Rainwater Catchment: ARCSA ASPE Standard
Published in 2009, the Rainwater Catchment Design and Installation Standard was developed by a joint effort of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE). The purpose is to assist engineers, designers, plumbers, builders, developers, local government and users in safely implementing a rainwater catchment system. It applies to new rainwater catchment installations, alterations, additions, maintenance and repairs to existing installations.
The objectives of the standard are to provide guidance in how to provide and maintain a healthy alternative to utility provided water and to optimize rainwater utilization. The authors aim to achieve these objectives while ensuring public safety, enhancement of the environment and compliance with the intent of relevant regulations and government officials. This publication applies to non-potable, potable, fire protection, agricultural and industrial applications.
The standard includes sections addressing:
- Scope and objectives
- Acceptable materials and components
- List of related standards
- Design and Installation Requirements
- Definitions
- Sample calculations
- Acceptable piping schematics for various applications and environments
- Diagrams
- Maintenance Worksheet
This important publication is a must-have for planners of rainwater harvesting systems. Because most of this document contains very specific, technical direction for system designers, a prospective system owner may get more out of this standard by first researching more basic rainwater harvesting system information. Owners will find the Interior Water Requirement chart helpful in estimating demand as a first step in the planning process. A rainwater harvesting system Maintenance Worksheet serves as an easy-to-use checklist for system owners or contractors hired to perform such checks.
A chart showing average monthly and annual rainfall data for many U.S. cities makes this information handy when performing associated calculations. The acceptable piping schematics provide a helpful visual aid for designers, plumbers or anyone trying to understand how the pieces fit together.
ARCSA offers an accreditation program for consultants, installers and vendors of rainwater catchment systems.
