30,000 gallon modular, underground rainwater harvesting system

[ikambor]

i would hope that you would build a sand filtration system and pass it through it before that water makes it to the cistern otherwise you'll have an e coli stew in there before long

[iws2004]

@ikambor Since this system collects rainwater from the roof of the building, there will be a surprisingly low amount of bacterial pollution. In the tests we have performed on cistern water quality, the bacterial counts in the cistern water are very low. This is due to the fact that you only have birds that could be adding ecoli to the roof surface. If this system was collecting runoff from the ground or parking area, then you run the chance of higher bacterial pollution.

[philiphall2010]

would it be possible/feasible to do something 1/10th the size of this (say 2.5-5k gallon) for residential irrigation use? we live in an area where water costs are high especially for irrigation, and we also happen to have some pretty bad water retention issues. i have calculated the npv of our expected irrigation water bill for the next 5 years is in the order of $5000.

[iws2004]

@philiphall2010 You must certainly can install a small storage volume using this system. The material cost of a 2.5k gallon volume would be around $4,000. You would need add cost for the excavation and backfill, the collection pipes from your downspouts, and a pump system to use the rainwater for the cistern.

[iws2004]

@545Krinkify The system units can be stacked. The shortest unit is 1.5' tall and the tallest is about 7' tall. It needs about a 1' or so over cover over the system. I would not put this under a house. If you want to put a tank in the crawlspace of your house, you would want to look at a Rainwater Pillow (search online).

[iws2004]

@545Krinkify Hopefully you have a large backyard because at 30,000 gallons, this is a very large cistern.

[davetileguy]

Wierd why not build cinder block walls poor a concrete roof? or rill with gravel?

[iws2004]

@davetileguy This block system provides a 95% void space ratio while well-graded gravel would only provide about 35% void space ratio. Gravel may be cheaper, but with the additional void space, the block system will harvest more rainwater over the life of this system.

Building an underground concrete structure can be very expensive. There are many things to consider with an underground structure. This block system makes underground rainwater storage very easy to deploy.

[EarthREALTOR]

Yes, all the residential and commercial developments create so many large rooftops and large concrete and or asphalt footprints- impermeable surfaces- rain collection catches that water that would have fallen on that ground and returns it slowly, gently back into our beautiful Earth to replenish our aquifers. I live in Leander, a contributing zone to the Edward's Aquifer.

[EarthREALTOR]

Great video!! Thanks for promoting rainwater collection!!!

[iws2004]

@EarthREALTOR Thanks for the comment! Yeah we love our work and want to help people learn about rainwater harvesting and water conservation.

[waterfiltersystems1]

wow! it's great job and nice video

[WANTONSOUPGUY]

OK, but it's expensive and you can't drive over or build on it.

[iws2004]

@WANTONSOUPGUY This particular system you can't drive on but you can specify these units for HS-20 rating so that parking lots can be built over them.

[Fire4FX]

See it before 5+ years ago from another company, but they also used that fine weed mesh filter to keep out particles.

[iws2004]

@Fire4FX We were collecting from a manifold pipe that connected to all of the downspouts from the building. Therefore, we had an impervious liner that wrapped around the whole system. If the system was designed for detention purposes, you can install a thick weed fabric on the top of the units to allow ground water to seep into the system. There are many ways to use this system.

[cyanleopard]

This is actually really interesting and would think about using something like this to supplement my homes water use. However how much can it support? If some one drives out into my yard will it damage the unit?

[iws2004]

@cyanleopard The units are traffic rated. I forgot the exact axle weight that the system can support. Additional baffles can be added into each block to add strength, depending on the installation needs.

[xl0l0l0l0lx]

what is the volume of the material? it takes up maybe 20% of the total volume - seems like a less than ideal product to me - it works but so does a brok

en clock twice a day - what is the cost

[iws2004]

@xl0l0l0l0lx The material in this system only takes up about 5% of the volume. The unit cost of the system components is about $1.25 per gallon.

[xl0l0l0l0lx]

@iws2004 So $35 thousand plus labor and installation?

[iws2004]

@xl0l0l0l0lx Yes that is approximately the price for the tank components. There was also a pump system involved which totaled about $7,500.

[floor121]

@iws2004 Wow, given my current rates for water it would only need to be filled about 18 times to pay for itself. Then it's all gravy.

[TriTekEngineering]

Can this water be used for drinking and showering?

[iws2004]

@TriTekEngineering This rainwater could definitely be used for drinking and showering since the rainwater was collected from the building's roof (no parking lot collection). Since this system was on a commercial project though, the rainwater can only be used for non-potable uses such as irrigation or toilet flushing. In Texas, if a residential property isn't served with a municipal water supply, then homeowners can use rainwater for potable purposes. 60% of our projects are for potable use.

[JPorkins88]

looks just like high priced milk crates.

[iws2004]

@JPorkins88 Well, the great thing about this system is that the "crates" come flat-packed. This means the shipping to the jobsite is cheap in comparison to shipping a 30,000 gallon single volume tank to the jobsite. A 30,000 gallon fiberglass tank is around 10' diameter by 50' long. Imagine the shipping cost and the crane rental costs to ship and offload the tank. Also, this flexible system allows for easier excavation costs since you don't have to dig a deep trench for the tank.

[CarriageHouseFarm]

This could work using recycled drums too decreasing the foot print of consumed natural resources.

[iws2004]

@CarriageHouseFarm The only issue with burying recycled drums is the structural component. While it may be possible, there are a lot of factors that could affect the system. Depending on the material of the drums and how you arrange the drums, it could affect the burial depth. It is a great idea but it would need structural analysis. The EcoRain system has been engineered for this type of burial. The EcoRain system does have recycle content in it so that will help the ecofootprint issue.

[siasabora]

this is great...was thinking about it after watching a fish pond and couldn't figure out how to keep the tank solid...Lol yu got me with those crates!

[Exmerch]

Yo whats the gallon?? Can you use normal units?

[iws2004]

@Exmerch It is a 30,000 gallon (113,500 liters) system.

[cjhusker]

sweet music

[lloyd23704]

that system looks costly

[iws2004]

@lloyd23704 This system was for a commercial project. This setup is definitely not something a homeowner would do to help conserve water due to it high capital cost. Due to the project site constraints and size required to maximize the collection efficiency of the roof, this underground system was chosen as the best option. There were other less expensive options with aboveground storage but the owner wanted to preserve some green space areas around the building.

[egn83b]

My community college got one of those put in with the stimulas money right under the student parking lot. My question is what is the quality of the water going to be when the students with driping oily old cars do to the water over time.

[iws2004]

@egn83b The inlet filtration for systems that collect from surfaces such as parking lots is extremely important. This system collects water from the roof of the building, not from the parking lot. There are many different inlet filtration devices on the market that should be designed into these system to ensure a good water quality going in.

[MrDebauch]

dont know why this video appeared on my front page of youtube haha, but none the less interesting and good job. I suppose you guys down there might need to do things like that.

[hydrobot2003]

I heard that collecting rain water is illegal in some states, is that true??? WTH?!! watch?v=6jjxg8f3Gq0

[iws2004]

@hydrobot2003 It is currently illegal in Colorado, Washington State, and Utah, but there are a variety of laws being proposed in these states that will allow for some small-scale residential rainwater harvesting if not wholesale rainwater harvesting.

[hydrobot2003]

@iws2004 - WTF? Stupid states if you ask me!

[retsaoter]

@hydrobot2003 Not really. There are situations where the water supply is not infinite. Aquifers need the rain water to recharge. Now I don't know if these are intended for or can be used for drinking water, but I do believe it is more important to have drinking water before irrigation. That being said, as Americans, we should all look at our own water consumption to see if we are doing enough to conserve.

[hughnation]

Wonderful idea. I live here in Austin and would love to visit this site! Where was this done?

[iws2004]

@hughnation Hey, a follow Austinite! This system was installed in Dallas. Did you find this video through our website? If not, visit our website (search - innovative waters solutions austin) and give us a ring if you want to talk rainwater.

[tbentley75]

What is the side load rating on these plastic crates? I notice that the internal braces only act in one direction so there must be two different side load ratings, right? I've seen a few of these crate systems fail and invariably it's due to side loads from the soil, not top loads. Also, does the H/HS-20 load rating take into account plastic creep? If so, what is the lifespan for which these still meet H/HS-20? Sorry for the difficult questions.

[iws2004]

@tbentley75 Thanks for posting the wonderful questions. I would have to point you to the manufacturer since they would be able to answer these questions much more efficiently than I could. The units are made be EcoRain. You can easily find their website by searching EcoRain.

[nebulasxtv]

I would be interested what ph the water rated at and chemical make up from being in plastic underground with relatively no air,or oxygenating the water.

Maybe that's another video..hhee thanks for posting

[iws2004]

@nebulasxtv Naturally rainwater is in the 6 to 7 ph range. I don't know if the pH would change since it is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution and I don't believe plastics impart ions that would change the pH. Now there may be leaching of some plastic compounds into the rainwater over time, if it sat in the tank and wasn't used, but the rainwater in this system is used relatively quickly and replenished with new rainwater.

[websuspect]

very cool.

[bfgray]

Very interesting and well done. Too expensive for my residential use and I'd need to be convinced that it would be trouble free for decades. If they are using--say glass reinforced plastic-- that might eliminate slow deformation that stressed plastics are typically prone to resulting in sagging overburden and reduction of strength over time.

I would not be able to justify such a system unless it could pay for itself in max of 10yr and lasting 4 times longer than pay back time.

[iws2004]

@bfgray Generally underground systems are too expensive for residential situations. Aboveground options are less expensive and there would be no excavation costs. And in terms of payback, it is a valid argument about payback but water conservation systems need to be implemented sooner rather than later. We can't necessarily wait for the time when water is too expensive. During these times, the demand for water conservation systems will rise along with the installation prices.

[TheTarrBaby]

How can you be sure the water doesn't get contaminated or leak out if the liner gets damaged? Love the idea though.

[iws2004]

@TheTarrBaby The only inlet into this tank system is from the roof drainage system. The rainwater from the roof will be relatively clean. The roof drains have screening filter heads on them.

The liner should not become damaged due to the base preparation, the backfilling procedure, and the thickness and flexible nature of the liner. You will know if a leak has developed if the automatic backup fill system repeatedly triggers during the rainy season.

[ScopedOUT2]

Why didn't you just dig deep enough to extract clay and use that as bedding instead of plastic?

Also what was the point of filling the entire system with plastic crates?

[iws2004]

@ScopedOUT2  @ScopedOUT2 The plastic crates provide the structure for the underground collection system so that the area above the tank remains useful, for a green area or even for parking.

Using clay to hold water is commonly used in ponds which are open on top. The owners of this building didn't want a pond next to the building but they wanted this green feature incorporated into their project.

[ScopedOUT2]

@iws2004 Thank you for taking the time to reply. I have one more question.

Wouldn't it be better and cheaper to create a cavity within the ground made from clay and/or other materials. I hate plastic, because it leaches some compounds into the water after a period of time.

[iws2004]

@ScopedOUT2 If you mean "create a pond" then yes we could have done that but the owner of this project did not want to sacrifice an area that he could use as a green space for the employees of the building.

To create a cavity underground you would have to reinforce it to keep cover it and there is really no way to do that just with clay.

[Keroppininja]

Great video and good music, rain collection recycling is an excellent option for both commercial and residential in any area.

[cdltpx]

Lately our home water bill is $41 a month. We are just 3 people. It is obsurd since we live in an area that is considered water wealthy. I am seriously considering a dual water system on my home where we use city water for one source the sink in the kitchen and the rest of our water from a rainwater collection system we get enough water where a 1,200gal system should more than cover our use. In 10 years that is $4,100 for something so abundant. We live in South Louisiana.

[lucifer1938]

what are the crates made of they must be really strong I thought the whole lot was going to cave in when the bulldozer drove over it at the end.

[iws2004]

I am not for sure about the exact plastic that these crates are made of. All I know is that the structure is designed to withstand AASHTO standard H20/HS20 loads, which means that it is traffic rated as long as it is installed to the manufacturer specifications.

[Justavian]

I don't understand where the water is coming from. Is rainwater directed from gutters on the building? Does it seep through the ground? Is the ground contoured to direct water to the green grate thing?

[iws2004]

It is not shown in the pictures of the video but we have a couple of 4" pipes that break off from a 6" drainage pipe from the gutter downspouts of the building. The "green grate" is the wet well that holds the submersible pump for the irrigation system.

[DHMIII]

Great concept.. is it fesible for [much] smaller scale projects?

what is the Music please?

[iws2004]

It is feasible on smaller projects but installing underground systems are much more expensive than their aboveground counterparts.

The music credits are at the end of the video. One of our employees is a band member of Grimy Styles here in Austin.

[LocalBikeTrader]

very nice

[Blestofthewest]

How big is the hole (depth, width, length)?

[iws2004]

The excavation was about 40' x 40' x 4'.

[nawadadesign]

Excellent! Really cool to see your video after just installing a 4,000 gallon system, the exact same way, on a residential site. Aquablox rule! I thought our was huge. Very impressive. Is it hooked up to an irrigation system?

[iws2004]

Thanks for the comment.  Yes this system supplies the irrigation system for the building.

[truck501]

HOLY SHIT....... NOW THATS IMPRESSIVE ---OUTSTANDING--- WELL--DONE ---wildland firefighter iain younger -U.K-

[imkrane]

how much did this cost to install? what size would be good for a small residential system, the whole lot is less than half an acre, that includes the house. what would that system cost, aproximently. thanks

[imkrane]

how much did this one cost? how much would a smaller version cost, like in my yard? thanx

[iws2004]

The system costs $2.00 to $2.50 per gallon installed. The cost will vary depending on the type of excavation necessary (dirt vs. rock). You will need a pump system, etc, to use the water out of this type of system so remember to budget that in as well.

[buentaste]

Thank you.....

[tribalwind]

so this system was $60,000-$75,000 plus pump system "etc" . is this to supply water to only 1 residence? thats quite an investment just to save on water bills.you'll also have the cost of purification filter replacements and such (monthly / quarterly?) i imagine? suppose if you're in a very dry drought prone area it may be attractive...otherwise just put in a well no?

[iws2004]

Well, this system was on a commercial project where they were also applying for LEED points for their development.

We do install 30,000 gallon systems for residential projects but these systems are generally aboveground tanks (which are cheaper than underground tanks) and these systems are used for potable purposes, not irrigation.

There would be no way to make this particular project investment justified on a residential level, but drilling a well is not always an option or allowed. Thanks!!

[ReprogramurMind]

Is this system only for non potable use ?

[iws2004]

This system is used only for irrigation water use.

[Submanca]

Were do you get the crates???

[civildisorder44]

cool

[tomcatld127]

Very cool video. I have looked at your website before, and it looks like you have some serious intelligence and creativity. How much weight can go onto those plastic "spaceframes?"

[iws2004]

The manufacturer states that these "crates" have been independently tested and carry the guarantee of ASHTO H20 load capacity when installed to specification. The H20 load capacity is 32,000 lbs axle as the design load. Depth wise, you can only stack these units 5 high or 7.12' tall. They are pretty impressive and fun to install.

[pgm98387]

wow