Rainwater harvesting

How Rainwater Harvesting Works

The rain flows through the gutters from the roof and then travels through the pipes to the tank. Coarse dirt filters - so-called rain hoppers - are installed at the outlet of the gutters in the case of domestic water use.

The water is fed into the tank through a pipe leading to the bottom. This reduces the swirling of the water and speeds up the settling of heavier particles such as sand. The lighter particles (pollen or dust) float to the surface, where they remain until the sump is full, after which they are washed down through the overflow with the excess water into the sewerage system or into the intake structure.

When the tank is overfilled, the water flows out from the siphon overflow through a non-return valve. The required water is extracted by means of a floating basket with a filter strainer, which draws clean water about 15 centimetres below the upper surface. The pump switches to suction from the buffer tank when there is insufficient rainwater in the tank. The water is transported from the replenishment unit through pipes to the appliances. All is controlled by an electronic unit.