Rainwater harvesting refers in simple terms to the capturing and storage of rain which falls on the roof of a building, usually in containers called water butts. In areas of high rainfall, the amount of rain which may be captured is vast, particularly off buildings which have roofs with large surface areas as many businesses do. In a simple system this water can then be manually taken to the areas it is required, such as for watering plants in a home.

Whilst normal rainwater harvesting systems remove large objects such as branches and leaves from the water, a smart system can offer further cleaning and far greater uses for the collected rainwater. By installing levels readers and pumps, the amount of water actually collected can be monitored, and the water can be pumped to exactly where it is required. When filtered and connected to a treatment plant, the rainwater can be used for more useful applications such as laundry and toilet flushing.

The pump can be controlled by a smart programmer, which measures the total usage in the home and can allocate the collected water to wherever it is required.

Benefits

• Very cheap to implement on a simple basis
• Result in significant water savings and as such reduced utilities bills
• Reduction of carbon footprint
• Reduces the use of mains water
• Can be installed on virtually any structure