rainwater harvesting systems – The Deck and Patio Company

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Making the World a Better Place through Rainwater Harvesting

Update 4/6/23: As you will see in our original blog below, Deck and Patio is known in the New York Metro-Long Island area for our expertise in rainwater harvesting–be it to replenish lovely, peaceful water features, for garden irrigation or for other non-digestible yard use. And we are glad to see that state governments are strongly encouraging this earth-friendly process.

Earth Day is April 22

Although the Northeast doesn’t suffer too many droughts, there are other good reasons for capturing rainwater. New York’s and Massachusetts’ “free rain barrel” programs, for example, explain in detail that collecting rainwater saves local water systems from many ill effects.

“Not to mention, the cost of water keeps rising,” says our own Dave Stockwell “Capturing rainwater saves money and is a real help to Long Islanders by reducing the amount of pollutants that end up in our precious harbors and waterways.”

Actually, the rainwater itself is “soft” and free from minerals. But when it runs across pavements, etc., it picks up pollutants that end up in our local water systems.

Residents are encouraged to use captured rainwater for such outdoor tasks as lawn and garden irrigation. It can also be used for washing vehicles and other non-digestible water uses.

“We particularly love capturing rainwater in order to replenish the many types of water features we install. Rainwater harvesting is becoming more and more essential to a healthy earth.”

With Earth Day 2023 coming up on Saturday, April 22nd, it’s a perfect time to pause and count the raindrops. Our original blog below showcases a rainwater harvesting project we did on a small property in Brooklyn. For more projects, simply search “Rainwater Harvesting” on this site. Enjoy.

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Next Wednesday (April 22nd) is not only Earth Day, but it’s the Day’s 50th anniversary. To mark this year’s event, NASA says it’s taking the adage “Make the World a Better Place” seriously by using technology over in-person activities. Their website will host at-home science activities, videos from earth and space, social media engagement etc.

If you’re asking what can we do locally in each community to contribute, we have a thought. Here at Deck and Patio we have a division called Rainwater Harvesting. If using less local water is something you find you’d like to do, you’ll be happy to learn that harvested rainwater can be used for washing your car, watering your garden and lawn, etc. You can get in touch with us to begin planning such a change.

Do You Need a Large Property to Harvest Rainwater?

A few years ago, long before COVID-19, The Deck and Patio Company — through our Rainwater Harvesting Group — did just such a project in Brooklyn, New York. Certainly these clients had a very tight city backyard. It was barely 25’x 12’.

“The clients had a four-story walk-up,” adds Dave Stockwell. “They wanted us to help them collect all the water that came off their roof.”

In addition to the obvious “green” aspects, the clients were keen to take advantage of certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) program.

According to the Council, certification may allow property owners to “qualify for a host of incentives like tax rebates and zoning allowances. Not to mention they retain higher property values.”

In addition, says Dave, rainwater harvesting reduces energy and water bills, sometimes by as much as 40%.

The following photos and video show The Deck and Patio Company hard at work awhile back (in the good old days) at this Brooklyn project. As you’ll see, we are happy to go the extra mile no matter how tight or challenging a property site turns out to be.

Updating Small Backyards:

In addition to the the Rainwater Harvesting System by Aquascape Inc, these clients wanted a small built-in barbecue; they also had a vegetable garden and we planted drought-tolerant xeriscape plants across from it.

Installing Rainwater Harvesting Reservoir:

Our team was hard at work here prepping a large enough hole to install an adequate tank. Water comes off their Brooklyn 4-story roof and is collected in a 500-gallon underground rainwater harvesting reservoir. When it’s full, water flows into an overflow regeneration zone where it can perk slowly back into the ground.

Private Water Systems:

Previously, any excess water from rainfalls etc. ran off into the New York City sewer system; now, because rainwater and any overflow will be collected, stored, and controlled, the water for plants and vegetables is completely disconnected from the city sewer system.

Small Yard Renovations:

We had to dig a hole 4’ x 6’ and 3’ deep to install the underground 500-gallon reservoir. This required digging out soil and filling 5-gallon buckets that our team carried one at a time down to the basement, up stairs, and out to a dump truck in front of the house.

Aerating Water Feature:

We drilled a hole through a rock to create a bubbling rock feature; water bubbles up and then goes back down; having a connecting water feature allows the water to be continually aerated, thereby helping to purify the water.

By June Sullivan|2023-04-06T12:53:28-05:00April 16th, 2020|Aquascape Biofalls, Backyard Escapes, Design and Build Experts, Environment Issues, Gardening, Herb/Vegetable Gardens, Landscape Planning, Landscaping, outdoor maintenance, Rainwater Harvesting|Comments Off

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Rainwater Harvesting Systems Make for Eco-Friendly Waterscapes

Deck and Patio strives to not only make water features look natural, but also be natural. In particular, we design/build ponds and waterscapes that are maintained in a natural way — without chemicals.

To accomplish such beautiful and eco-friendly waterscapes, it is helpful to be thoroughly knowledgeable and well trained in this field.

We are, for example, a Certified Contractor of Aquascape, Inc. — a leader in the waterscape industry. Their certification process is rigorous and ensures high standards.

It has been worth the effort. For years, Deck and Patio has been able to bring healthy, low maintenance ponds, streams, waterfalls or pondless water features to over 300 Long Island properties.

Deck and Patio Pondless Water Feature

One option for clients who prefer not to maintain a pond has been a pondless water feature. Instead of falling into a pond, the flow from waterfalls and streams are built to let the spillover seep through gravel and seemingly disappear into the ground.

The water is actually collected in an underground reservoir system where it is recirculated to replenish the water feature. Here, the water is kept clean and healthy without the use of any chemicals.

We surrounded the “pondless” backyard stream with waterfalls (above) by moss rock boulders. The water flows past the client’s newly installed portable hot tub, which was set against a new two-level patio with fire pit and seating/dining areas.

However, there is an even more wonderful way to go “green.” And that is to harvest the rainwater that maintains the water feature.

All About Aquascape’s Rainwater Harvesting Systems

With a pondless waterfall like the project above, the constantly recirculating captured water is definitely eco-friendly. However, natural evaporation will require that this recirculating water be “topped off” and refreshed occasionally.

To go totally “green” — and not use town water to replenish this evaporation — that’s when you’ll want a special reservoir system — Aquascape’s Rainwater Harvesting System..

In this way, runoff rainwater — either from a roof or permeable pavers — is collected to maintain the water feature’s system through completely green rainwater harvesting methods.

This captured rainwater can also replenish the surrounding landscape, wash a car, rinse down a deck or patio, etc., and is especially helpful during droughts.

“An added benefit,” says Dave Stockwell, owner of Deck and Patio, “is that with harvested rainwater which is filtered and then recirculated, your rainwater runoff isn’t spilling over and running into over-burdened sewer systems.

“As you may know, asphalt and concrete can’t absorb rainwater, which causes the spillover. But we use river rock underneath the waterfalls,” adds Dave. “This filtered the water before it seeps down to the reservoir.”

Deck and Patio Feature Using Rainwater Harvesting System

The Aquascape ‘green’ Rainwater Harvesting Systems process for this Deck and Patio feature combines a decorative water feature with a completely sub-surface collection system — thereby creating a beautiful backyard oasis that is very eco-friendly.

“Like with all our Rainwater Harvesting Systems project, the reservoir is a truly maintenance-free source that keeps topping off the water feature.There is no requirement for city water. It comes completely from rainfall on the roof of the clients’ house — where gravity alone draws it into pipes.”

Deck and Patio Eco-Friendly Water Features

This is another “pond-less” waterfall and stream designed/built by Deck and Patio. Like with all the projects we’re highlight today, the water required to keep it topped off and refreshed is harvested from the roof of the clients’ house.

“Such a water feature is run entirely without using city water,” says Dave Stockwell, owner of Deck and Patio. “It acts as a ‘green’ maintenance-free source that operates daily March through December. And any excess harvested rainwater can be used for irrigation of the property.”

So if you’re hankering for a water feature, and would feel a whole lot better if the water for it is collected rainwater, well, we know a thing or two about how to capture that runoff and use it to beautiful effect.