Gibson HomeBuilders

Master Builder Show sponsored by the 1st National Bank of Weatherford. I am your host (Jim Gibson) President of Gibson Home Builders; Inc. A registered builder in the state of Texas, a Graduate Master Builder certified by the National Association of Home Builders. I am a current member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Texas Association of Builders, National Association of Builders and past President of the Parker County Builders Association.

My guest today is Rodney Love with Rain Water Harvesting Systems.

This show is designed to educate and answer questions of the listeners on residential design, construction or anything dealing with building, remodeling, repairing and maintaining a home in the State of Texas.

We also have 4 gift certificates to _________________________ to give away in the amount of $25.00 each. We will be giving away one gift certificate before each break. There will be 4 trivia questions.

1st Question: What is SIP construction?
2nd Question: What is ICF construction?
3rd Question:
4th Question:

We will answer any questions you may have so call us on the Master Builder Show. The toll free number is (877) 341-8950 that’s (877) 341-8950

To check out builders or a remodeler go on line to http://www.texasrcc.org
Or Call (877) 651-TRCC that’s (877) 651-8722
Here you can find out if the builder or contractor is currently registered and if he or she has any complaints filed against them.

To get a list of registered builders in your area, you can also contact your local Building Association.
Parker County Builders Association is a chapter of the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association and they have a list of builders for the following counties.
Parker, Hood, Somerville, Palo Pinto, Johnson, Tarrant and Wise counties
Their Number is 817-457-2864 that’s 817-457-2864.

Now for any questions on building, remodeling or maintaining your home please call us Toll Free at (877) 341-8950 that’s (877) 341-8950

Today we are talking about Rain Water Harvesting and some of the choices you have when building a new home.

The History of Rainwater Collection (From the Rainwater Harvesting Guide)
The long history of rainwater collection can be traced (in recorded history) as far back as ancient times some 3,000 years ago (850 BC) if not even farther. The need for water is a basic human essential for maintaining life, without it, no civilization could have prospered. Rainwater collection in ancient Constantinople is one of the last megalithic structures of its kind. During the dark ages, technologies as advanced as these however seem to have taken a severe decline in the western world, while older less expensive techniques persisted up until the industrial era. With the advance of technology, time proven methods gave way to centralized systems of water collection, with pipes and collective communal systems. If we however, are to learn from our mistakes, we must study history and in this way rediscover the value of rainwater collection.

Rainwater collection is any method that brings and unites into a body or unit of fallen rainwater (surface water) in an organized fashion. On primitive scales this usually means an excavated cistern of some kind or perhaps just a banana leaf that empties into a coconut (not too sustainable). In Egypt for example the army would use the desert to their advantage, because they had secret cashes of rainwater collected throughout the desert in underground cisterns carved out of solid rock, they could stay in remote and undisclosed regions with no fear of any invading armies, with the surrounding desert acting as a deadly fortress. King Mesha of Moab in Jordan is documented from 850 BC as having commanded that cisterns be dugout by every family in the city Qerkhah for themselves.

In the days of the Roman Empire, atrium fed rainwater collection cisterns were commonplace and to this day an important part of history. In fact, the art of rainwater collection in the Roman Empire achieved great proportions up until the rule of Justiantinius Augustus Caesar and his empress Theodora in the early sixth century AD. The giant underground cistern in today’s Istanbul called Yerebatan Sarayi (Sunken Palace), it was used to collect fallen water from the city above in an underground, megalithic and expansive vault with high columns that can be navigated by boat. Yerebatan Sarayi is certainly the last of its kind, as building a dam can prove to be far more inexpensive. Such as is the case with “Sete Quedas” that once integrated the boarder of Brazil and Paraguay, and was the largest waterfall in the world (now a hydroelectric dam).
The island of Malta has evidently a long history of using rainwater collection to sustain its overwhelming population, and in 1610 had its first aqueduct system constructed to improve water distribution from the small amounts found in the countryside to the seaports. But recent solutions are relatively new, as centralized plumbing has improved over time and the need for hygiene more distinct, older solutions for the collection of rainwater found themselves falling into disuse. One major reason for this change in water collection and distribution is due to disease. In Afghanistan, desert cashes exist all over the countryside, but drinking from them without boiling first can be lethal. Istanbul no longer uses Yerebatan Sarayi for drinking as it was easily contaminated by pollutants from the city above, as is a major problem in any urban setting, thus treatment plants were introduced.

As long as water is not a problem, people don’t really seem to care where it comes from or even how it gets in the house, just as long as it is there and useful. This mentality of forgetting as a whole is what must be fought, as it is through the past that we learn to make a better and brighter future, by not repeating the same mistakes as our forefathers. Clean rainwater collection throughout human history has taught us time and time again how this is possible, and also the dangers of doing it wrong. In antiquity, systems were but underground cashes ditches, wells, and cisterns. In Byzantine Constantinople, works of art such as the “Sunken Palace” united engineering genius with art to produce megalithic architectural wonders and the constant difficulties associated with hygiene. If the history of rainwater collection tells us anything of value, it is that filtration and disinfection are the most important keys in any harvesting system.

Roof Washers
So what exactly is a roof washer?

A roof washer is a device or even simply a method for removal of sediment and debris from collection surfaces shortly after the rain has started to fall. This is usually accomplished by diverting the initial rainfall away from entry into the rainwater harvesting storage tanks or cistern.

The better roof washers will usually have a debris screen. A good debris screen will protect the roof washer from the damage that is caused by waste and vermin. Usually the debris screen should be corrosion resistant.

A good roof washer will automatically divert the first 0.02 inches of rainfall per 24-hour period per square feet of roof area away from the rainwater harvesting storage tanks or cisterns.

Roof washers should be installed in such a way that they will be easily accessible for regular maintenance to ensure that they are working well all the time.

A roof washer makes a great difference in the quality of the water that is harvested. You will not believe how dirty a roof can get within such a short period of time. This is really not surprising when you consider the fact that roofs are prominently exposed to all the elements and will tend to attract dust, leaves, debris, bird droppings and a host of other dirt and grime that greatly impacts on the quality and safety of the rainwater harvested. So by having a roof washer to ensure proper cleaning using the rainwater moments before the water starts entering the storage tanks impacts tremendously on the quality of water you will always end up with.

A roof washer should not stop the excellent practice of physically cleaning the roof just before the rains are due to start. Rather, both methods are supposed to combine to ensure a very high standard of cleanliness on the roof that will harvest the rainwater. Actually the two cleaning methods or systems should work hand in hand for the best results in rainwater harvesting.

There is a huge difference between rainwater harvesting systems that have a roof washer and those that do not have. Although areas and locations of roofs will greatly vary and will impact on how dirty a roof is bound to be, there is little doubt that a roof washer inclusion in a rainwater harvesting system makes a huge difference, wherever the location of the roof is and whatever the circumstances of the environment there.

Think Before You Drink
People who think about drinking rainwater have a good idea, but their main concern is usually the rainwater quality. Rainwater in and of itself is not usually a problem, however Mother Nature does use water as a way to clean the sky as well as the rivers, lakes and streams. There are dangers and there are safety measures that must be taken, in today’s world of modern industry. First of safety measures, is the catchments system (area where water is caught, collected, directed and accumulated). Second is the filtration system (area and equipment used to make water potable). Third is the storage system (area where water is kept for long periods during consumption.

Pollution in the sky, dust particles, tar on roofs, chemical products that may be used for anything upon/of/within the catchments surface can end up in the rainwater tank. Water is more than life giving liquid; water is a substance that latches on to just about anything, that could be harmful (or even tasteful). The first step in understanding how rainwater quality can be achieved to the point of drinking it is the concept of hygiene. Water must come in contact with as little contaminants from the time of condensation in clouds, to the time it finally hits the human organism and if it does it must be filtered.
Keeping rainwater quality to the point of drinking it, means using a catchments system that is low impact; where, roof, gutters, downspout and primary containment areas, all have as little influence on the water as possible. Vinyl is good alternative for gutters and downspouts but all gutters can harbor bacteria. Asphalt is absolutely not a good choice, however unfortunately what is most found on the roof so the filtration process chosen must be effective.

Drinking rainwater that comes from a clean and well-kept catchments system is still not acceptable for today’s standards of rainwater quality due to air pollutants that poison the water. Mechanical filters like screens and closed gutters, French drains, gravel, sand, sumps, grates, and wire mesh, and first flush units are all first steps in filtration. Just remember to always concentrate on bigger to smaller debris, and the filters will always be placed correctly in the catchments system.

Second step to achieving good rainwater quality from a catchments system is finer debris filtration. To really be sure that rainwater is suitable for drinking, the water must be filtered. Do not take chances! Even if you live in the middle of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, pollution can get into your rainwater. So unless you are a specialist and know everything there is to know be sure and use something like a reverse osmosis system to ensure pure water quality. If you need to take out bad-news chemicals, the chemical filter is the best choice.

Storing the rainwater for drinking later means SSS. (Safe, solid and sealed). Safe, is water that comes into the storage facility after being fully filtered. Solid, is water that cannot escape or cannot be tainted by anything from outside the container (hence the word solid). Sealed, is water that does not float away due to evaporation.

Quickly going over drinking rainwater, we see that there are three parts to the whole process, catchments, filtration and storage. Each part needs to be given the proper attention. And the biggest rule is “don’t get water dirty in the first place”, and you will always know it is good for you but for most this is not possible. If you are going to drink rainwater filter rainwater, provide for a complete filtration system and a treatment system then make them you last step to ensure pure water quality.

Sadly a few rainwater harvesters are fooled by the nice clean taste of rain water and the clean look it has, so much so that they think the water may not require further rainwater purification before it can be used for human consumption. This is a mistake that can have deadly repercussions.

To start with, during rain harvesting, when the rain comes into contact with a collection surface like a roof, it will tend to wash contaminants off that surface. Some of these contaminants may be so small as to be difficult to see with the naked eye. And even if they can be seen they will tend to settle at the bottom of the rainwater storage tank where they will be virtually impossible to see when the tank is full, even if one makes an effort to inspect the water tank.

Rainwater contaminants can be mold, bacteria, algae, protozoa and small particles of dust.
But there is an even deadlier group of contaminants that can be present in rainwater from rainwater harvesting. These are microorganisms like bacteria. Not to mention pesticides, lead and arsenic. These are all highly poisonous to the body.

If the rainwater from rainwater harvesting is to be used in the house for drinking and other household chores, then it has to be both filtered and treated so as to kill microorganisms and remove all the contaminants.

The rainwater must go through various steps of cleansing, filtering and Purification. They include screening, settling, filtering and disinfecting. The screening stage stops debris and large particles from entering the rainwater storage tank. The settling process then further cleans the rainwater by allowing the tiny particles that got through the screening process to settle at the bottom of the rainwater tank.
Filtering is then supposed to remove sediment and contaminants and trap other smaller particles. The final process of disinfecting the rainwater can be done using chlorine, ozone or even ultraviolet light to kill harmful microorganisms.

Any rainwater from rainwater harvesting that does not go through a careful filtering and disinfecting process, is dangerous for drinking or human consumption of any sort and should be avoided.
There is no point in taking the trouble to install a rainwater collection system and then being casual about the safety of the water you get from your efforts. Researching proper rainwater purification is the smart thing to do.

Texas and Rainwater Harvesting

Texas' water supply process has identified that surface and groundwater supplies will not be able to meet future water demand. Water conservation and development of alternative water supplies is necessary to meet our growing demand for fresh water.

Rainwater harvesting is an innovative alternative water supply approach anyone can use. Rainwater harvesting captures, diverts, and stores rainwater for later use. Captured rainwater is often used in landscaping, because the water is free of salts and other harmful minerals and does not have to be treated. It is also useful in attracting and providing water for wildlife.

Implementing rainwater-harvesting techniques directly benefits our state by reducing demand on the water supply, and reducing run-off, erosion, and contamination of surface water.

In many communities, 30 to 50 percent of the total water is used for landscape irrigation. Capturing rainwater for use in the landscape makes efficient use of a valuable resource, reducing water bills and reducing demand on water supply.

Rainwater harvesting can also help to prevent flooding and erosion, turning storm water problems into water supply assets by slowing runoff and allowing it to soak into the ground. Reducing run-off also helps to reduce the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers, and pesticides in rainfall run-off.

To get a complete copy of Rainwater Harvesting from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), you can go to http://www.rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/inhome.html and click on; Harvesting, Storing and Treating Rainwater for Domestic Use.

Rainwater Harvesting techniques disappeared with increasing urbanization. It can be assumed that the technical means available during the industrial age, the need for supplies of large amounts of water for industry, the high standard of water hygiene achieved through central treatment and safe supply via pipes are all reasons for the reduced use of rainwater harvesting. But modern water technology not only has advantages. Its disadvantages are as follow:

The centralization of water supplies involves the risk of total cut-off in cases of natural disaster (earthquakes etc.), destruction through acts of war (bombing etc.), and source pollution (environmental pollution through chemicals). This is the vulnerability of a modern centralized water supply.

The consumption of water is not only based on need, but very much influenced by the convenience of access. It can be observed everywhere that water wastage is the rule rather than the exception. This is based on an economy that has made one source of life a commodity of consumption and represents the contradiction between the need for careful management of world resources and an economy based on permanent expansion. However' in general there can be no doubt that there is no alternative to a centralized water supply in urban areas.

Rainwater harvesting is gaining importance again, this time in rural areas and especially so in many developing countries. The present situation in developing countries demands the utilization and development of all possible sources to ensure the supply of water.

Much has been published about rainwater reservoirs for rural housing. Less emphasis is given to the construction of large reservoirs as stand-by facilities. Likewise not much is known about the possibility of using rainwater as raw water and by doing so, reducing the consumption from centralized supplies.

Roofing Materials for Rainwater Harvesting
Roofing materials not good for rainwater harvesting:

Asphalt – The most common roofing material is asphalt, which is not a good surface to harvest rain from. Crumbling asphalt roofing material debris can be separated during filtration but this type of shingle can also leach petroleum into the water.

Wooden Shingles – Wooden shingles are porous and harbor mold and fungus that will end up in your rainwater harvesting system. Wooden shingles are also treated with chemicals not fit for human consumption.

Roofing Materials You Should Question, Some are good Some Are Not.

Metal – There have been some cases of people using metal roofing materials, and then using the rainwater for watering their vegetable gardens. Tests showed that the heavy metals in those vegetables were above the allowed limits. Today’s metal roofing materials do not break down as fast and there are some that could be considered safe for “potable” water.

Roofing Materials that are good for rainwater harvesting:
Slate or Tile - Slate is a good surface to harvest rain from as long as it is kept clean. It should work fine because it does not deteriorate. Make sure you are not confusing slate with harmful asbestos tile which was mainly used as siding in the past.

Membrane Roofing Material –A roofing membrane would be ideal because its chemical makeup is not friendly to bacteria. A roofing membrane could also be painted onto an existing rooftop. If you are searching for this type of material just make sure it passes “potable” standards.
Fiberglass – Fiberglass is a great surface to harvest rain from but it is not attractive to most people and tends to get brittle with long-term exposure to the sun. It also is a bit noisy when it rains like the metal rooftop.

Other Materials - People also collect rain from false roofs like tents or tarps. A large tarp can be kept clean and washed when it is not in use so the water is free of pollutants. A tarp can also be used to cover a rooftop that would be hazardous for rainwater harvesting as a temporary solution.
I believe roofing membranes will become more popular than other materials because of their easy application. All it takes is for a couple of us to show how covering our catchments surfaces with these high tech compounds works. Remember that all rooftops are not clean no mater what material they are made from. Bird droppings and other debris will still fall and wash into rainwater harvesting systems. Also remember that a rooftop should be cleaned on a regular basis if used for potable water. Combine the right roofing surface material with first flush, course debris removal, fine debris removal, some sort of treatment / disinfection filtration system and you are “good to go”.