Klargester Rainwater Recycling Factsheet

Introduction

Much of the water we use does not need to be of drinking quality. In fact, studies show that 55 per cent of domestic treated water could be substituted for rainwater, while 85 per cent of water used for commerce and industry does not need to be of drinking standard.

With treated water in such short supply, it makes sense to look to other sources for many of our everyday needs. Rainwater can be safely used for a variety of non-potable purposes in and around the home, including flushing toilets, running washing machines, cleaning cars and watering the garden.

Rainwater can also be invaluable for industry - one of the largest water consumers -where it can be used for factory cooling systems, and cleaning vehicles and equipment, for instance.

How Do Rainwater Recycling Systems Work?

All rainwater recycling systems operate using typical roof drainage layouts. This means rainwater runs down the roof and into the guttering and fall pipes in the normal way before passing through a filter, which removes the leaves and grit. The rainwater is then stored in an underground tank containing a pump and filter.

What Types of Rainwater Recycling Systems Are on the Market?

Klargester, which is based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, is part of leading building products company Kingspan, and manufactures rainwater recycling systems under the Envireau brand.

There are several Envireau options:

The Klargester Envireau gravity system pumps water to a dedicated header tank in the loft space via an inline filter, which further cleanses the water. One of the great advantages of this system is that the header tank also has a mains water supply, so if the pump was unable to work due to a power cut, or the underground tank became empty, the system would automatically switch to mains water.

Klargester also manufactures a system that pumps rainwater direct from the underground tank to the appropriate household appliance.

The above systems are not usually retro-fitted to existing properties because of the extensive internal plumbing work required.

Klargester rainwater management systems have been developed to be as user-friendly as possible. In addition to helping to preserve a valuable resource, they also make particularly good sense economically for people building new homes, since all new domestic and commercial properties in the UK are automatically connected to water meters.

Rainwater recycling systems cost between £1,100 and £2,600, depending on the size of the system and specific requirements. However, this cost can easily be recouped in terms of money saved for people on water meters.

How Much Water Can be Saved?

A full rainwater recycling tank for a two-storey house with a 100m² roof could provide enough water for 200 toilet flushes, 30 full washing machine cycles and 12 car washes. A 100m² roof area can yield up to 120m³ of rainwater per year with a value of up to £2.56m³, giving an annual saving of £256 for a property on a water meter.

Other Advantages

Another key advantage is that when the rainwater has been used, it passes through the foul system, rather than the storm drains, meaning that it poses no flood risk. Consequently, rainwater recycling systems are becoming a necessity for gaining planning permission in some areas of the UK that could be at risk of flooding, particularly where regulators insist that surface run-off must be no greater than if the land was used for agricultural purposes.

Conclusion

Rainwater recycling systems were introduced to the UK only about eight years ago, but they have long been popular abroad. For example, they have been used for about 20 years in Germany, which does not have as much rainfall as the UK and is more reliant on groundwater.

They are currently used in about one per cent of new developments in the UK, although this figure is expected to rapidly increase in the future.

Members of the public who want more information about rainwater recycling can contact Klargester on 01296 633000, or log on to their website www.klargester.com

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