How To Achieve Better Quality Of Rain Water

 

Although summer might yet be a wee way off, rainfall to top up our tanks will gradually lessen over coming weeks and months. Usage will remain the same or become even greater gen-erally through those unaware that simply turning a tap on doesn’t necessarily produce the desired result, thus the need for taking a little more care of this precious commodity becomes more important.

Eric Jansseune of EWA-TEC has an im-portant message regarding the protection of our health in using rain water, as most do in Mangawhai, and also retaining the quality of this precious commodity.

In rural areas of New Zealand it is common to use only rain water for drinking and cleaning, as well as showering and washing. Without proper technology the risks of contamination are quite high and underestimated by many users.

The key words to achieve clean and healthy rain water are ‘preventive technology’. This means that a few components should be installed to avoid sedimentation in the gutter and tank, dis-coloration of the water and to eliminate unpleasant odours. Bacteria can also start growing in the gutter or in the bottom of the tank. Pumps fail because of clogging and produce brown water

when corrosion starts. Some rodents can be attracted by the water in the tank and try to enter the tank via the overflow pipe.

The quality of rainwater is influenced by many factors such as air quality, roof material, location and the equipment used to collect it. Most rain water systems in New Zealand consist only of a tank and a pump and

show ongoing issues with the quality, colour and odour.

To optimise the quality of the rain water, more attention should be paid to the installation and the selection of materi-als that prevent the pollution before it enters the tank. When rainwa-ter systems are correctly installed with some basic technology, health risks and quality problems are eradicated.

The different applications of rain water require a specific treatment to maintain the water quality. Some sim-ple measures and cheap filter components will help harvesting clean water for many years to be used for cleaning activities, irrigation, toilet flushing, and even show-er and bath. For drinking and teeth cleaning we recommend special filters in the water feed line to kitchen and bathroom.

A state-of-the-art rain-water system consists of high quality materials: „ Filters with fine mesh to prevent sedimentation located per downpipe, or centralised underground or inside the tank. „ Pumps, self-priming or submersible in stainless steel, multistage for low energy and dry-run protection. „ Special siphon on outlet overflow of the tank. „ Special calmed inlet to reduce turbulence during heavy rainfall.

Call us to demonstrate the European state-of-the-art technology for rain water use.