Price
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Learning Units (Hours)
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John M. Rattenbury, PE, CIPE, LEEDap
Rainwater harvesting is the collection, storage, treatment, and reuse of precipitation from building roofs and other suitable catchment surfaces as an alternative to potable water for applications such as toilet and urinal flushing, irrigation, cooling tower makeup, laundry, and other approved uses.
This course provides architects, engineers, plumbing designers, contractors, facility professionals, and others involved in building water systems with a practical introduction to the design of rainwater harvesting systems. The course emphasizes that successful systems begin with proper collection and storage rather than relying on increasingly complex downstream treatment to compensate for poor cistern design.
The course examines catchment surfaces, rainfall collection, prefiltration, first-flush effects, cistern configuration, stilling inlets, overflow design, floating suction filters, pumps, potable makeup, treatment, nonpotable distribution, cross-connection protection, water quality, and cistern sizing. Particular attention is given to practical design features that contribute to a robust installation and to common design mistakes that can reduce water quality or increase maintenance.
The course introduces the contemporary U.S. standards framework for alternate-water systems, including ARCSA/ASPE/ANSI 63-2020, Rainwater Catchment Systems, and ARCSA/ASPE/ANSI 78-2023, Stormwater Harvesting System Design for Direct End-Use Applications. The distinction between rainwater collected from rooftops and other above-grade impervious building surfaces and stormwater collected from site and transportation surfaces is emphasized.
Professional qualifications are also addressed through ASSE/ARCSA/IAPMO/ANSI Series 21000-2022, Professional Qualifications Standard for Rainwater Catchment Systems Personnel. The series includes ASSE 21110 for Rainwater Catchment Systems Installers, ASSE 21120 for Rainwater Catchment Systems Designers, and ASSE 21130 for Rainwater and Stormwater Catchment Systems Inspectors.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
NY PE & PLS: You must choose courses that are technical in nature or related to matters of laws and ethics contributing to the health and welfare of the public. NY Board does not accept courses related to office management, risk management, leadership, marketing, accounting, financial planning, real estate, and basic CAD. Specific course topics that are on the borderline and are not acceptable by the NY Board have been noted under the course description on our website.