Rainwater harvesting project to reduce flooding and water consumption

Environmental engineering company and water expert MWH (UK) is working with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and manufacturers Aqualogic, to produce affordable wall-mounted rainwater harvesting systems that can be fitted to homes to reduce water consumption and down stream flooding.

The initiative is part of the ongoing £800,000 ‘Surface Water Management Strategy’ that aims to reduce the amount of surface water flows that enter the sewers in Wales, and is led by Huw Jones from MWH’s office at Llanishen, Cardiff.   Huw explains: “As part of the Surface Water Management Strategy we are developing a low cost, low tech rainwater harvesting system that will reduce the amount of rainwater entering the sewage system. The water collected will initially be used only for toilet flushing, but this may be extended for garden watering and other external uses that don’t require water of drinking quality.   “We have teamed up with one of Welsh Water’s water efficiency partners Aqualogic, who are designing, testing and manufacturing a series of prototypes at their base in the Wirral, Merseyside. The first of the prototypes has been installed at Cilfynydd sewage treatment works and educational centre in South Wales.”   The lessons learned from the initial trial will be used to inform a larger scale trial. Work is also being undertaken with the Centre for Research into Environment and Health at Aberystwyth University to ensure that any potential public health issues associated with this system are fully explored.