Rainwater Harvesting

Solution Guide

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ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS
UrbanGreen™ Stormwater Solutions from CONTECH ®

Selecting the Right Stormwater Solution Just

Got Easier...
It’s simple to choose the right low impact development (LID) solution to achieve your runoff reduction goals with the Contech
UrbanGreenTM Staircase. First, select the runoff reduction practices that are most appropriate for your site, paying particular
attention to pretreatment needs. If the entire design storm cannot be retained, select a treatment best management practice
(BMP) for the balance. Finally, select a detention system to address any outstanding downstream erosion.

Learn more about all of our stormwater

technologies at www.ContechES.com/u r b a n g re e n

© 2010-2012 Contech Engineered Solutions LLC

UrbanGreen™ Rainwater Harvesting

Flexible Runoff Reduction Solution
LID strives to eliminate runoff by reducing impervious area
and infiltrating wherever practical. If your site has high
groundwater, soils with low permeability, bedrock, or
other limiting conditions, infiltration alone may not
provide enough runoff reduction to meet regulations.
That’s when rainwater harvesting is an important tool
to help meet runoff reduction requirements.
Rainwater Harvesting
will save you time and money because you’ll
get everything you need with one phone call.
Benefits:
• Turn-key system from single provider
• Complete sizing and engineering support

With the UrbanGreen Rainwater Harvesting System, • Easy installation

you have all the components to build an efficient and • Flexible systems with many options
effective water re-use or runoff reduction integrated • System warranty and ongoing maintenance service
management practice. Our fully integrated system

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Rainwater Harvesting: Design Made Easy
Learn About Rainwater To view the Rain Water Harvesting
Harvesting Animation, visit:
www.ContechES.com/r w h - a n i m at i o n
New stormwater regulations require on-site water
management, which can be a design challenge.
Rainwater Harvesting is a Low Impact Development
tool that can achieve both runoff reduction and
water conservation.
Go online (www.ContechES.com/rwh-animation)
and watch our video to learn how Rainwater
Harvesting offers benefits including:
• Achieve the runoff reduction required for your
stormwater permit
• Conserve water resources
• Provide up to 12 LEED Points
• An LID solution with a positive ROI through
utility savings

Calculate the Benefits of To use the Rain Water Harvesting Runoff

Rainwater Harvesting Reduction Calculator tool, visit:
The Contech Runoff Reduction Calculator
www.ContechES.com/r w h - c a l c u l at o r
(www.ContechES.com/rwh-calculator) is a free tool
that allows users to quickly and easily determine the
benefits of a rainwater harvesting system. With the
Runoff Reduction Calculator, you can calculate:
• Runoff Reduction and Stormwater Volume
Retained On-site
• Water saving and reduction of demand on
potable supplies
• Financial savings based on reduced utility fees
• Information to support LEED Credits
• Reports for Stormwater Permit Approval

Learn more at www.ContechES.com/rwh

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Rainwater Harvesting: System Overview
Integrated system with multiple options makes it simple to
meet your site-specific needs.
Pretreatment
Downspout or
Underground
• 100% flow capture
• Removes gross
solids Cistern
Aboveground or
Underground Mechanical System
• Metal Indoor Mechanical Room • Outdoor Enclosure
• Steel Reinforced Treatment: Pump: Control Systems:
Polyethylene • Screening • Submersible • Control Panel
• Concrete • Filtration • Suction Display
• Ultra-Filtration • Variable Speed • Remote Display
• Ultraviolet • Simplex • Building
disinfection • Duplex Management
• Chlorination System
• Web
Monitoring

Aboveground Metal Cistern: 96” x 20’

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UrbanGreen™ Pretreatment
Proven Pollutant Removal
Pretreating stormwater prior to storage protects downstream pumps,
filters and fixtures from damage or clogging, and lowers cleaning
and maintenance costs by keeping pollutants out of the cistern and
mechanical system. It also reduces the amount of organic matter
and biological oxygen demand (BOD) in the cistern, decreasing the
likelihood of creating anaerobic conditions and associated odors.

CDS
• Continuous Deflection Separation
– Captures and retains 100% of floatables Downspout CDS®
– Self-cleaning screen is the only non-
blocking screening technology available
– Provides storage of captured pollutants
below screen for unimpeded flow
– 100% flow capture

Underground Pretreatment
For more than 20 years, Contech hydrodynamic separators
have provided proven and reliable removal of sediment,
trash, debris, oil and grease on thousands of sites.

CDS® System

Learn more at www.ContechES.com/rwh

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UrbanGreen™ Cisterns
Flexible Options for Any Application
Underground Cisterns
• Preserve surface space
• More economical for larger sites
• Protected from freezing, seismic or
wind loads
• Available in metal, steel-reinforced
polyethylene and concrete

Aboveground Cisterns
• Flexible sizing from 2,500 to 20,000
gallons
• Foundation design can be provided
to speed permitting

Seven 96”x 48’ Underground Metal Cisterns

Cistern standard details available

at www.ContechES.com/r w h

INTAKE

INTAKE

Typical underground cistern components

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 UrbanGreenTM Rainwater Harvesting Cistern Properties
Type Product Options Watertight Rating Best Use
• Single tanks
• Tested up to • 25 – 75 years • 10,000 to
• Multiple tanks
Metal 8 psi (call for (depends on 100,000 gallons
• Up to 144”
details) soil)
Underground

• General purpose
diameter
• Medium to large
• Up to 120” systems
Steel Reinforced • 15 psi • 50 – 100
diameter • Water critical (near
Polyethylene (SRPE) • Field Testable years
• Unlimited lengths building, slope,
potable)
• 75 – 100
Aboveground

• Up to 144” years (Cistern) • Aboveground

• 8 psi (call for
Metal diameter • 25+ years • Up to 20,000
details)
• Up to 20’ tall (replaceable gallons
liner)

96” Steel Reinforced Polyethylene Cistern

Learn more at www.ContechES.com/rwh

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UrbanGreen™ Mechanical Systems
Mechanical Building Blocks to Customize your Solutions ...
Mechanical Systems Make-up Water
Options Options
• Indoor Mechanical Room • Re-fill wet well or day tank to
• Outdoor Enclosure create air-gap and meet code
– Locked and Tamper Proof • Direct feed with Backflow
– Insulated prevention valve can ensure
– Climate Controlled water service during power
• Underground Vault outage
• Municipal makeup water
ensures water supply during dry
periods
Pumps
Features
• Sized to meet the maximum
instantaneous demand for all
combined applications
• Provide standard city water
pressure to meet code and
operational standards
Options
• Submersible in Cistern
• Submersible in Wet Well
• Suction from above ground

UrbanGreenTM Rainwater Harvesting System

components ready for installation.

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Controls
Features
• Automatically control pumps
and power
• Performs ongoing monitoring
and communication
• Remote monitoring and alert
capabilities available
• Flexible and customizable
systems for your site-specific
needs. UrbanGreenTM Rainwater
Options Harvesting System Control Panal

• Control Panel
– Remote Display
Treatment & Disinfection
– Internet Access Features
• Monitoring • Screening to remove gross solids
– Filter Maintenance • Filtration to remove particulates
– Usage: Re-use, Make-up and fine sediment
More than a product...
– Pump Maintenance • Disinfection to destroy bacteria
– Disinfection and viruses • Full Design Service
• Continuous Controls Options • On-Site Installation Assistance
– Automated First Flush • Filtration • Ongoing Inspection and
Diversion – Single/Multi Stage Maintenance Support
– Treatment and Disinfection – Standard/Ultra
– Make-up water – Manual/Automatic Back Flush Learn more
• Reporting • Ultraviolet Disinfection: Best for
– Display www.ContechES.com/rwh
applications where water will
– Email be used immediately, such as
– Text irrigation
• Chlorination Disinfection:
Commonly used for applications
that require residual disinfection
capability and is common for
non-irrigation applications

Learn more at www.ContechES.com/rwh

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Project Profile: Alta Vista Park Diversion & Reuse, Redondo Beach, California
Project Summary
The number one cause of coastal water pollution in
Southern California is urban stormwater runoff. The City of
Redondo Beach is taking steps to protect their coastal waters
by collecting the stormwater runoff that would have been
harmful to the beach, treating the runoff to clean out the
debris and then using it to irrigate Alta Vista Park.

Project Highlights
• Project is funded by the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and administered through the
State Water Resources Control Board’s Clean Water
State Revolving Fund (CWSRF).
• Below ground rainwater harvesting was necessary to
accommodate small site constraintsk.
• Four phase rainwater harvesting system includes two
treatment systems and two storage cisterns.

Client Testimonial
“The City Council has been very proactive regarding water
quality and “Green” development, and their support has
given the staff the incentive to think outside the box and to
come up with innovative projects that protect the bay and
our valuable resources,” said Mike Shay, Principal Civil
Engineer, City of Redondo Beach.

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Project Profile: South Transfer Station, Seattle, Washington
Project Summary
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is building a new $50 million
waste transfer station building in South Seattle, projected
to be finished in July 2012. SPU’s goal was to build this
project to the standards of the U.S Green Building Council’s
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
certification program and to achieve LEED Gold status. To
achieve credit for water efficiency, SPU wanted to harvest
rainwater to reuse onsite.

Project Highlights
• Harvested water will be used in many ways such
as irrigation, to wash the transfer station floor, as
washdown water for the tipping floor and for the wheel
wash for trucks.
• Irrigation will be used for the new landscaping around
the facility, including 123 on-site trees, 32,000 SF of
ground cover and 81,000 SF of grass cover.
• The SRPE cistern utilizes DuroMaxxTM technology and is
comprised of two 84” diameter cistern sections that are
each 75 feet long.

Client Testimonial
“The new facility will allow the city to maintain reliable solid
waste services in an economical and environmentally sound
manner,” said Henry Friedman, Project Manager for Seattle
Public Utilities.

Learn more at www.ContechES.com/rwh

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Next Steps
Learn more
Read our white paper, Rainwater Harvesting and Reuse, to
learn more about the components of a rainwater harvesting
system. You’ll recieve free PDH credits for completing a
quick quiz. Available at www.ContechES.com/rwh

View the Animation

To view the Rainwater Harvesting Animation, visit
www.ContechES.com/r w h - a n i m at i o n

Connect with Us
We’re always available to make your job easier. Search for
your local rep at www.ContechES.com. While you’re there,
be sure to check out our upcoming seminar schedule or
request an in-house technical presentation.

Start a Project
If you are ready to begin a project, submit your system
requirements on our easy to use form found on our website
at www.ContechES.com/rwh

Rain Water Harvesting

Runoff Reduction Calculator
To use the Rain Water Harvesting Runoff Reduction
Calculator tool, visit:
www.ContechES.com/r w h - c a l c u l at o r

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ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS
©2012 contech engineered solutions llc
800.338.1122
www.ContechES.com
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