Catching H2O has installed the first rainwater system for non-potable indoor use in Southern California at the new Trailhead building in Avalon on Catalina Island. The system uses rainwater with desalinated seawater as backup for a variety of building uses including two janitor’s sinks, hose bibs, and irrigation. Here is the display on the main control panel that shows the system components and basic flow:
Control Panel Display
The system includes a 750 gallon pump station at ground level that collects all the rainwater runoff from building roof areas and pumps it to two 2,000 gallon tanks on the third floor roof deck. There is a control panel on this level that communicates to the upper panel so that when the tanks area already full, the pumps turn off and the rainwater overflows to the storm drain.
Riser at Pump Station
Pump Station Control Panel
On the third floor there is also an enclosure with the desalination unit and rainwater treatment filters and UV disinfection. The heart and soul of the system is the main control panel on the third floor which controls the motorized valves that direct the water flow as well as the pumps, desalination system, and communication between the different controlsPart of the challenge for this project is the small footprint for the tanks, treatment components and control panels. All of these components are packed into a pad that is 20′ long by 6′ deep!
Checking System Status at the Main Control Panel
Visitors to Catalina Island typically stop at the Trailhead Conservancy building to pick up their permits for the back country and to learn about the island. The third floor roof deck features planters with native plants indigenous to Catalina Island, which are irrigated with rainwater as are all of the planters. There is a beautiful view of the harbor from this roof deck, which is around the corner from our installation: