City - and Regional Councils will increase water prices as they look to recover the true costs of providing water to the community.
The cost to the community to supply mains or reticulated water services is becoming more expensive every year. The construction of dams, pipes, and treatment plants is huge and ultimately as tax and rate-payers, we foot this cost.
Rainwater Harvesting reduces the significant dame to our creeks , water habitats and organisms caused by stormwater runoff.
Systems and products for Rainwater Harvesting.
ALOAQUA Ltd. designs, supplies and installs a range of rainwater harvesting products and systems. From garden irrigation to micro filtration, using proven technology from Germany.
]]>
Tanks have arrived on site and have been craned into their position.
Another AQUALOOP combined Greywater Recycling and Rainwater Harvesting System in Christchurch pretty soon.
"Quakes reinforce need for emergency water supplies" MASSEY UNIVERSITY
Water shortage is now a major problem in the quake-affected towns along the Kaikoura coast, and while a small rainwater tank will provide drinking-water needs only, a larger harvesting and treatment rainwater tank could easily provide all of a households needs during an earthquake or other natural disaster.
The first truck to make it into Kaikoura after the 7.8M earthquake that struck on the 13th of November was a water-truck! Now making round-the-clock trips to replenish the town's water supply from the Kaikoura reservoir, which has been restored with only a very limited supply.
This should be a wake-up call for people in town centres who have become overly reliant on reticulated water supplies, who live on or near fault-lines, or who are facing contamination issues due to poor maintenance / pollution. Water is an absolute priority, and it is up to each household to ensure they are water secure.
It is easy to install and operate a safe rainwater utilisation system. While Dr. Stan About from the Roof Water Harvesting Centre notes that contamination can be a problem, we have reliable solutions to deal with this - without resorting to chemicals. Our organic membrane-filtration rainwater treatment system provides one of the safest bacteria-free solutions for rainwater harvesting and general water utilisation throughout your whole home.
Be resilient and self-sufficient! Have your own safe water supply.
Rainwater can provide safe and sufficient water in New Zealand and the Pacific. The potential of using rainwater effectively remains largely untapped, especially in urban/town areas, where water safety is a growing issue.
At the same time, rainwater harvesting is not new. In fact, it has been practiced for many centuries: it is the collection and storage of rainwater for multiple use services. overall, it can be used for domestic purposes like flushing the toilet, washing and drinking or productive activities like irrigation. (Click Here)
Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable alternative to other water supply options. It is economically viable, socially compatible and environmentally friendly.
Water harvesting reduces pressure on ground and surface-water sources and it can replenish groundwater sources. In the light of climate change and increasing pressure on natural resources, rainwater harvesting can play a significant role in reducing and overcoming water scarcity. ( Click Here )
Do you want to know what the potential of rainwater harvesting can be in your building project?
Do you want to learn more about different rainwater harvesting technologies? (Click Here)
Contact Martin Pfaff at [email protected]
]]>
Have you ever wondered whether or not it's safe to drink rain water? The short answer is: Yes!
Here's a look at when it's not safe to drink rain water, and what you can do to make it safer for human consumption.
When You Shouldn't Drink Rain Water
Rain passes through the atmosphere before falling to the ground, so it can pick up any contaminants in the air. Now most of NZ is pretty safe in regards to contaminants, but it's not a great idea to drink rain water falling near chemical plants or near the plumes of power plants, paper mills, etc.
Rain Water That Is Safe for Drinking
Most rain water is safe to drink. Actually, rain water is the water supply for much of the world's population and around 15 - 20% of New Zealander are relying on it.
The levels of pollution, pollen, mold, and other contaminants are low -- possibly lower than your public drinking water supply. Keep in mind, rain does pick up low levels of bacteria as well as dust and occasional insect parts, so you may want to treat rain water before drinking it.
Making Rain Water Safe
Roof
If you intend to build, select a roofing and gutter material that is neutral, non toxic and easy to clean. If you have an existing roof have a look at it and your gutter, a painted roof could leach out toxic components, asbestos is a no go. More info regarding roofs available from the following website: http://www.level.org.nz/water/water-supply/mains-or-rainwater/harvesting-rainwater/
Filtration and Water Treatment
We recommend to pre-filter the rainwater before it enters the tank. Leaves and coarse particles will be hold back, thus minimizing the build-up of sediment on the bottom of the tank. A calmed inlet to avoid that the incoming rainwater is disturbing the sediment is also a must.
PURAIN PR100 Rainwater Filter
A ultra filtration system treats the water further and ensures that the treated rainwater is safe for consumption.
AQUALOOP Water Treatment System
Eliminates 99.9999% of all bacteria and 99.7 of all viruses, 0.2 micron filter (0.0002mm), life expectancy 10 years.
The AQUALOOP System was tested by Rainwater Harvesting Centre at Massey University in Wellington. No e-coli and coliform passed the filter even with high amounts of them.
In general is it easy to make your rainwater potable, we have the right knowledge and gear for it. Having a system like this ensures that you have a water supply that is without chemicals, bacteria and available in emergency situations.
More info under:
https://aloaqua.co.nz/collections/rainwater-harvesting-systems
]]>