Resources
Welcome to the Resources section. Here you can find guidelines, tools and links to resources that will help you with a rainwater harvesting project.
Rainwater Harvesting Guidelines
The Guidelines for Residential Rainwater Harvesting Systems provides comprehensive guidelines for the design, installation, and management of rainwater harvesting systems. The Guidelines provide guidance on selecting the right size of rainwater storage tank, the fixtures that can (and can’t) be supplied with rainwater in Ontario, treatment recommendations, cold weather design requirements, and much more.
What is the Difference between the Ontario & Alberta Guidelines?
The Ontario Guidelines reference the various codes, regulations and standards that apply to rainwater harvesting systems in the province of Ontario, including Ontario’s Building Code, the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and several CSA Standards.
The codes, regulations and standards referenced in the Alberta Guidelines include the National Plumbing Code of Canada, the Alberta Building Code, the Canadian Electrical Code, and CSA Standards.
What is the Difference between the Guidelines & the Handbook?
The Guidelines for Residential Rainwater Harvesting Systems is available in two versions: the standard Guidelines , and an expanded Handbook.
Guidelines - Recommended for those with knowledge of the building sector and the basic trades involved in rainwater harvesting (i.e., plumbing, electrical, and site service work).
Handbook – This document provides additional background information on the various aspects of rainwater harvesting systems, intended for those who are not familiar with the basic trades involved in rainwater harvesting. The Handbook also includes guidelines for the management of rainwater harvesting systems, which are not included in the Guidelines document.
Ontario Guidelines for Residential Rainwater Harvesting Systems – 2010
| Guidelines: | Handbook: |
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| Click Here to download |
Click Here to download |
Alberta Guidelines for Residential Rainwater Harvesting Systems – 2010
| Guidelines: | Handbook: |
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| Click Here to download |
Click Here to download |
Print copies of the Guidelines and Handbook are also available. Please contact us for a quote.
Rainwater Harvesting Design & Costing Tool
The Rainwater Harvesting Design & Costing Tool is a Microsoft Excel-based tool that has been developed to assist with the design of rainwater harvesting systems.
When given details about a rainwater harvesting project, such as roof area, number of building occupants, and proposed rainwater uses, the Design & Costing Tool will determine the optimum size of rainwater storage tank, size of pump and pressure system, and provide a cost estimate for your rainwater harvesting system.
The tank sizing feature of the Design & Costing Tool includes a variety of options, including selecting the size of tank to:
- Maximize potable water savings while keeping tank size to a minimum
- Meet a specific water conservation target (i.e., reduce municipal water use by 30%)
- Provide a specific back-up volume of rainwater during dry periods (i.e., have the rainwater supply last for 2 weeks under dry conditions), and
- Meet stormwater management requirements (i.e., collect all rainfall from a 5-year storm 24 hour event)
Latest Release - Rainwater Harvesting Design & Costing Tool (v.1.4):
| Compatible with Microsoft Excel 2010 & 2007: |
Compatible with Microsoft 2003 or earlier: |
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| Click Here to download |
Click Here to download |
Previous Release - Rainwater Harvesting Design Tool (v.1.3):
| Compatible with Microsoft Excel 2010 & 2007: |
Compatible with Microsoft 2003 or earlier: |
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| Click Here to download |
Click Here to download |
Connect the Drops can customize the Design Tool to suit our clients’ needs. Customization options include the addition of rainfall data for cities located in other Provinces or States, providing more tank-sizing options, or customizing the data outputted in the reports generated by the Design Tool. Contact us for further information.
Other Resources
CSA Standard B128.1 Design and Installation of Non-Potable Water Systems
LID Stormwater Management Planning and Design Guide (2010)
Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting (Third Edition)
