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Second Rain Collection System Blends In With Your Patio |
4 Comments |
| By Michael d'Estries in Gardening, Green Building, Green Living | May 27, 2009 | ||
When you hear the words “rain collector”, the first thing that probably comes to mind are of barrels next to gutters. A company called Second Rain, however, thought that there might be a more aesthetic way to capture water — and as they say on their site “No offense to rain barrels, but they’re not easy to sit on.”
Hence, their multi-use rainwater collection system was born. Each “box of rain” holds about 40 gallons of water and is made from durable, 98% recycled premium grade HDPE plastic (2% is UV & color additive). They are also modular (so you can easily connect another unit) and include liner, fittings, adapters, valve, and tubing needed to connect to a garden hose.
Obviously, the greatest benefit to using a second rain system is that you can easily hide it within a patio. The demonstration design on their homepage shows that such a setup can store 495 gallons of water.
The major downside is that each of these boxes costs $299 — which for a 40 gallon capacity is quite expensive. You’re obviously paying more for the modular and aesthetic options this system gives you. But for those that want a certain look, perhaps Second Rain might be just the product they’re looking for.
Check out more details and pictures over on their website here.
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pays to live green said,
That is pretty cool. Rain collection systems are such a cost effective way to be used for landscaping. The picture you showed really makes it much nicer to look at than traditional rain barrels. I think regardless, rain barrels are a must have.
NZ Honey Shop said,
Whilst the cost of this particular product may be prohibitive for many (which is a shame), it does show how clever design can play a vital role making buildings and homes greener. It is concepts like this that should be promoted more, and be inspiration for how being greener can blend in with normal life.
gardenerbob said,
We bought one last year and it’s been working great. Now they have the RainBench Kit, which will be our next purchase this spring.
John Craine said,
I certainly applaud this direction of thinking but I see some major downsides. For example, these things are HEAVY when full so you need to have adequate structure to support them. Clear containers allow light to penetrate which promotes algal growth. They won’t stay pretty very long. Also, you cannot totally eliminate the introduction of leaves and foreign matter into the water collection. Eventually, you end up with decomposing organic matter (pond muck) at the bottom. In cold climates we must empty our rain barrels every season so they don’t freeze and crack over the winter.