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FEATURES
Rainwater harvesting : pump it on
By
Tanya Olckers
Rainwater harvesting has been getting a lot of attention recently . We look at pumps .
With water being a scarce commodity in South Africa , and with the country facing a water crisis , more homeowners are looking to collect rainwater to assist them .
It is quite possible that your business may receive more requests for backup water systems . Not only will this be an environmentallyfriendly solution and assist in navigating South Africa ’ s current water issues , it provides a use for water that would most likely otherwise be lost .
A rainwater harvesting system is quite straightforward . To recap from our rainwater harvesting articles from January and March 2024 , rainwater is collected from a collection area or surface – usually the roof of the house . The water runs into the gutters and then in a system of pipes into the harvesting or back up tank .
Every 2.5 centimetres of rainwater that is aggregated from the collection area is equivalent to around eight or nine litres of water . For this water to be used , it needs to be pumped out of the tank , and for this purpose one clearly needs to have , you guessed it , pumps .
What is a rainwater pump ? A pump is connected to rainwater storage tanks or collection points . They are essential to rainwater harvesting systems as they create pressure and ensure that a desired flow rate is established to meet water demand . They are usually powered by electricity , but there are pumps available that can be operated manually or by solar energy .
“ They can be used for residential , public and commercial properties , and also for water management applications ,” says Varun Rajasingh , head of sales excellence at Wilo Pumps . “ Wilo products are used in heating , air-conditioning , cooling , mining , industrial and water supply applications as well as for drainage and sewage .”
There are different kinds of pumps .
• Positive displacement pumps function by trapping and displacing fluid . This means that the fluid – in this case , rainwater – is displaced , moves along the pipe and through to its discharge . The rainwater is continually displaced so that it can keep being discharged from the pump .
© Plumbing Africa
Backup water tank is unloaded .
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline February 2025 Volume 30 I Number 12