RainSaucers

Launch of the 59er

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:11:45 +0000

How do I get that nice funnel shape when I install?

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:30:47 +0000

Rain barrel Marketing in Hawaii

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

New distributor for NYC

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:58:34 +0000

Roof vs. RainSaucers Smackdown (aka Why Standalone RWH?)

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:37:00 +0000

Store water for free?

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:26:42 +0000

How do I keep my free standing rain barrel from tipping over?

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

How do I put more than one RainSaucer on a barrel?

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:48:02 +0000

How do I cheaply install a Faucet in a Barrel?

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:47:18 +0000

Zombie Apocalypse Drinking Water

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:00:00 +0000

What is It?

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:27:26 +0000

Don't forget the Motor City

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:25:00 +0000

It's taking some time, but we are finally starting to build out our MidWest and East Coast distribution. New to our reseller lineup is Maxi Container based in Detroit. We're excited to work with Maxi as its probably one of the largest and most diverse companies in our network. Maxi is a family owned business with several million in annual sales and a robust container recycling business. Although new to the rain barrel business, its a logical fit for their business and a great example of how the industry is trending towards recycled water storage.

UC Berkeley Wrapup

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:54:00 +0000

Many thanks to the folks who attended our discussion at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden on Saturday. Great thought provoking questions! One question really stood out. We were asked "if the RainSaucer were to become ubiquitous in California, what would people be using it for?" This question came after a discussion of the numerous benefits, but this attendee wanted a clear vision.

This was our response and I think it's worth repeating "We envision one of these beside every victory garden allowing customers to grow truly sustainable produce. An additional benefit is that the system would serve as a backup source of water in case of an earthquake or disaster."

Rain Barrels in Georgia

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:27:00 +0000

We are proud to announce RainSaucers availablity in Georgia courtesy of our new distributor Rain Barrels in Georgia. Harvey Wilson, who runs the show over there, is a true craftsman making his own style of double height rain barrel stands and other accessories. He is also an experimenter having put the RainSaucer on a variety of tanks. We look forward to working with Harvey.

UC Berkeley Workshop

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:25:00 +0000

RainSaucers CEO Tom Spargo will be speaking about the benefits or Rainwater Harvesting and the use of RainSaucers at the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens on February 18th. Event details here.

TreeHugger features one of our distributors

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:16:00 +0000

TreeHugger recently wrote about one of our distributors in Florida, TCLynx who runs the website Aquaponic Lynx. The article features a video of TCYLynx with her zipgrow aquaponic tower system which uses RainSaucers for roofless rainwater catchment. New to us is that TCLynx needs to harvest rainwater because her well water has too high of a Ph for plants and fish. She also can't use the roof because its asphalt.

Looking back, looking forward

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:55:00 +0000

Happy New Year to all our supporters and thanks for all your encouragement this past year. 2011 was a great year for us as we finally launched our product after about 6 months of of R&D and field trials. The product sold well in 2011, but we expect it to sell even better in 2012 mainly due to the exposure we have gotten from bloggers and even mainstream media. We also received a lot of attention from our Guatemala field trial which showed that a RainSaucers system is a legitimate solution for clean drinking water.

This year, you can expect us to announce several new products, including the 59" RainSaucer (pictured here). We've made the 59er bigger, stronger, and better in several ways. You can expect us to make an announcement about the 59er in a few months.

Viva Los Canales

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:26:00 +0000

One of the places where gutters are not common is New Mexico. Rainfall is so minimal that is just doesn't make sense. So instead most traditional Soutwestern style Adobe flat roof homes have rain spouts called Canales. Canales enable roof run off to shoot out away from the house and they can be seen not just in New Mexico, but in other examples of flat roof architecture around the world.

To harvest rain water from Canales some people use a rain chain to direct the water into a barrel. Others try to catch the stream of water but this poses challenges without a large catchment area. So what we really want to do is see if a RainSaucer can achieve this. Once we get distribution in the Southwest, this is one of the first experiments we will conduct.

Filtration Shmiltration

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:15:00 +0000

How important is filtration to rainwater collection? That all depends on the catchment surface and air quality. If you are catching rain straight from the sky onto a clean food safe surface (like we do) you really don't need it unless you intend to drink the water and even then a simple cloth filter (for dust) will suffice.

But if you are catching rain from a roof you certainly need it to remove the zinc, hydrocarbons, accumulated pollution and droppings especially if you want to use the water for household or agriculture use. A first flush diverter (see picture) is often used as a front line defense. This filters water by diverting the initial roof runoff into separate pipe based on the assumption the first few liters contains alot of the bad stuff. But first flush is not enough as it only removes about 40% of both dissolved and suspended solids. After that you still need varying degrees of filtration and that adds up. From that perspective, standalone rainwater harvesting is not just simpler and cleaner but cheaper!

The DIY Cheapest Rain Barrel ever...

RainSaucers Inc. — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:43:00 +0000

Other than a freebie from your local Coca Cola plant, is actually a 32 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck Trash can which can sometimes be had for $10 on Sale. Does it hold water? Yes pretty well actually. Does it crack in the sun? Not for many, many years. Is it food safe? It's made from HDPE just like all other water tanks. RWH purists probably hate that these are so popular but the reality is they just work great for the price. Not surprisingly one of the top rain barrel videos on YouTube is this gentleman explaining how a Roughneck is all you need (200,000 views).

New Distributors in Hawaii, Santa Cruz, and the Florida Keys

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:02:00 +0000

RainSaucers are indeed catching on. Just in the past few weeks we concluded reseller arrangements with new distributors WaterWorks (Hawaii, pictured here), Laundry to Landscape (Santa Cruz) and Small Space Garden Club (Florida Keys). WaterWorks, as you can see, is a major player in private water systems in Hawaii offering both rainwater catchment systems as well as pools. Laundry to Landscape is a rain barrel system provider in Santa Cruz run by LeAnne Ravinale an expert in both grey water and rain water catchment. Finally, Space Garden Club is a brand new company in the Florida Keys run by Rick Smith who specialized in Community Gardening and Gardening with space limitations. Welcome new Distributors!

TC Permaculture Post

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:44:00 +0000

John Kitsteiner over at the authoritative TC Permaculture blog had this to say about our concept. We often get people telling us that they've thought about standalone rainwater catchment because the idea is so compelling as a potential solution to the world's water problems. It's what drives us and we are glad to get such support!

Now available in Portland, OR

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:40:00 +0000

As the rainy season winds down on the East Coast and starts turning to snow, things are just starting up here on the West Coast. As our fans know we recently went to Portland, OR to debut the RainSaucer at the ARCSA show. For our display, we implemented a RainSaucer on a barrel provided by the Rainbarrel Man who makes beautiful cedar clad rain barrels (see photo). John Elliotte, the actual Rainbarrel Man himself, thinks that super-rainy Portland is a perfect market for RainSaucers becase his customers have been asking him about alternatives to gutter connections. So he has decided to become our distributor up there. Welcome on board John!

Requiring Rainwater Collection

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:46:00 +0000

A RainSaucers fan recently alerted us to the situation in Tuvalu where a drought has drawn down the island nation's water supply to crisis levels. As reported in Reuters, rescue efforts are underway from nearby OZ and NZ which are providing emergency desalination equipment. Tuvalu is one of an increasing number of countries that are entirely dependent on rainwater. One could argue this means RWH always needs a backup for when weather conditions change dramatically. But we think it can also mean that RWH systems must be sized, not based on averages, but on the worst case situation. In other words, when rain falls, however little it may seem, it can go a long way if you collect it over the right collection area.

Furthermore, Tuvalu is not alone in its dependence on rainwater. Several island states face the same situation from the Bahamas to Hawaii. Meanwhile in Australia and Texas, droughts have created the same situation by depleting wells until dry. But even during "drought" conditions there is rain: one just needs to be ready to capture it whenever and wherever it falls.

Decreasing rain acidity?

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:19:00 +0000

One of the biggest takeaways from our recent attendance at the annual ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment Association) is that while rain in the United States can be polluted in some places, it is generally stable thanks to legislation which has been capping emissions. Acid rain as the EPA likes to tell us is rain that has gone down the Ph scale from a normal 5.6 to something closer to 4 (see chart). The cause: atmospheric pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. Acidity is not harmful in drinking water per se (after all soda has a ph of 3) but fish can't really survive. And we all knows what happens when the food chain starts to collapse. For this reason, the EPA has been monitoring the Ph of rainwater and it's also how we know Ph levels are starting to return to normal.

On a side note, we also received an answer to one of the questions we often ponder about rain acidity. Is there a way to decrease the acidity of rain, post-collection? The short answer: yes- limestone. Adding limestone to a tank in the right amounts can mimic the natural process which occurs in groundwater. Limestone BTW is also the key ingredient in those over the counter anti-acid meds because it is such a great acid reducer.

Triple Pundit Post

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:19:00 +0000

We appeared in Triple Pundit a few weeks back talking about our work in developing countries. We know we have supporters in India. Now we just need to get them the product at the right price.

No salsa with your tamales?

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:39:00 +0000

OK, so you are probably wondering what salsa has to do with tamales. Both are Mexican mainstays but one is made from cheap corn while the other from expensive tomatoes. And that's exactly the point. Farmers, especially those in the developing world, are often limited to raising drought tolerant dry crops such as corn because they have no regular source of water. They cannot farm tomatoes or other "wet" crops because such plants won't survive the irregularity of rain- they need a consistent source of water such as an onsite well or pond which are both expensive to build and pump from. So their incomes remain limited as they must live off of corn production instead of tomatoes.

Urban Farmers in the US also face this problem when their city water is considered too "hard" for real farming. Also known as SPIN (small plot intensive farming) farmers, SPIN practioners sometimes have to invest $1000s in filtration equipment and keep replacing filters each year to treat their municipal water and make it agriculture grade. Rainwater is the perfect low cost alternative, if only it was not so irregular.

But what if rainwater was available on-demand, right on site, no pumping required? Would it be possible to then grow tomatoes with nothing more than dirt, fertilizer, and a rain barrel? The answer, as we found out this past Summer during our drought resistant tomato crop experiment, is happily "yes".

The setup of our experiment was straightforward: 2 tomato plants (see picture above left) were exclusively hand-watered from one 18 gallon tote box (see picture right) with one of our standard 48" RainSaucers™ on board. We started harvesting rainwater in January and by the time we planted in mid-April, we had a full barrel ready to go. Then thanks to rain in March, April, May and June, our drawdown was minimized while our barrel kept getting topped off.

As expected things started getting interesting in July and August when there was absolutely no rain (which happens every Summer in California.) As the temperature increased, we had to increase the amount of watering, averaging almost a gallon per plant per week during those Summer months. But we were still able to make it to September 15th when we harvested our last tomato. Our total yield: about 4 pounds per plant, not great but not any worse than our control tomato plant which also yielded 4 pounds. The taste was also no different- succulent and sweet like a homegrown tomato should be.

The below chart provides the data from our experiment showing how we effectively made 2 tomato plants drought resistant during 11 weeks without rain. Now imagine if we used a 55 gallon drum combined with drip irrigation instead of hand watering. Also what if we did this on the East Coast of the U.S. where bad droughts may only be 4 weeks?

Based on the results of our experiment, we estimate a 55 gallon rain barrel with three 48" RainSaucers hooked up to a high efficiency, low cost drip system like one from Driptech could support up to 30 plants. Estimated cost: $200, which could probably be recovered in one season of tomatoes as those 30 plants bring in 3 to 5 times more money than the corn equivalent. The payback would be even faster for SPIN farmers who may be able forgo water treatment altogether.

Is it a fence, or rain barrel, or both?

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:02:00 +0000

Fans who know us well, also know about our Partnership with Rainwater HOG. We love the HOG's approach to redesigning the rain barrel into a more modular slim unit. Interestingly, the HOG is not alone in this endeavor as San Ramon resident and reporter Roz Rogoff recently enlightened us. In her recent blog post she discusses her plan to make a rainwater wall out of tanks from Contain Rainwater Systems (pictured here).

Come see us at the ARCSA show, 9/27-28

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:12:00 +0000

RainSaucers will be exhibiting at the ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association) show next month in Clackamas, OR.

Our booth will be on display September 27th and 28th if any of our fans are interested.

SmartPlanet coverage

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:34:00 +0000

Latest article on water from the SmartPlanet blog features RainSaucers and our work in Gautemala. Check out the lively discussion which came out after the article.

Now available in Tacoma, WA

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:59:00 +0000

In business since 1999, Dan Borba is a true pioneer when it comes to rain barrels. Dan tells us when his company Natural Rain Water started selling Rain Barrels in the SeaTac area, he was the only one. Today, the area is quite competitive but Dan says he specializes in area farmers markets and he plans on marketing RainSaucers the same way. So please check him out if you are in the neighborhood.

Interview with TSP

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:27:00 +0000

Check out our interview with The Survival Podcast where we discuss the many uses of our stand alone rainwater harvesting system.

Back from Guatemala

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:37:00 +0000

Our Summer Hire is back from Guatemala now and we have prepared the results of our field trial. Enjoy!

AC you see, is a water machine

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:55:00 +0000

Growing up as a kid in the summer in sweltering NYC, I always used to get confused walking alongside apartment buildings. I mistakenly thought it was raining when it wasn't because of all the AC condensation falling on passersby.

Lately I've started thinking more about that wasted water and wondering whether it can be recycled. So far the few times that I've put my AC on this year (very mild heat this year in Northern California) I've been able to capture the condensation coming out our system with a 1 gallon bowl (which easily fills up) and use it on some of my plants. Earlier this year I was introduced to a soaker hose called catchadrip. which automatically does this for you.

I figure that that newer buildings must have some kind of condensate recovery system. But what about condensation coming our of apartments, office buildings, and hotels where each room has its own AC? I plan on doing further research to see if a RainSaucer can be used for this.

Towards a drought resistant tomato crop

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:01:00 +0000

These are no ordinary tomatoes. They are drought resistant tomatoes because they have a RainSaucers system in waiting for whenever it doesn't rain. In rainy weeks, they are watered naturally, of course. On non-rainy weeks, they are watered with previously harvested rainwater, collected on-site. Our goal with this is experiment is to demonstrate the potential for a RainSaucers system to completely address the water needs of a small plot farmer.

In the US, we know the urban intensive farming movement is desperate to make this work because city water is generally too hard (e.g. too much calcium) for commercial farming. Likewise, in developing countries, such a system could help poor farmers earn more money by upgrading some of their fields from low return corn to high return tomatoes.

We'll let you know how our experiment goes!

RainSaucers now available in DC!

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:25:00 +0000

We are proud to announce that RainSaucers is now available to residents in the Washington DC area though DC Greenworks, a non-profit which is both a green roof advocate and educator, as well as a purveyor of rain barrels and other low impact agriculture and landscape systems. DC Greenworks is an ideal partner with which to prove that RainSaucers can be highly useful in urban areas. One application is the use of a RainSaucers system on a green roof as a way to irrigate rooftop plants. Another application is as a clean alternative to asphalt or tar roofing, which is common in cities.

Cloud Storage

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:46:00 +0000

Detractors of rainwater harvesting point to the seasonality of rain as the main reason RWH can only be a temporary or partial solution to the world water crisis. Others who promote RWH use that seasonality to sell massive, expensive tanks. But what if we challenge some of these assumptions about rain? This includes not just the notion that rain is seasonal but that rain must come in large bursts followed by long droughts.

Cloud Storage, is a term we have recently started using as a play on the more popular data related term. Cloud Storage in the RWH context means that by using the natural frequency of rain combined with a constant usage model, one can potentially make RWH a near year round solution without the added cost of large storage.

Take Orlando, FL for example where it rains an average of 48 inches per year. In 2010, there was rain every month except for October. When the rain was heaviest (March, August and September) it did not come all at once. Downpours were almost always followed by rain again a week or two later. This data suggests that Floridians could make use of rainwater almost year round at minimal cost by using a small barrel- provided they constantly use the water.

We have been using the Cloud Storage term more with our developing world efforts because many poor countries have Florida like weather, raining at least 40 inches per year (with varying frequency patterns). Dry farmers in the developing world already put their trust in mother nature by planting rain dependent crops (corn,wheat,etc.): they understand Cloud Storage. Cloud Storage similarly has the potential to provide poor families with drinking water at very low cost: all they need is a RainSaucer with whatever storage medium they can afford.

Off to Guatemala

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:08:00 +0000

Last week our Summer Contractor landed in Guatemala and right away started implementing our Gautemala field trial. After much discussion about how to have the most impact, we decided to implement RainSaucers on a pair of 5 gallon buckets (prototype pictured here). The idea is that each time it rains the customer brings the unit inside for immediate consumption then swaps in a second 5 gallon bucket in the meantime. This not only keeps the price low but keeps the water fresh. The constant consumption and rotation can potentially turn 10 gallons of storage into 100's of gallons depending on how much it rains, the frequency, and the time in between rains.

The Gautemala RainSaucer is the same as the U.S. one with the exception of additional filration to improve the drinking experience. We created an additional filter chamber within the adapter assembly into which we place additional screening and a sediment filter.

Partnership with Rainwater HOG

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:31:00 +0000

RainSaucers will work with any tank or barrel. But there are some really unique froms of water storage that make our product more compelling. One of them is the Rainwater HOG, a 50 gallon tank which takes the shape of tall but thin building block. The idea behind the HOG is that by making water storage thin and rectangular, you unlock many possibilities for where you can put it without being an eyesore (like some barrels). Many of the ones implemented have been along the side of a house with multuple units linked together to act as one large tank.

As you can see from this video we are now partnering with Rainwater HOG, having officially established compatibility and are now cross-promoting a combined system. So what can you do with a HOG/RainSaucer combo? Sally of Rainwater HOG thinks it's great for remote potable water. We also think that it's perfect for the fence area near ones vegetable garden because the water will be right where you need it.

Ashphalt roofs and rain barrels

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:49:00 +0000

We've always known intuitively that rainwater off an asphalt roof was not something you want to drink or use on edibles. If you've ever been up on a roof, you know that its home to birds, pollution, not to mention what remains in the gutters year after year. First flush or not, the notion of using water that has first passed over shingles without being treated is less than appetizing (fine for nonedibles however).

Now there is some real data out there that least supports the notion that asphalt roof runoff is not a legitimate source of potable water. A recent study commissioned by the Texas Water Development Board and conducted by the Cockrell School of Engineering of rooftop water quality found that rainwater from asphalt fiberglass shingle roofs contains high levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Water with DOC is not necessarily dangerous on its own, but when it’s mixed with chlorine — a common product used to disinfect water — the two substances react to form byproducts that potentially cause cancer and other negative human health effects.

The annual California Drought

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:25:00 +0000

Sometimes they call California the "bread basket" of America referring to the abundant harvest of our crops. The moniker invokes images of a fertile rainy climate but in reality, our Agricultural capability is entirely man-made because it doesn't rain at all here during the growing season. The water for crops actually comes from the melting Sierra snowpack which is brought down South by the California aqueduct.
So while the East Coast folks and Southerners talk about drought as a couple of weeks without rain, to Californians drought is an annual 6 month ordeal.
The annual California Drought certainly diminishes the impact of Rainwater Harvesting. A rain barrel full in April can easily be depleted by May if you're not careful. More barrels is one solution. But a more elegant approach is the use of drip irrigation and drought tolerant plants. Tomatoes for example are on the low end of water usage. Some say they actually lose taste when they are overwatered.

Rain Barrels for Santa Monica

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:25:00 +0000

Local News coverage of Santa Monica's rain barrel program. Shows yet another municipality subsidizing rain barrels in order to reduce stomwater. The video also contains some great pictures from the program's director Neal Shapiro who visited Israel and saw some of the earliest Roman rainwater harvesting techniques.

Rainwater Harvesting gets its own Theme Park

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:03:00 +0000

We knew rainwater harvesting was big in India but had no idea it was this Big. In the city of Bangalore, India a new theme park has just been launched which is dedicated to the practice of Rainwater Harvesting. Dubbed the Sir M Visvesvaraya rainwater harvesting theme park, the facility has 27 different methods of rainwater harvesting on display, an auditorium, a 70-seater amphitheatre where cultural programs will be conducted, rainwater filters and other materials, books related to rainwater harvesting and a help desk. The theme park was built by the local water utility, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board. Bangalore is one of many cities in India where RWH is now mandatory for new construction so it makes sense the utility should be involved.

Like Water for Fish (and Plants)

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Orlando area residents can now buy RainSaucers through our first non- rain barrel focused reseller, Aquaponics Lynx. Aquaponics is the practice of raising fish and plants for consumption at the same time by using the plants to cleanse the water the fish live in. The closed system uses much less water and resources than either traditional fish farming and hydroponics. But evaporation and transpiration does still take its toll. To replace the water, tap water can be used but only when treated to remove the chlorine and cholaramine, which fish cannot tolerate. Rainwater on the other hand is natural distilled water and exactly what fish like. What fish (especially ones you are going to eat) don't want is contaminants from roofs and that's where RainSaucers comes in. Our system collects exactly what the fish can live in, passively, right where the fish are going to need it.

Gutterless Rainwater Harvesting

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:20:00 +0000

RainSaucers is all about enabling free standing rain barrels with an emphasis on water quality- it's why we use food grade plastic for our catchment. We're not necessarily against using the roof, its just that we think roof runoff is best suited to lawns and non-edible plants.

Yet even though we're not specifically designed for roof catchment we've had many people say a RainSaucer is an ideal way to harvest water off structures with no gutters. And when you think of the hassle and expense of gutter installation, a single RainSaucer represents a legitimate alternative.

Now many of you reading this post might think, there probably aren't that many structures without gutters these days. But if you think broadly it's quite a few. No gutter structures we've seen include:
- Older homes, which predate city storm system
- New homes, where builder opts not to install
- Homes where gutters simply aren't needed such as in low rain climates or homes with sloped foundations
- Garages
- Sheds
- Gazebos
- Cabins
- Poor family homes in much of the developing world.

RainSaucers Now Available Online

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:36:00 +0000

We just added Aquabarrel.com as a place where you can buy RainSaucers. Aquabarrel also sells compatible drums. Or if you want to buy local, we recommend you get a unit first and take the provided adapter with you when shopping for a barrel to make sure it has a standard 2" fine thread fitting. A Craigslist search for 55 or 60 gallon drums may help you find local providers.

Summer Job Opportunity

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Thanks to our local partner in Guatemala, Alterna (a spinoff from AIDG) we have a fantastic Summer Job to offer, We plan on doing a field trial of RainSaucers in Guatemela as a solution for potable water. Many Guatemalans have to buy their drinking water, because the tap water is no good. When used as a subsitute for bottled water, a RainSaucers system would pay for itself in the first year and save large amounts of income over time. We also want to test RainSaucers as a solution for irrigiation particularly in the Mountains where there is often no water supply. Another possibility is to enable water as a business with local street merchants who can potentiallu harvest rainwater for sale at more reasonable prices. Details of the opportunity are posted at our investor's website.

Article in Contra Costa Times

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:31:00 +0000

For those fans of RainSaucers, it might be interesting to see the product written up by a local paper. This brief intro appeared in the Contra Costa Times' Home & Garden section. We suspect the Home & Garden section is where we will find the bulk of attention for our product in the US media.

The trusty Siphon Hose (or Pump)

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:17:00 +0000

Rain barrels usually come with a spigot to get the water out. But sometimes they don't. Say you have a closed 55 gallon drum you got for a few bucks off Craig's List and all it has is two holes in the top, no spigot. And say for whatever reason, you don't have the skill or inclination to install a spigot- what do you do?

One solution we suggest is a siphon device-either pump or hose. As you can see from this video, it requires no skill at all. It also removes the need to put the barrel on blocks. Better yet you can get these easily for less than $10.

This option may be good for some RainSaucers customers because a barrel directly on the ground is less likely to tip over when empty. In that scenario, you can use one hole for your RainSaucer (remember must be NPS fine thread) and the other hole for your siphon hose. If you want to use a siphon pump, you would need to remove the RainSaucer first and then use the siphon pump because the pump is generally too tall to have both. If you live on the West Coast, this is not a problem because the harvesting and use of rainwater are usually at completely different times of the year.

RainSaucers now available in Seattle

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:46:00 +0000

After several months of collaborative trials, we are proud to announce that RainSaucers are available for purchase through the Seattle Conservation Corps , a program of the Seattle Parks Department. We are excited to work with the Corps because they don't just make rain barrels and compost bins. They make them by employing formerly troubled people offering them viable, living-wage jobs.

Rain Barrels in the news

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:36:00 +0000

Yet another local news story about a city government promoting rain barrels along with other clean technologies. This town, like many across the country, sells the barrels themselves and the program is designed to pay for itself.

Attention SF Bay Area Residents

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:54:00 +0000

I am pleased to announce that we are now taking pre-orders for RainSaucers.

The RainSaucers units will initially be on sale on a first come first serve basis (thus we recommend you pre-order) at San Francisco's Urban Farmer Store (2833 Vicente Street) later this month for $55 (a demo unit is already in the store). You will need to purchase a rain barrel as well and Urban Farmer sells them with rebates included from the SFPUC.

For those outside the SF Bay Area, please feel free to fill out a pre-order form and we'll let you know when can be supplied to you locally or online.

It never rains in Southern California?

RainSaucers Inc. — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:23:00 +0000

Not according to recent events. In fact, Los Angeles can get over 30 inches of rain in a good year which happened as recently as 2005. The average is actually 15 inches which is not too shabby if one harvests all of that. This year's rain is causing problems with flooding but it is also resulting in polluted oceans as all the runoff results in contaminated water. Rainwater harvesting reduces that contamination impact- hence the government and EPA support. But one aspect which never seems to get attention is that only a small portion of the runoff is generated by roofs. Most of it comes from the paved streets and sidewalks, not to mention backyards. Needless to say, these non-roof areas are RainSaucers territory because we deploy anywhere.

First Full Barrel

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:15:00 +0000

Four weeks. That's about how long it took to fill one of our 55 gallon test barrels with fresh, free, Northern California Rain Water. It rained about 5 inches during that time and since we had two of our smaller Saucers deployed together (total surface area of 22.5 square feet) things happened rather quickly. But like many folks that harvest rainwater in California we are now wondering what to do next with that 55 gallons since we don't need it for plants right now (it's not the growing season). Yes, we would save it for April when we plant. But it makes more sense to use it now and refill. Its high quality makes it perfect for a lot of in-home uses like laundry, bathing, dish washing, hand washing etc.

The rains have come...

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:18:00 +0000

finally to Northern California! Over the past few weeks we have been actively testing our pre-commercial product and the results are excellent. Over the summer we completed trials in the US, Guatemala, and India. We are also currently testing our units in Seattle. In the coming months we expect RainSaucers to available in the U.S. for purchase through local rain barrel providers.

Mosquitoes in my Rain Barrel?

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:04:00 +0000

One of the interesting things we learned at the recent ARCA conference is how Mosquitoes can still wind up in rain barrels, even when the lid is tightly secured and filtration is in place. According to the scientists which presented at the conference, all the mosquitos need is a small accessible puddle of water any where along the route to the rain barrel to lay their eggs. Once the miniscule eggs are in place they can easily be washed into the rain barrel with the next rain. The typical example given was of a rain gutter stopped up temporarily creating a breeding ground Just one more reason standalone rainwater harvesting has appeal. It puts you in complete control of the water from the sky to the barrel.

CloudJuice

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:58:00 +0000

Having great fun and learning a lot this week at the ARCSA conference, This video I thought should be shared because it shows an RWH pioneer, Richard Heinichen, in action and his evolution from tanks into bottled rainwater.

Meetup at ARCSA Conference 10/4-6

RainSaucers Inc. — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:21:00 +0000

For those interested, we plan on attending the ARCSA conference in Austin, TX October 4-6 and would be happy meet with potential customers and partners to demonstrate our product. Please just use our contact page to get a hold of us and we'll set something up. See you there!

Yet another City added to the list

RainSaucers Inc. — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 14:08:50 +0000

As we've said before the rainwater harvesting trend appears here to stay in the U.S. as more and more cities subsidize rain barrels. Interestingly the trend covers major metros and even smaller towns and suburbs. This one caught our eye...

The Rainwater Harvesting Market

RainSaucers Inc. — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:08:00 +0000

We had to do a double take when we first saw it. Frost and Sullivan the venerable market research firm who for years has been the authority on emerging markets in the technology field released a report on the RWH market in Europe and India. Entitled "Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting Market in Europe and India" , the December 2009 report is extremely bullish on RWH saying that "a significant driver for the RWH market in India has been the state level legislations that have made RWH mandatory for all new buildings in certain states..the key driver in Europe has been the steep water prices with several European countries topping the global water tariff list.” The report doesn't mention the U.S. but judging from the rate of growth we see here, could inclusion be far behind? But more importanly, does coverage of RWH by Frost and Sullivan mean the RWH market has finally arrived? We certainly hope so.

ARCSA Membership

RainSaucers Inc. — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:49:00 +0000

It's official, we are now members of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. Started in 1994, the group now has 700 member companies, half of which joined in just the last 3 years. That kind of growth shows an industry that is on the rise and we are honored to be part of it. Ironically, ARCSA (as you can see from the logo) mainly focuses on rooftop catchment. But we're here to shake up the dynamic a bit, and show the industry that there are complementary and in some situations, better alternatives. We also plan on attending the ARCSA national conference in October to begin the process of introducing ourselves.

Rain is Clearly Carbon Neutral Water

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:36:00 +0000

When we talk about rainwater harvesting at conferences and meetings we always highlight the advantages of Rain over municipal water . The obvious point is that it is free. We also talk about how it is fresh and better for your plants because it has no calcium (aka hard water) which can ruin soil over time.

But there is another important benefit which becomes quickly apparent with our solution- it is delivered right to your doorstep courtesy of Mother Nature. Half the cost of a municipal water supply is in the power required to pump water to customers . In other words, municipal water has a massive carbon footprint. Rainwater on the other hand, is carbon neutral, as long as it is used where it is no collected with no pumping. RainSaucers makes this possible because our solution is roof-independent and can be located anyhwere the rainwater needs to be deployed.

Coke, Pepsi, Recycling and RWH

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:00:00 +0000

One of the big topics of discussion in the Rainwater Harvesting business is the use of recycled soda syrup drums as rain barrels.

Detractors say that since the barrels are not designed for outdoor use they can eventually crack in the sun. Purpose built rain barrels, on the other hand, can withstand the elements, so are a better long term choice. Point taken.

But from a user's perspective, you simply can't beat the price which is anywhere from $20 (on Craiglist) to "free" when donated by the local coke or pepsi bottling plant (example here). Coke and Pepsi bottlers make the donation for the PR of being been seen as a good corporate citizen. The use of these drums is also viewed as a positive by municipalies because landfill is reduced at the same time water is conserved and stormwater is prevented.

Cities which subsidize RWH

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:40:00 +0000

An increasing number of cities in the U.S. are providing rain barrels at low or no cost to their constituents in order to promote the practice of rainwater harvesting. For many of these locations, the driver is the support (and funding) of the E.P.A which has made the reduction of stormwater from cities a top priority.

The most common type of rain barrel oferred is the repurposed 200 liter food container- which incidentally is the same type of storage RainSaucers is designed to work with. But some cities such as Oakland, CA subsidize brand new barrels.

Major cities on the West Coast with rain barrel subsidy programs include Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

RainSaucers CEO presenting at Acumen Event

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:24:00 +0000

For those that are interested in hearing more about our product and business plan, please come and hear our CEO, Tom Spargo present at the upcoming event "Social Enterpise from Scratch" sponsored by the Acumen Fund and the SOCAP10 conference. The event is on Thursday June 17th at 6PM at the SF Hub. Registation here.

The ROI of RWH in the USA

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:45:00 +0000

We admit the return on investment on a rainwater harvesting system is not great. As long as water remains cheap and subsidized by municipalities it is hard to convince homeowners to purchase an RWH system strictly on the water savings benefits (they can still be sold on water conservation however). In most places in the US, a gallon of water costs around $.01 meaning a system that produces 500-1,000 gallons per year (such as your typical rain barrel when emptied regularly) would only save $5-$10 per year. In other words, a rain barrel at $100 would take 10-20 years to pay off.

But new research from Circle of Blue shows that this in not the case in all cities. In Atlanta for example, water can cost up to $.025 per gallon. This would grow the water savings of a rain barrel to $12.5- $25 per year making the breakeven point occur in as little as 4 years. Other expensive cities for water include Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, and Santa Fe. We suspect that many more cities will join this list as municipalities increasingly start to pass the real costs of water on to the consumer.

Making Green Roofs Greener

Tue, 25 May 2010 11:15:00 +0000

One of the more interesting trends in green building design is the green roof. Green roofs can be as simple as a series of planter beds or as complicated as a whole plot of grass. But either way the evironmental and economnical benefits are numerous: less energy to cool the building, less stormwater which pollutes the oceans and rivers, less carbon dioxide, and greater sustainability especially if edibles are grown.

The only problem with green roofs is that they consume both water and energy because of the pumping required to bring water to the roof. Rainwater harvesting is great in that situation because the rain is delivered free right to where it can be used with no pumping. And RainSaucers can make that happen because unlike your typical RWH setup, we don't need to connect to a downspout at the bottom of the building. We can deploy anywhere on the rooftop itself right next to where the irrigation is required.

Water the next oil?

Fri, 14 May 2010 13:23:00 +0000

In investing circles, water is a hot topic. Some even say water is the next oil because as the population of the earth keeps growing, water will only become more precious because there is a finite amount that is fresh and within reach. T. Boone Pickens, the famous oil investor for example, believes so strongly in the economics of water that he has been buying water rights in Texas for resale at a later date. Many a movie (think Waterworld) has depicted a future in which fresh water is in extremely short supply.

In the water investing industry, much of the attention is focused on desalination on other technologies which increase the fresh water supply. Less attention is paid to recycling water and even more surprising is that rain water harvesting is mainly under the radar.

So what will it take to make rainwater harvesting a go to technology for increasing local water supply? RWH practitioners I've talked to all say that areas with water restrictions and high water prices are the early adopters. Yet in most other places the water itself is subsidized making the ROI on an RWH investment negligible. However, once these subsidies are removed and instead applied to RWH systems the overall result will be less consumption of municipal water and an increasing reliance on rain water. Many island nations have been operating this way for years and it is just a matter of time before the rest of us catch up.

RainCatchers

Wed, 05 May 2010 14:03:00 +0000

I came across this nonprofit, RainCatchers, recently and was impressed by their initiatives in Haiti. Our goal is try to help organizations like this to implement rainwater harvesting on a much greater scale. We are designing our system to be capable of setup in 10 minutes yet provide a household with enough drinking water to last the entire rainy season and beyond.

RainSaucers wins West Coast Village Capital

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:15:00 +0000

Well we finally crossed the first milestone in the life of a venture- seed funding. Since January of 2010 we've been participating as Members in the West Coast Village Capital program.On April 14th, the finals of the program were held and RainSaucers came out on top in both the internal and external team peer review. The program, sponsored by First Light Ventures, is a social venture business plan competition but with a unique twist- investments are decided by teams of peers rather than by professional investors. Our next step with this seed funding, is to further validate our concept by conducting an in-country field trial. Please send us a line if you are an NGO interested in working with us during the trial.

Finalist Cornell Venture Challenge

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:54:00 +0000

Over the last few months we have been trying to spread the word and obtain capital by entering business plan competitions. Now that its concluded, we can announce that we made the Finals at the Cornell Venture Challenge. RainSaucers was among 5 companies which were hand picked by Big Red Ventures, the MBA student venture capital group which runs the event. Thanks Cornell for the recoginition!

Stormwater Reduction

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 14:24:00 +0000

It's easy to forget the dual role Rainwater Harvesting plays in improving the environment. One the one hand, RWH reduces the need for piped water supplies. This not only saves the customer money, but also saves municipalities money, water, and the power which is required to pump treated water to citizen's homes.

But there is another benefit to the environment- a reduction in stormwater. Stormwater is te rainwater that hits roofs and pavements before draining to the nearby storm drain. Stormwater is problematic because it carries with it all the oils, chemicals, and organic contaminants which cause pollution. This pollution usually winds up in earby creeks and bays causing all sorts of problems for wildlife. Stormwater also erodes the natural bodies of water it traverses particularly during flood conditions.

Water Storage and Rainwater Harvesting

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:13:00 +0000

One could argue that the cistern size is the key to rainwater harvesting. The bigger the tank, the more rain can be stored for use on days when it is not raining. But we also think it is possible to have too much storage particulary, if the tank is not getting depleted between rains. In that case, there will be overflow, which is a waste of harvested rain.

Our recommendation is that people always look at the usage requirements between rainfalls to get a sense of the amount of storage needed. That is why we are trying to standardize on 200 liters of storage. For a family of 4 drinking 12 liters a day, a full 200 liter tank should last 16 days. As long as it rains after those 16 days, there should always be some rain in the barrel for them to drink. Under normal conditions, rain is usually no more than a few weeks apart once the rainy season has begun. In fact, during our prototype testing in the Bay Area this past Winter, the longest dry spell from December to March was only 12 days.

Monsoon Rain- is it really all at once?

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:45:00 +0000

As we mentioned in our last post , one limitation of RWH is that it only works when it is raining. This issue is compounded when the rainy season is short or when the rain comes all at once thereby restricting the quantity harvested based on storage capacity. We often hear that in India the monsoon can be problematic for RWH because while it brings a lot of rain, it tends to come all at once. Since RainSaucers works better with a more regular flow of rain over a long rainy season, we have been examining Monsoon patterns to determine if this really is an issue.

The result of our research tells us that it really all depends on location. Looking at India for example, there are places like Bangalore in the South where the rainy season is perfect- lasting 6 to 7 months with only one month (November) that may fall short of expectations. On the other hand, places like Bombay have more rain but it all comes within a short 4 month window.

So does this mean RWH won't work in places like Bombay? 4 out of 12 months is good but not as good as 7 out of 12 months. This is where the need for ways to increase water storage come in. RainSaucers currently achieves this by daisy chaining barrels together. But even that has limitations. So we are continually thinking about ways for cheaply store water. Stay tuned for more on that topic.

Rainwater Harvesting vs. other Water Sources

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:29:00 +0000

Within this blog, we have been mainly explaining why RainSaucers is better than traditional RWH. So if you've been reading this blog you already know we think our method is more scalable, cleaner, more flexible, and cheaper.

But outside this blog, we seem to spend just as much time explaining why RWH itself can be better than other water sources. For this post we thought it might be interesting to summarize that discussion.

RWH's most obvious imitation is that it is tied to the rainy season. A light rainy season means there is less water. And when the rain stops the harvesting stops. The storage capacity of the barrel then dictates how much water there is for the drought season. And storage can be expensive.

However, RWH makes up for these issues with some important advantages. The biggest is having a source of clean water in extremely close proximity. Poor people can spend hours a day in their quest for water thereby limiting their economic potential. Another important advantage is cost. A well can cost thousands of dollars while a community RWH project is usually just in the hundreds. Finally, wells, rivers and other sources of water are open to the air giving them greater potential for contamination. RWH is generally a closed system meaning there are less touch-points which could introduce contaminants.

Rainwater Harvesting for America

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:03:00 +0000

One question we sometimes get when we tell folks here in the U.S about our concept is "where can I get one"? It seems a low cost easy way to reap the benefits of rainwater harvesting is in demand everywhere, and not just the developing world. Thanks to a heightened awareness of sustainability issues and an interest in water conservation, RWH appears to be gaining traction in America.

RWH is nothing new to drought prone areas such as Texas and the Southwest where some families have been living off rainwater for decades. But recently, the concept has been gaining hold in cities that are concerned with the problem of storm run off. In our home town of San Francisco for instance, rain barrels are partially susidized by the city in order to reduce the pollution of the SF bay.

So does this mean RainSaucers should be made available to Americans too? We are considering it. One thing we know for sure is that collecting rain straight from the sky , rather from a rooftop, is without a doubt a cleaner method that results in higher quality water. We also think there are a lot of people out there who don't want to cut their downspouts just to hook up a rain barrel.

Importance of RWH in India

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:05:00 +0000

As we've mentioned previously, India is a prime market for rainwater harvesting because of the abundance of rain in contrast to the high degree of water contamination issues. But as we've recently been reminded, there is one other important reason- government support.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, rooftop rainwater harvesting systems are now mandatory for new buildings in 18 of India’s 28 states and four of its seven federally-administered union territories. Even more important is the Minister for Rural Development's position that about 50 percent of the funds for India’s rural employment act are being used for water harvesting systems.

RainSaucers, which is mainly going to be targeted at rural areas in India, should be able to benefit from this overall awareness and government promotion.

Zenrainman

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:44:00 +0000

The first thing we did when we came up with the idea for RainSaucers was to confirm our idea with an expert. After all, what good is a great idea if no one wants to buy it? Since our system is aimed mainly at countries like India where rainfall is heavy and yet the country experiences major contamination issues, we knew we needed to talk with an RWH practitioner based there.

Vishwanath Srikantaiah, also known by his handle Zenrainman, was immediately helpful to us providing invaluable feedback on the market, price points, system requirements, and even potential partners. "Vish", as he is known, is is a Civil Engineer and Urban Planner which has organized numerous Rainwater Harvesting projects in India and Bangladesh using traditional techniques. He is the founder or leading member of numerous rainwater harvesting support initiatives including the Rainwater Club, an online reference site to promote the practice. Vish continues to serve as an advisor to RainSaucers. This video highlights some of the projects he is working on, including RWH.

Cherrapunji, India

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:16:00 +0000

RainSaucers, and all rainwater harvesting systems for that matter, work better in some places than in others. Annual precipitation is the first criteria we look at- the greater the annual rainfall the more rain will be caught. But this is a positive for many developing countries where annual rainfall is quite high. India for example, is home to the "wettest place on earth" Cherrapunji , India (which borders Bangladesh) where it rains an average of 450 inches per year. The runner-up for most rainfall is also in a developing country- Lloro Colombia is said to get as much rain as Cherrapunji.

Yet just as important as annual rainfall is the length of the rainy season. India and most countries that experience Monsoon again have an advantage because the rainy season can easily last 6 months. During that time, RainSaucers users can live off their harvested rain thereby sparing them trips to the local well or river. To make the rain last the whole year, users just need to make sure they have sufficient water storage for those 6 months.

No nitrates here, can't say same for tap

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:30:00 +0000

One of our more interesting test results came from the test for Nitrates. In our three way run off between RainSaucers water, roof run off, and tap water (see previous post) both rain sources were nitrates free. The tap water however registered 5 parts per million (5 milligrams per liter). 10 parts per million is considered the threshold for safety by most standards. So the tap water passed the test but made our rain water look healthier by comparison.

Nitrates in the water is mainly the result of contamination from fertilizer and decaying plant material. The WHO says we eat 20-70 milligrams per day just from the vegetables we eat so it is considered to be unavoidable. But when daily drinking water adds to the exposure health problems can arise. Infants who are fed water or formula made with water that is high in nitrate can develop a condition that doctors call methemoglobinemia- also called "blue baby syndrome" because the skin appears blue-gray or lavender in color. This color change is caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood which can lead to coma and death if not treated promptly.

RainSaucers for Farming

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:54:00 +0000

One way to drastically improve the lives of the rural poor is by improving their farming productivity. In many developing countries, they cannot afford irrigation systems meaning farming must take place during the rainy season. This not only limits their growing season but also restricts the types of crops they can grow. Only the hardiest of plants are able survive the erratic nature of rain during the rainy season.

There is however, a trend towards making irrigation systems more affordable. Driptech for example has gotten a lot of attention for its low cost gravity-fed drip irrigation system. Kickstart is tackling the problem with its man-powered pumps.
Yet both of these systems rely on a source of clean water which can sometimes be out of reach. So we've often wondered whether RainSaucers can help.

The main limitation on RainSaucers, in the irrigation context, is volume of water. Our 200 liter barrel only represents enough water for a small plot for a month at most. But if emptied throughout the rainy season the output of a RainSaucers system can be over 2,000 liters, enough to keep a small plot thriving throughout the rainy season and beyond. The RainSaucers system (empty) is small and light enough to be setup right next to the plot. And since it is already elevated off the ground it would plug nicely into any existing gravity fed drip system.

So the net effect of a RainSaucers system combined with drip is that rural farmers can have all the benefits of irrigation without much of the physical task of getting water to the plot either by pump or fetching.

The Pesticide Test

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:48:00 +0000

We are often asked about the safety of drinking rain given all the pollution in the atmosphere. Pollution is indeed a concern not just for RWH but for the environment in general. From our research, it appears that Pesticides are perhaps the most dangerous of all pollutants. Pesticides in the water supply can cause all sorts of reproductive problems not to mention nervous system and liver damage.

Pesticide contamination is more pronounced in heavy farming areas and since our tests are being conducted in San Ramon, CA (about 1 hour from the California farm belt) we were curious to see if Pesticides would show up in our rainwater, Fortunately, our tests for Pesticides have all been negative.

One factor that no doubt contributed to this result was that we started collecting our rainwater after it had rained heavily a few times, As mentioned previously rainwater is much cleaner after the third or fourth rain when many pollutants have been washed out.

RWH for Disaster Relief in Haiti

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:31:00 +0000

Even before the recent earthquake, Haiti was well known for its water contamination issues. 46 percent of Haitians do not have sustainable access to potable water, according to the UN. But now the situation is clearly worse and it has gotten us to think about RainSaucers and its application as a solution to this and other natural disasters.

Haiti is a moderately rainy country, getting around 10 inches of rain in the Spring and 10 inches of rain in the Fall. This makes Rainwater Harvesting in Haiti an appropriate solution when people have the roofs and gutters in place.

But now with many homes in ruins, the roof-less approach of RainSaucers would be ideal. RainSaucers is mainly made from locally available materials, with the exception of the funnels, which can easily be shipped. A disaster relief agency just needs to have someone on the ground to assemble the systems and they can provide instant relief.

The only catch is it needs to be raining in Haiti which unfortunately will not start in earnest until March. But since Haiti's water problems are only expected to worsen in the coming months, we think there is still value in a RWH solution which can help people get by until their houses and lives are somewhat restored.

The Ph of Rain and how it tastes

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:31:00 +0000

It’s interesting how we perceive the taste of water in relation to its Ph level. Pure distilled water is Ph neutral (Ph of 7) and yet it tastes a little odd to us because the water from our tap is alkaline due to minerals in the ground water (>7). Rain, on the other hand, can sometimes be acidic due to gases in the atmosphere (<7) giving it a sour taste. But “acid rain”, as it is sometimes referred to, is really not a problem as long as it is mild. After all, many of the things we consumer everyday are moderately acidic- orange juice has a Ph of around 4 and coffee has a Ph of around 5.

In our tests, the rain we collected had a Ph between 6.5 and 7.5, making is pretty close to pure distilled water. As for the taste: slightly metallic but entirely drinkable*. There was also the taste of Apricots owing to the nature of the recycled barrels which we are using-they come from a brewery which uses apricot syrup in production. In fact the rainwater was just as drinkable, in our view, as the “hard” water coming out of our tap which had a Ph of 8.5. Those of you with “hard” water know what I mean.

*In the interest of full disclosure, we did run the RainSaucers water through a Brita filter before drinking it. Our prototype collectors are currently painted with a non-food grade coating but our field test units will indeed be 100% made from food safe materials.

Is RainSaucers really cleaner than traditional roof based RWH?

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:53:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago we conducted a three way run-off test between our water, traditional RWH Roof Run-off, and Tap Water. The bacteria test yielded the most exciting result- namely that while our water was bacteria-free, the traditional RWH water was not (details below). This initially provides support of our claim that RainSaucers is indeed cleaner.

Yet the results were not surprising given what we all know falls on roofs (bird droppings). In fact, a few times during our testing we've had the same issue in our RainSaucers collectors. However, since the collectors are removable and at eye-level and we access the prototype every day, it easy for us to catch this and clean things up before the next rain, thereby preventing contamination.

As part of our test, we ran a basic Coliform Bacteria test on three water samples (from left to right):

1. Roof Run-off- rainwater harvested from the roof
2. RainSaucers- rainwater harvested from our system
3. Tap Water

A purple color means "Negative" (No bacteria were detected).
A yellow color means "Positive" (It is highly likely that potentially harmful bacteria were detected).

The conclusion: Roof Runoff contained potentially harmful Coliform Bacteria

Our First RainSaucers Test- Volume

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:52:00 +0000

As promised, we will begin revealing the results of our prototype testing starting now.

One common misconception about rainwater harvesting is that you need an extremely large surface area and a huge storage tank for it to make sense. Well that’s true if you plan on covering all your water needs with rain such as cleaning, bathing, drinking, cooking, gardening, etc. But if you just want to have safe water to drink- the requirement is about 3 liters per person per day. For that, all you need is 3 square meters of surface area for every 1 mm of rain. As for storage, two weeks worth for a family of four comes to 168 liters. So a 200 liter barrel, such as the one we use, is fine as long as the barrel is partially emptied every few days during the rainy season (so the barrel never gets full).

Now for our volume test results…

During the 7 days ending December 13th , 2009 we harvested 22.5 gallons of rain (85 liters) in our prototype here in San Ramon, CA. During that time it rained 1.66 inches (42 mm). Since our prototype has a surface collection area of 2 square meters, that means we harvested approximately 2 liters per mm per square meter which is precisely what you would expect.

Is Rain Safe to Drink?

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:07:00 +0000

The short answer is “yes” as long as it is caught and stored cleanly. Rain is actually the purest form of naturally occurring water because it comes from the natural process of distillation. Rain only becomes unsafe to drink when it comes in contact with harmful substances in the air, but this can be avoided by not harvesting the rain during the first few days of the rainy season. By the third or fourth day of rain, much of the potential pollutants have been washed out, resulting in rain that is fresh and hopefully pleasant tasting.

To prove that rain is safe to drink, we will be incorporating a “taste test” into the series of tests we plan on running on our prototype. We’ll post the results here along with any other tests we are ready to publish.

Welcome to the RainSaucers Blog

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:25:00 +0000

For the first post in our blog, we thought it would be wise to start with a little but more information about our product and the inspiration behind it. Simply put, we have devised a system that uses a series of funnels (saucer shaped, thus the name RainSaucers) that collect rainwater and feed it into a storage unit. The unique feature is that by using our own easy to install catchment instead of the roof, we can generate water that is cleaner, cheaper, and more convenient than traditional Rainwater Harvesting (RWH).

From a societal perspective the real benefit of RainSaucers over traditional RWH is scalability. By turning what is a normally a “project” into a manufactured “product”, RainSaucers has the potential to finally bring RWH to everyone that needs it.

So how did we come up with this idea? The inspiration came from the simple realization that rain is plentiful in many of the developing countries where safe drinking water is needed most. For example it rains twice as much in Bombay as it does in famously rainy Seattle. From there, we used a mix of mathematics and mechanical engineering to devise a solution that would have enough surface area to provide a reasonable amount of water, yet stay low in cost.

We were also partly inspired by much of the RWH activities already going on in India. The following video was interesting to us because it showed how with some ingenuity anybody should be able to harvest rain...