Rainwater

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Whether it be regulatory requirements, incentives, or reducing environmental fees, simply tell us your project’s details and we’ll build the answer. Our engineers will rapidly configure and deliver custom solutions that overcome each and every challenge of your purchasing decision.

Rainwater harvesting is a term that refers to the practice of collecting rainwater from roof or any other hard surfaces and treating it for reuse on-site. The harvested rainwater is typically used for non-potable applications such as irrigation, fire suppression, toilet flushing, cooling tower make-up water, and vehicle washing.

The use of harvested rainwater can contribute to the reduction of municipal drinking water use and has the potential to save a significant amount of water per year for large multi-residential and ICI buildings.  Rainwater harvesting is also gaining popularity as a means of sustainable on-site stormwater management by reducing the amount of runoff and pollutants that drains to storm sewer.

The advantage of rainwater harvesting is not just limited to achieving sustainability goals. With the costs related to municipal water and waste water treating, pumping and infrastructure rising rapidly, using rainwater on-site instead of municipal water will provide continued cost saving benefits as well.

With both the threat of increased water shortages and the goal of increasing water sustainability, the need for rainwater collection and rainwater management has never been greater. Driven by increased regulation and infrastructure costs, on-site rainwater harvesting is often the answer that can help reduce a building’s reliance on the municipal water grid. For both new projects and retrofits, Net Zero Water is the single source solution for effective and renewable rainwater harvesting (RWH) packages.

A rainwater harvesting system from Net Zero Water will:

  • Create a favourable return on investment by utilizing free rainwater against rapidly rising municipal water costs and associated fees
  • Extend the life of current groundwater or surface water resources
  • Reduce the demand and stress on all aspects of municipal infrastructure including stormwater management, fresh water distribution and treatment
  • Lower the cost of municipal water and associated sewage charges by supplementing water demand with available rainwater at the source
  • Smooth out heavy rain and drought cycles by storing water on site
  • Form an integral part of a LEED certified building

Design of commercial rainwater harvesting systems can be challenging.  Most sites require a complex treatment system to treat the rainwater for the intended application, and must meet certain engineering standards and regulatory requirements to be approved.

 At Net Zero Water, we are focused on commercial rainwater harvesting systems design and installation for non-potable applications.  Our expert team works directly with engineers, developers and building owners to ensure each project’s specific needs are met.

Examples of our success stories can be found here, in Project Profiles.

Toilet & Urinal Flushing

Water requirements for toilet and urinal flushing in commercial and institutional washroom facilities normally represents the highest percentage of water use in most situations. By incorporating a rainwater harvesting system, toilet and urinal flushing using available rainwater captured on site is extremely cost effective.

When used in combination with high-efficient, low flush designed fixtures and flush valves, the opportunity to decrease municipal water costs is significant. Our designs can be tailored to your unique applications and will include all components for a complete packaged solution including pre-filtration, cistern and/or day tank storage, pumps, controls and water treatment.

View Net Zero Water’s Rainwater Harvesting Toilet Flushing System Design, click here.

Irrigation

Municipal water distribution systems that supply highly treated potable water is not a cost effective or sustainable solution for commercial irrigation. However, turf and garden irrigation, whether using drip or spray, normally require less robust levels of water treatment and therefore make it an ideal application for rainwater harvesting.

As severe weather events become more commonplace, stored rainwater in your Net Zero Water system can be used to supply or supplement required water volumes and help smooth out heavy rain and drought cycles.

View Net Zero Water’s Rainwater Harvesting Irrigation System Design, click here.

Cooling Towers

Commercial buildings are often cooled with evaporative towers and cooling water systems that consume a tremendous volume of municipal water. In open tower applications, this can be as high as 2.5 GPM per ton of cooling. Our RWCT series of rainwater harvesting systems are the perfect solution for providing additional make-up water in cooling tower applications.

Designed specifically for multi-residential (condo) or commercial buildings up to 700 feet in height, our RWCT series are compact and include all required components for a complete system. As well, our RWCT-GR series is designed specifically for green roof applications and uses advanced ozonation for superior water treatment.

Our total system approach includes:

  • Cistern tank, submersible pump and floating suction
  • Compact base unit with filtration, UV sterilization, pump, VFD, control panel and ASME pressure tank
  • Additional pressure tank to be located with cooling equipment

View Net Zero Water’s Rainwater Harvesting Cooling Towers System Design, click here.

Vehicle Washing

Municipal and commercial vehicle fleet owners are under significant pressure to reduce costs. With most vehicle maintenance facilities having large roof catchment areas, rainwater is a plentiful on-site resource and represents one of the largest opportunities for effective rainwater harvesting. It can easily be collected, stored, treated, and used to supply a significant amount of the water required for vehicle washing applications.

Net Zero water understands the need for all municipalities to promote sustainability through water conservation and re-use. A rainwater harvesting system can help you meet your Low Impact Development goals and create a positive image of environmental stewardship for your city or region.

View Net Zero Water’s Rainwater Harvesting Vehicle Washing System Design, click here.

Get your guide to budgeting your Commercial Rainwater Harvesting System

Get your guide to budgeting your Commercial Rainwater Harvesting System