Stormwater Harvesting System – Is it Right for You?

In many cities, stormwater management is becoming increasingly important.  As infrastructures age, managing stormwater on-site can reduce the load on storm systems and water treatment plants.  Many municipalities require that stormwater be detained on-site, and then released to the storm system slowly so as not to overwhelm the city storm system.  This often means creating a storage space for stormwater, that remains empty much of the time.  Instead of simply detaining stormwater, why not retain it, treat it and use it on site, turning the storage cistern into an asset?

Most people have heard of rainwater harvesting, but may be unfamiliar with the concept of stormwater harvesting. There is a difference between “rainwater” and “stormwater.” They both begin with a rain event. “Rainwater” is the relatively clean water coming from rooftops and other above ground surfaces. But once that rainwater reaches the ground, it becomes “stormwater” that may be contaminated with silt, hydrocarbons from automobiles, road salt in northern climates, nitrates, other fertilizers from landscaped areas and more. Because of this, additional filtration and cleaning steps are required, but stormwater can still be an excellent harvested water resource.

A stormwater collection system can receive water from impervious surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways, and streets, which block precipitation from naturally penetratingthe ground. Capturing this water not only helps to reduce the load on the city storm system, but it has the added benefit of reducing polluted runoff. Once harvested, the stormwatercan then be treated and used for non-potable purposes such as  irrigation, toilet flushing, vehicle wash and more.