Water is natures most effective solvent, and as such, along with wind and air, is the main transporter of the worlds pollutants; StormTreat System is a way for us to offset that transportation of pollutants ourselves through stewardship that makes sense.

Pollutants are effectively removed from stormwater runoffs above and beyond the call of duty with this system, the following pollutant removal data was collected over a two-year period by clients and confirmed in state-certified labs:

• Fecal Coliform 97%

• Total Suspended Solids 98%

• Chemical Oxygen Demand 82%

• Total Dissolved Nitrogen 77%

• Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon 90%

• Lead 77%

• Chromium 98%

• Phosphorus 90%

• Zinc 90%

StormTreat System has been awarded the EPA Envirotechnology Innovator Award as well as being the first stormwater treatment system to be recognized by the Massachusetts Strategic Environmental Partnership or STEP program.

STS is low maintenance, easily accessible with standard equipment and recommended for Residential Subdivisions, Lake Shores, Commercial Developments, Marinas and Landings, Industrial Sites, Parking Lots, Roads and Highways, Transportation Terminals, Reconstructions, Maintenance Facilities and Habitat Restorations.

Being a compact underground bioretention stormwater treatment system, StormTreat System uses LID (low impact development) technology, avoiding the unsightly and creating an environmentally friendly solution that is pleasing to the eye as well as the heart.

Step 1. Construction of the Rain Barrels Base

Because we had some summer storms coming, I constructed a temporary base for the barrels made of concrete blocks and 2×4 studs. Everything was leveled and the barrels were put in their final position so that connecting tube lengths could be estimated.

Step 2. Positioning the Diverter

A proper height of the diverter was selected so that the mounting flanges of the diverter could be screwed just above the lower edge of the metal siding of the house. At this point the rain downspout was marked to be cut.

Step 3. Cutting the Downspout

The rain downspout was removed and cut on a chop saw for a clean, straight cut. I cut out a section of the downspout that was equivalent to the length needed by the diverter so that all existing mounting straps at the bottom of the downspout would still be usable. This resulted in a clean installation.

Step 4. Mounting the Downspout and Diverter

The upper section of the downspout was reconnected to the rain gutter. I used an awl to align one of the existing holes while I re-inserted the other screws. I then positioned the diverter in place and screwed it to the metal siding of the house. Finally, I positioned the bottom section of the downspout and re-attached it to the house.

Step 5. Connecting the Barrels to Each Other

I measured and cut lengths of the tubing to connect the barrels in their proper position. To make it easier to slide the tubing over the connectors, I placed the tubes in hot tap water for 30 seconds. This softened the tube and it easily slid onto the connectors. Because there would be no high water pressure, I did not use hose clamps here.

Step 6. Connecting the Diverter to the Barrels

The last step was to connect the tubes between the diverter and the rain barrels. I originally used the two white tubes provided, but then decided to use one clear tube so any observers could see the water running through the tube. Before attaching the end of the tube to the connectors, I again placed the tube end in hot tap water to soften the tube. Then the tubes were attached. I used hose-clamps to secure the upper end of the tube at the diverter, so that the tube did not come off. Finally, I used one zip-tie to hold the tubes to the downspout so they didn’t move in the wind. The installation was complete and took about 2 hours, not counting time to the hardware store to buy extra tubing and hose clamps.

We’ve had three storms since the installation and all three barrels are 3/4 full. -Thanks

Made from 85% recycled polypropylene and 15% propriety selected materials, 95% of the surface area is void, while the paneled structures themselves are unaffected by mold, algae, soil-borne chemicals or bacteria.

Being of modular design, AquaBlox Water Matrix Tank Module is prefabricated into eight panels for each block, allowing for lego-like assembly, by-hand, onsite, for cost effective practical shipping, as well as easy installation.

Modular design also allows for a more organic look to the garden space, since the underground reservoir acts like a flexible tank that can take on any needed shape, with a passive filtration system that actually supports a variety of water garden designs that bring peace and value to your rainwater harvesting system.

The water matrixs service temperature is -21.2°F to 131°F (-6°C to 55°C), has an unconfined crush load of 34 psi (24 t/m2), with maximum displacement set at 0.433 (11 mm) tested between 46.4-57.2°F and 8-14°C; while it takes an unconfined side load of 3.58 psi (2.5 t/m2), with the maximum displacement set at 0.394 (10 mm), tested between 62.6°F (± 37.4) and 17°C (± 3).

The AquaBlox Large Water Matrix size comes under product number 29492, each matrix block measuring 26.5 long, 16 wide, 17.5 height, has a volume of 32 gallons, weighing 15.4 lbs, bearing 38 psi of load once installed and is assembled from eight modular pieces; four pieces measuring 26.5 x 16 and four pieces measuring 14.5 x 16.

An average 1500 gallon AquaBlox Water Matrix system, contains 48 AquaBlox, about 4 x 6 each, usually configured to 2 layers, with a 8 x 9 x 5 basin.

Lightweight, quick to install, with easy transportation, strong structural design, using underground space to a 95% capacity through modular water matrix cells, AquaBlox are ecologically friendly and improve the quality of urban living through tranquil garden or patio spaces that help us build a greener way of life for future generations to come.

AquaBlox Installation Documents and More – Get an idea of what it will take to install these units before you buy, we will be installing some locally (in MA if you are interested?) this coming spring, will update!

Watersaver Rain Barrel looks a lot like a wine keg from medieval times with a cool look that gives your garden that almost buccaneer look to it.

The screen fits inside the barrel perfectly and the lid wont come off without you knowing how, making it ruggrat and critter safe.

There is an overflow on the back of this rain barrel that comes with a six foot hose (easily replaceable for more reach) for redirecting your overflow automatically to planters or extra barrels as you see fit.

Two spigot outlets allow you to control the pressure of your water somewhat and the Watersaver Rain Barrel comes with one threaded brass spigot that fits the common garden hose for easy use.

Save money on your water bill, do good for the environment by recycling the most precious source of life on our planet; water.

Watersaver Rain Barrel will not only cut down on your carbon footprint indirectly, it will also look good, fitting snuggly into the corner of your lawn, garden or against the wall, wherever the downspout is.

Watersaver Rain Barrel has a five-year guarantee, but if kept well, should be able to hold up throughout your lifetime, never giving in to the elements of nature, holding 54 gallons of water that will only leave the barrel when you decide.

Deluxe English Barrel comes with a four-foot hose, a drain valve for multiple rain barrel link ups, a debris screen and a tight childproof lid.

This durable green plastic will hold up to the elements, decade after decade, and keep on maintaining your lawn sustainable while water bills skyrocket, year after year; yours will be sustainable and partially off-the-grid.

By using a larger capacity rain barrel, you can keep a larger supply of water for a longer period, while still keeping your lawn green and lovely all year round, even in a drought.

The Deluxe English Barrel is a 77 gallon rain barrel that comes with everything you will need to redirect your downspout into a more sustainable lifestyle in lawn keeping and gardening.

This water barrel is child-safe and comes with a snug filter and lid, as well as overflow tube and linking kit for additional barrels in your rainwater catchment system.

Measuring 24 x 24 x 32 and weighing only 36 lbs, the Rain Catcher has a built in outlet hose with shut-off valve.

These dark green 54 gallon rain barrels will withstand generations of use, year after year, will save precious water for your lawn or garden, making your home a more sustainable environment.

The Rain Catcher Water Barrel fits compactly in the corner of your patio, deck or garden, adding just that aesthetic feel with a hint of water conservation that will make the difference tomorrow.

Buy Now on Amazon.com!

Rigid plastic like this can take anywhere from 200 to 500 years to find the way back to Mother Nature in the landfill, but when in use as a rain barrel, with a threaded spigot for easy hose attachment, screw-on-cover, drain plug, overflow fittings and complete instructions, it becomes a lifetime commitment to sustainable practices.

Great American Rain Barrels can even be put on blocks and connected to a second barrel with nothing but a three fourths of an inch hose, making it one of the most practical devices of our generation.

On the whole, this 60 gallon heavy-duty 100% recycled plastic food grade barrel will allow you to save on your water bill, while at the same time helping our environment; this truly is The Great American Rain Barrel! Semper fidelis!

Gutter Brush is a simple yet effective design, technically a polypropylene brush in twisted wire of a cylinder shape, available in two different sizes, 4.25 inches for the standard 5 inch gutters or 5.25 inches for the oversized 6 inch gutters.

The GutterBrush bristles prevent leaves and other types of rooftop debris from clogging the gutters and impeding water flow.

The airflow, sun, rain and wind all make sure that debris either dries out and blows away or self-composts and breaks down into small particles that wash into the downspout.

Cleaning, if ever needed, while maintaining the gutters themselves, is as easy as removing individual sections and brushing out the debris by hand, installing is just as simple as placing them in the gutter.

Gutter Brush works just as well with any material types, be they Asphalt, Cedar Shake, Slate, Tile, Rubber, Metal, Copper, PVC, Aluminum, Galvanized or Stainless Steel alike.

One box of standard sized gutter brush, 120ft per box will weigh some 26 pounds, while the oversized gutter brush box comes half that at 60ft per box and only weighing 16 pounds.

Ice dams are the result of improper insulation, and snow melt leaving a build up of ice in the gutter, of which Gutter Brush has no effect, but the bristles absorb heat, promoting rapid melting as soon as it warms back up.

Gutter Brush can be found in 3 feet and 18 inches, when a gutter is too short, simply bend back the brush upon itself and the desired length is then immediately achieved.

Gutter Brush is an excellent find, and an even more efficient mechanical filter for this fall’s rainwater harvesting, less upkeep and 100% preventive of downspout freezing or damage in winter’s coldest months.

Gutter Brush is one of the best gutter protectors for this winter, simple yet effective all year round.

Easily attached to a common garden hose, gutter wand has an efficient switch for better directing water flow with a blasting spray nozzle that extends more than half a yard.

This enhanced reach makes remote areas far easier to get to and less trips down the ladder.

Gutter wand also does sidewalks, driveways and curbs with ease, making bending and curving a thing of the past.

With a telescoping action, gutter wand extends from as small as 41.5 inches to a full 68.5 inches that easily reach those difficult curves around roof corners.

Gutter Wand will blast away at clogged gutters like magic.

Easily installed, fasteners are provided, products include:

• 40 foot heating cable
• 60 foot heating cable
• 80 foot heating cable
• 100 foot heating cable

Developing products for almost a century and designing upon demand, M-D Building Products has a long history of manufacturing expertise that lead the industry in almost every category.

Oklahoma City, OK and Gainesville, GA host this makers industrial plants; where roof and gutter heating cables are manufactured with the highest quality available today.

Metal, vinyl or plastic gutters and downspouts will be well protected all winter long, using energy efficiently with a new low wattage that is 30 percent more economical than traditional designs.

UL and CSA approved, this roof and gutter heating cable at 100 feet long, weighs no more than only 5.05 pounds, the perfect thing for protection against ice dams and excess water damage this winter.

This Downspout Extension fits snugly on existing elbows, either 2×3 inch or 3×4 inch downspouts, and swivels freely 180 degrees or flips up for better gardening or mowing as required.

The interesting telescoping option available with this model allows the length to adjust from three to six feet long depending on needs.

Made from lightweight PVC vinyl, a downspout extension is paintable as well as available in brown or white original as desired.

A downspout extension will allow for better control of large amounts of storm water runoff, keeping the foundation of your home drier, saving flowers,plants or anything else that might not appreciate the chaotic nature of an ordinary downspout elbow without ground directioning.

Flipped up for better storage in the dry season, downspout extension ships at only 4 pounds and makes for an all winter protection; especially indicated for spring thawing as it does not need to be brought indoors.

Attaching quickly and efficiently to either 2×3 inch or 3×4 inch downspouts, this flexible downspout extension is a bulk, brown color that expands between 22 and 55 inches.

Shipping at 1.3 pounds, this flexible downspout extension can make a difference in how storm water runoff flows around your home.

Flexible downspout extension was made to bend, twist and extend to meet the needs of the home, be they rainwater harvesting or simple rain barrel catchments, as needed.

When It Rains, It Drains.^TM When It Shines, It Rewinds.^TM Rain Drain is a rain removal system that extends from the downspout only when runoff water pressure forces the built in stainless steal coils to unwind up to three feet from the downspout acting like a lawn sprinkler with perforated holes instead of a mouth exit as with the traditional downspout elbow.

Rain Drain also comes with a built in flush system, simply remove the grooved plastic fastener and flush excess debris manually from the UV inhibited vinyl construction that blends aesthetically with its surroundings, available in four different colors; white, dark brown, green and tan.

Rain Drain downspout extension URD46 is a full 46 inches when extended, two by three or three by four inches at the flush valve and opens to four inches round while in use.

An easy to install gasket and clamp are included and Rain Drain should always be brought inside during the winter and freezing months to keep durability and pliable softness for each new rainy season.

Shipping at only 3.20 ounces, this heavy-duty vinyl RAINDRAIN URD46 Downspout Extension rain drain automatically unrolls during showers and rerolls when the rain stops, protecting foundations from dampness and runoff seepage.

Note: The tanks are for rainwater harvesting for garden plants and fish ponds. If you are planning to drink rainwater you do so at your own risk, please filter the water.

Each Rainwater Tank comes with all you need for easy setup including:

55 Gallon Rainwater Tank (white and paintable) – These tanks are food grade and rugged, can handle all kinds of weather.
Brass Threaded Spigot – Solid Brass tank spigot that is threaded for ordinary garden hose.
Rainwater Diverter & Connection Hose – A smart rainwater diverter that runs until the tank is full then diverts back to the existing drainage pipe.
Winter Plug – For those interested in storing the storage tank during winter and leaving the diverter outside.
Instructions – Easy to follow instructions.

($150 with Free Shipping!)

Testimonials

William Kolosi writes:

I ordered and received my harvester last week, and installed it over the weekend. It’s installed in Stow, Ohio, and we’re expecting rain tomorrow night—can’t wait! Attached are some photos.

After I took the photos I tied some string into a net that fits nicely on the top half of the barrel. I replanted some ivy from elsewhere around the house, and strung it up through the net. My goal is to have the harvester look like a shrub! Nice product, coming together with the downspout diverter.

Susan Hamilton from Grand Prairie, TX writes:

We had a half inch in the rain gauge, and the barrel filled completely up! It was a snap to install and seems to be very well made. I am extremely pleased with your product. Here is a picture for you to see the finished flowerbed with rain barrel installed.

Update:

I entered a contest that I saw on our company’s home page, about water conservation. A group that the company sponsors through our ESH department called Green Star held a contest and had two categories, one was water conservation, and the other was xeriscaping. I sent in pictures of my rain barrel, one pic of it hooked into the gutter and the other pic of the side with the soaker hose. I won first place, and got a $50 master card to spend wherever I want to. I’m doing the happy dance J!

Interested in traditional rain barrels? (click image below)

You can not call a rain barrel a rainwater harvesting system because it is missing important components for filtration. Rain barrels have been around for many years and are still seen on farms and homes that are environmentally conscious. A rain barrel can be either open ended or have a more advanced downspout connector installed in it to capture water directly. To be considered a rainwater harvesting system a rain barrel would need debris removal and filtration to get rainwater ready for consumption.

Even though some people still drink water collected in rain barrels it is not considered safe by those who understand the subject. Rain collected from rooftops is often contaminated with bird droppings, mold and other debris that stagnate standing water. The only way to make collected rainwater safe for consumption is to boil it but this should only be done for emergency use and not as a permanent solution.

You often see old rain barrels or trash cans with the cap removed under an area where rooftop runoff is plentiful. This open ended rain barrel is a mosquito incubating chamber (mosquitoes lay eggs in the standing water) and is unsafe to your family’s health. To modernize a rain barrel you must make sure it is fully enclosed. An old open ended rain barrel can be covered with cheese cloth or outdoor window screen to keep mosquitoes out but the water will not be safe for consumption without filtration.

Rain barrels should be used to collect water for your garden and house plants only. If you put the water through reverse osmosis after debris removal it is still not technically a rainwater harvesting system. It is important that you be careful of what you drink, people have become very sick from consuming polluted water. It is also important to make sure that you are not breading mosquitoes to protect yourself and your neighbors from the dreaded West Nile virus.

I encourage people to separate the meaning of rain barrel and rainwater harvesting system to help promote the importance of rainwater filtration and health. If you want to drink rainwater, educate yourself on all the components that make up a complete rainwater harvesting system and only use rain barrels for your garden. Add first flush, coarse debris removal, UV sterilization and reverse osmosis to rain barrel collected water and yes, I would consider it a safe.

Rain barrels are great for educational purposes, they help build an awareness of our environment. For those who enjoy home and garden plants rain barrels can also help conserve water and lower our water bills.

Interested in a traditional rain barrel? (click image below)