WO2015027330A1

WO2015027330A1 - Indoor rainwater harvesting system

Info

Publication number: WO2015027330A1
Application number: PCT/CA2014/000665
Authority: WO
Inventors: Timothy Howard NEEB; Wayne Douglas THOMPSON; Tristan ZIMMERMAN
Original assignee: Resource H2O Inc.
Priority date: 2013-08-30
Filing date: 2014-09-02
Publication date: 2015-03-05

Abstract

An indoor rainwater harvesting system designed with multiple features to make the system suitable for indoor use to feed various fixtures in a building; for example but not limited to an overflow device for diverting excess water out of the tank and outside the building, leak proof locking lids which will prevent water from leaking out of the tank or prevent the user from opening the lid at a time when the level inside the tank is high, a control unit for automatically turning on pumps or actuating control valves to supply rainwater to the fixtures when needed, and a way to make-up the water from another source to feed the fixtures should there not be enough rainwater.

Description

INDOOR RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM

Inventors: Timothy Howard Neeb

Wayne Douglas Thompson

Tristan Zimmerman

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/872,219 filed August 30, 2013 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/872,248 filed August 30, 2013, the contents of both of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to an indoor rainwater harvesting system. BACKGROUND

[0003] Water is a valuable resource and conservation of water is important. Some uses of water require that the water be potable, however there are many applications such as flushing toilets, doing laundry, watering lawns and gardens where it is possible to use non-potable water is not necessary. In these applications it is possible to use rainwater a non-potable water source. Rainwater harvesting systems located outside, either above or below ground, are well known, they are expensive to install and in crowded urban areas may be impossible to install or require the tearing up or removal of other structures such as driveways and patios.

[0004] In order to make them safe to use indoors, rainwater harvesting systems must be designed to reduce the likelihood of leakage over conventional outdoor systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the invention. The drawings are not to scale. [0006] FIG. 1 is an isometric drawing of an overall indoor rainwater harvesting system in accordance with an embodiment hereof.

[0007] FIG. 2 is an isometric drawing of a control and water conditioning unit of the rainwater harvesting system shown in FIG. 1 with a front panel removed.

[0008] FIG. 2a is a schematic drawing of an alternative plumbing arrangement for the control and water conditioning unit shown in FIG 2.

[0009] FIG. 2b is a schematic drawing of an alternative plumbing arrangement for the control and water conditioning unit shown in FIG 2.

[0010] FIG. 3 is an isometric cross-sectional view of a tank of the rainwater harvesting system shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment hereof.

[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a calming structure of the tank shown in FIG. 3.

[0012] FIG. 5 is an isometric exploded view of an embodiment of an overflow device of the rainwater harvesting system shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment hereof.

[0013] FIG. 6a is a cross-sectional view of the overflow device of FIG. 5 in an open flow condition.

[0014] FIG. 6b is a cross-sectional view of the overflow device of FIG. 5 in a closed flow condition.

[0015] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of section A from FIG. 6b.

[0016] FIG. 8a is an isometric view of a tank of the rainwater harvesting system shown in FIG. 1 showing a tank lid removed.

[0017] FIG. 8b is an isometric view of the tank and tank lid of FIG. 8a with the tank lid attached to the tank.

[0018] FIG. 9a is an exploded isometric view of a tank lid in accordance with another embodiment hereof. [0019] FIG. 9b is a cross-sectional side view of the tank lid shown in FIG. 9a in a closed position.

[0020] FIG. 9c is a cross-sectional side view of the tank lid shown in FIG. 9a in an open position.

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Specific embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the figures, wherein like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description.

[0023] FIG. 1 is an overview of an indoor rainwater harvesting system 100. In the embodiment shown a tank 110 for storing rainwater is installed inside a building 180 below the ground or grade level 182. The tank 110 receives rainwater via a rainwater supply pipe 112 connected to a rainwater catchment system (not shown) located outside the building 180; for example but not limited to, eve troughs in the case of sloped roofs or roof drains in the case of flat roofs.

[0024] The rainwater supply pipe 112 is inserted into the tank 110 through a supply opening 114 in the top surface 116 of the tank 110 and extends down into the tank 110. In the embodiment shown the supply pipe 112 extends to the bottom portion of the tank and terminates in an opening or rainwater inlet 118. The inlet 118 terminates adjacent a calming structure 120 which is designed to prevent excessive flow and splashing as the rainwater exits the supply pipe 112 through the rainwater inlet 118 which could stir up any debris or sediment in the bottom of the tank 110. Calming structure 120 will be further described with reference to FIG. 4. Rainwater flows by gravity through the supply pipe 112 from catchment system (not shown) and exits into the tank 110 through the inlet 118.

[0025] An overflow pipe 130 is connected to the supply pipe 112 above grade level 182 and extends through the building wall 181 and is attached to an overflow device 132 which extends outside the building 180 to provide an exit for excess water to be diverted outside the building 180 where it is spilled to grade or ground 182 in the event that the tank 110 is filled to capacity.

[0026] The tank 110 shown in FIG. 1 is located inside a building below grade or ground level 182, however it is possible to have the tank 110 or a portion of the tank 110 above grade or ground level 182. The location of the overflow pipe 130 may change, instead of coming off of the supply pipe 112 it may exit the tank 110 near the top portion through an overflow opening (not shown) similar to the supply opening 114 and then exit the building 180 and spill to grade.

[0027] The harvested rainwater is stored inside the tank 110 until it is needed by the fixtures (not shown), i.e. one or more toilets, a washing machine, outside taps, or any other non-potable water application for the building 180. A pump 140 is located inside the tank 110 near the bottom inside surface 111 and is coupled to a water outlet pipe 142 which exits the tank through an outlet opening 115 in the top surface 116 of the tank 110. It should be appreciated that the outlet opening 115 may be located on any exposed surface of tank 110 and is generally placed in a convenient location for installation. The pump 140 pumps the harvested rainwater out of the tank 110 via the outlet pipe 142 to feed rainwater to the fixtures (not shown) when required.

[0028] A control and water conditioning unit 160 is connected into the outlet pipe 142 upstream of the tank 110 and downstream of the fixtures (not shown). The pump 140 pumps water out of the tank 110 via the outlet pipe 142 and 142', the water then flows through the control and water conditioning unit 160 before continuing along the outlet pipe 142" to the fixtures (not shown).

[0029] An outlet pressure sensor (not shown) is located somewhere inside the outlet pipe 142, 142', or 142" to detect when there is a need for water from one of the fixtures (not shown). The control and water conditioning unit 160 is connected to and receives a signal from the outlet pressure sensor and when there is a drop in pressure below the pre-set level, for example, typically between 40-60 psi in the outlet pipe 142, 142', 142" a signal is sent by the control and water conditioning unit 160 to energize or turn-on the pump 140. Similarly when the outlet pipe 142, 142', 142" pressure returns to the pre-set level, a signal is sent by the control and water conditioning unit 160 to de-energize or turn-off the pump 140. [0030] Tank 110 is equipped with lidded opening 150 which is large enough to provide access to monitor the condition of the tank, clean the tank, or remove and/or repair components (for example the pump 140) located inside the tank 110. During operation the tank lidded opening 150 must remain sealed to a pressure above the calculated head pressure in the overflow pipe 130; generally this is a minimum of 5 psi. In fact any opening or pipe, i.e. 112, 114, 115, in the tank 110 must also be sealed in such a way to withstand the calculated head pressure of the overflow pipe 130, otherwise if the tank 110 was filled to capacity rainwater would leak out of the weakest opening into the building 180 rather than exit through the overflow pipe 130.

[0031] Tank 110 also has a vent pipe (not shown) extending out of the top surface 116 of the tank 110 through an opening (not shown). Vent pipe (not shown) would extend slightly into tank 110 and extend above the tank terminating at a height above the height of the overflow pipe 130. The purpose of the vent pipe (not shown) is to allow air displaced by water entering the tank via the supply pipe 112 to exit the tank 110, and allow air into the tank 110 when water exits the tank 110 via the outlet pipe 142. The vent pipe could also serve as an opening to receive a makeup supply pipe further described in FIG. 2a.

[0032] Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 shows only one tank 110 it is possible to bank two or more tanks together via the tank connector port 102 when the building requires a larger rainwater capacity then one tank can provide.

[0033] The control and water conditioning unit 160 will now be described with reference to FIG. 2. Control unit 161 contains a controller which receives values from the various sensors installed in the rainwater harvesting system 100, for example the outlet pressure sensor and the low level sensor (discussed above). The controller processes the values and then if necessary transmits a signal to change the condition of a controllable device in the rainwater harvesting system, for example turn the pump 140 on or off or open a control valve for example, make-up control valve 244 (shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b). The control unit 161 has a touch screen 162 to display information about the rainwater harvesting system 100 and allow the user to make changes to the settings if necessary. However it should be understood that another known type of display is possible or in some cases the display could be eliminated and instead the user could access the controls through an external computer, tablet, or mobile device. In this embodiment control unit 161 is mounted directly to a water conditioning unit 164 and panel 163 is shown removed to show the internal components of the water conditioning unit 164 to provide a compact unitary design making it easier for installation. It should be noted that control unit 161 could be mounted on a wall inside the building, on the tank, or anywhere else. Water conditioning unit 164 is shown with two sediment filters 165 of different grades; a course filter 165 A (i.e. 25 micron) and a fine filter 165B (i.e. 5 micron). In various other embodiments depending on the filtration requirements of the system, less or more filters and filters of different grades can be used. In some applications it may even be possible to eliminate all filtration. In addition to the sediment filters 165, the water conditioning unit 164 has a UV sterilizer 166 which removes bacteria from the rainwater. The harvested rainwater from the tank 110 (see FIG. 1) flows via upstream outlet pipe 142' through the filters 165 and UV sterilizer 166 in series; first through the course sediment filter 165 A, then through the fine sediment filter 165B, and lastly through the UV sterilizer 166 before exiting the water conditioning unit 164 via downstream outlet pipe 142" to the fixtures (not shown).

[0034] In the embodiment of water conditioning unit 164 shown in FIG. 2, an optional pressure tank 168 is coupled to the upstream outlet pipe 142' between the tank 110 and the control and water conditioning unit 160. The purpose of the pressure tank 168 is to provide a slight pressure cushion to upstream outlet pipe 142' so that in the event if there are small leaks in the downstream portion of the outlet pipe 142" between the control and water conditioning unit 164 and the fixtures (not shown) the pressure noise in the upstream outlet pipe 142' is minimized to prevent small pressure drops in the pipe which would lead to unnecessary turning on of the pump 140.

[0035] The tank 110 may also be connected to a water make-up supply pipe 243 to fill the tank 110 with another source of water for example municipal, well, or other source of grey water if the rainwater level drops below an acceptable minimum level to service the fixtures. Figure 2a. is a schematic drawing showing a layout of the plumbing through the control and water conditioning unit 160 with the filters etc. removed to simplify the explanation. In addition to the upstream outlet pipe 142' supplying rainwater from the tank 110 to the control and water conditioning unit 160 and the downstream outlet pipe 142" exiting the control water conditioning 160 to the fixtures; an additional water make-up supply pipe 243 is shown. Water from a source other than rainwater supply pipe 112 (shown in Fig 1.) for example municipal, well, or other source of grey water flows through water make-up supply pipe 243 from the water make-up upstream pipe portion 243' though a make-up control valve 244, to a water make-up downstream pipe portion 243" into the tank 110. In this case the tank 110 would be equipped with a low level sensor (level sensor or pressure sensor) which sends a value to the control and water conditioning unit 160 which compares the value to a pre-set value. If value drops below the preset value, a low water level is detected and a signal is sent to a make-up valve 244 which is energized to open the flow of water for the make-up supply pipe 243 to refill the tank. The water make-up control valve 244 is biased to a closed position with a spring. A make-up check valve 245 is installed downstream of the make-up control valve 244 to prevent any potential backflow of water from the tank 110.

[0036] Depending on building code restrictions the make-up supply pipe 243 may be directly connected to the outlet pipe 142 completely bypassing the tank 110 and provides water directly to the fixtures when there is not enough rainwater. Fig 2b shows a simplified layout of the plumbing through the control and water conditioning unit 160 with the filters etc. removed to simplify the explanation for this embodiment. Similarly to the embodiment shown in Fig 2a. tank 110 would be equipped with a low level sensor (level sensor or pressure sensor) which sends a value to the control and water conditioning unit 160 which compares the value to a pre-set value. If value drops below the pre-set value a low water level is detected and a signal is sent to a makeup control valve 244 which is de-energized to open the flow of water from the make-up supply pipe 243. The water flows through the make-up supply pipe 243 from the other water source for example municipal, well, or other grey source through the the water make-up upstream pipe portion 243' through the make-up control valve 244, to a water make-up downstream pipe portion 243" then through the make-up supply pipe connection 243"' into the downstream portion of the outlet pipe 142" where it flows to supply the fixtures. A make-up check valve 245 is installed downstream of the make-up valve 244 to prevent any potential backflow of water from the tank 110. The make-up control valve is biased to an energized or closed position. Downstream from the make-up supply pipe connection 243"' on the upstream portion of outlet pipe 142', a check valve 246 is installed to prevent filling of tank 110 from the make-up supply pipe 243. [0037] Further details and features of the tank 110 will now be described in reference to FIG. 3. The shape and size of the tank are selected to fit through a standard door opening (approximately 6 feet high by 2 feet 6 inches wide) in order to make it possible to easily bring the tanks into most buildings.

[0038] The tank 110 shown is a unitary design which includes a number of features which will be described below. A unitary design provides an advantage over tanks made of 2 or more pieces because the chance of leaking is virtually eliminated and assembly is simplified. The tank may be made of low density polyethylene and manufactured by rotational molding.

[0039] In the bottom inside surface 111 of the tank 110, a calming structure 120 is molded directly into and forms a portion of the bottom inside surface 111 of the tank 110. The purpose of the calming structure 120 is to slow down and direct the water as it flows into the tank. In heavy rains the water could flow in quickly.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the calming structure 120. Calming structure 120 has a hollow truncated conical portion 121 that extends upward from the bottom and surrounds a bottom portion of the supply pipe 112 and outlet 118 forming a cavity around a bottom portion of the supply pipe 112. Extending inward from the top of the conical portion 121 are one or more supply support structures 122 which are designed to receive the end 113 of the supply pipe 112, the support structures 122 further include a centering portion 126 and a support portion 127. The centering portion 126 holds and centers the end 113 of the supply pipe 112 while the support portion 127 provides support in a vertical direction. Further in this embodiment calming structure 120 includes a center baffle 124 which is cylindrical in shape and extends from the bottom inside surface 111 of the tank 110 in the centre of the calming structure 120. Centre baffle 124 is centered within the outlet 118 of the supply pipe 112 to act as a baffle or diverter for the water exiting the supply pipe outlet 118. Rainwater flowing from the supply pipe 112 flows out of the supply pipe outlet 118 to be obstructed and diverted by the centre baffle 124 and thereafter exits through calming structure openings 123 to flow up and over the truncated conical portion 121 and out of the calming structure 120. Although the calming structure shown in this embodiment is molded directly into the tank, in another embodiment it could also be a separate piece or pieces fastened to the bottom of the tank. It should be understood that the calming structure could also have a different shape and some of the features like the center baffle 124 could be eliminated.

[0041] Now returning to FIG. 3, a raised pump platform 154 that is sized to receive the pump 140 is also molded directly into the bottom inside surface 111 of the tank 110. Pump platform 154 locates the pump 140 and raises it slightly above the bottom inside surface 111 of the tank 110 to prevent the pump 140 from sucking up any sediment or debris resting on the surface of tank bottom 111. Although the pump platform 154 shown in this embodiment is molded directly into the tank, in another embodiment it could also be a separate piece fastened to the bottom of the tank 110. It should also be understood that pump platform 154 could have a different shape to best suit the pump chosen.

[0042] To provide the tank 110 with additional structural integrity while minimizing the required wall thickness, channels 150 are molded around the perimeter of the side walls of the tank, in this embodiment two continuous channels having a u-shape cross section are shown but it may be possible to have less or more channels, or the channels could be a different shape or may stop and start or may not go around the entire perimeter of the tank 110. Channels 150 can also provide a gripping structure for transporting the tank. In addition to the channels 150, one or more rigid cross members 152 are molded into the tank structure to increase the structural integrity. Each cross member 152 extends from one sidewall of the tank 110 to the opposite sidewall and is hollow with a parabolic cross section; however it should be realized that the cross member cross section could be a different shape, for example round.

[0043] The overflow device 132 will be described in detail in FIGS. 5, 6a, 6b, and 7. Overflow device 132 is connected to overflow pipe 130 (shown in FIG. 1) by overflow outlet pipe 133. Overflow outlet pipe 131 is further connected to overflow valve body 135 via a connecting portion 194 sized to receive the outlet pipe 131. The overflow valve body 135 has a flange portion 190 which when installed rests against the outside wall of the building. Overflow valve body 135 further has an overflow water exit opening 192 which is open and closed via a flap 136 which is attached to the overflow valve body 135. An optional gasket 137 is attached to the overflow valve body 135 to seal against the flap 136. The flap 136 is normally biased in a closed position by a spring to prevent air, insets, and vermin from entering the building but under pressure from the water flowing through the overflow pipe 130 will open outwards allowing the water to spill out of the overflow exit opening 192. An optional screen (not shown) can be installed to cover the overflow exit opening 192 to further prevent insets, etc. from entering the building. An optional cowl 138 is shown.

[0044] The embodiment of the overflow device 132 shown also includes a heater element, in this example a heat trace elementl34 is wrapped around surrounding the overflow outlet pipe 131; the purpose of the heat trace element 134 is to prevent ice build-up which can clog the overflow device 132. An insulation jacket 133 is provided to protect the heat trace element 134 and maintain the heat around the outlet pipe 131 and away from the building wall. The insulation jacket 133 surrounds the heat trace element 134 to sandwich the heat trace element 134 between the overflow outlet pipe 131. To insulate further, the overflow valve body 135 has an insulation pocket 139 to reduce contact with the building. The heat trace element 134 is only required in cold climates.

[0045] As mentioned with reference to FIG. 1, the tank 110 has a lidded opening 150 which will now be described further according to an embodiment hereof. FIG. 8a shows a lid 860 removed from a tank opening or access opening 851 and FIG. 8b shows the lid 860 sealing the tank opening 851. Access opening 851 is located in the top surface 116 of the tank 110 and is shown circular in shape however it would be understood that it is possible to make the tank access opening a different shape. Opening 351 has an inner lip 852 surrounded by a trough 854 and then an outer lip 853, the bottom shape of the tank lid 860 is design to fit the profile of opening 851 made by the combination of the inner lip 852, trough 854, and outer lip 853. This geometry will provide improved sealing over a flat lid and opening design (not shown).

[0046] A post 855 receives the tank lid 860 via a post hole 861. The post 855 is either perpendicular or at an angle greater the 90 degrees to the tank surface 116, the purpose of the angle of post 855 is to provide a downward force to prevent lifting of the tank lid 860 in the location of the post hole 861 when the lid latches 862 are locked down to the tank via the latch hooks 856, as shown in FIG. 8b. [0047] Another benefit to using a post 855 instead of a hinge is that it is possible to mold the post 855 directly into the top surface 116 of the tank 110, eliminating the need to affix a hinge which could provide a potential leak point.

[0048] Tank lid 960 in accordance with another embodiment hereof is shown in FIGS. 9a, 9b, and 9c. The tank lid 960 is equipped with a water level actuated slide lock 961. A float 965 is attached to the slide lock 961 via a pivot arm 966, the pivot arm has a slot 967 which engages a pivot rod 968 on the slide lock 961. Pivot arm 966 is attached to the tank lid 960 with a pivot post 969. Pivot post 969 is engaged with a pivot hole (not shown) located at a pivot point 970 on a pivot extension 971 extending from the bottom of the tank lid 960 allowing the float 965 to freely move up and down in response to the water level. In FIG. 9b the tank lid 960 is shown in a locked position. The tank surface 916 has an opening 950, the opening has a raised lip 972. When the float 965 is in a raised position due to a high water level it pivots to slide the pivot rod 968 of the slide lock 961 along the length of the slot 967 to move the slide lock 916 to a position where it engages with a portion of the underside surface 973 of the tank, in this particular embodiment making contact with the bottom surface of the raised lip 972. The tank lid 960 is thereby in a locked position when the tank is full to prevent accidental opening of the tank when the water level is high. This ensures that the tank lid 960 is always sealing the tank access opening 950 when the tank is near capacity to prevent accidental flooding in the building through the tank opening 950.

[0049] As the water level lowers the float 965 is lowered retracting the slide lock 961 to disengage with the underside surface 973, which then unlocks the tank lid 960, allowing it to be opened giving access to the tank access opening 950.

[0050] While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented only as illustrations and examples of the present invention, and not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is also apparent that the various features shown in the various embodiments to make the rainwater harvesting system safer for indoor use can all be applied in a combination in a system or singularly in a system, it is not necessary to incorporate all together. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the appended claims and their equivalents. It will also be understood that each feature of each embodiment discussed herein, and of each reference cited herein, can be used in combination with the features of any other embodiment. All patents and publications discussed herein are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An indoor rainwater system comprising a; tank intended to be installed inside a building, said tank comprising a supply opening for receiving a rainwater supply pipe, said rainwater supply pipe connected to an overflow pipe at a location above grade level to provide an exit for excess water to be diverted from the tank through the building wall to outside.

2. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 1 where said overflow pipe is connected to an overflow device which comprises an overflow valve body having an exit opening for the excess water diverted from the tank.

3. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 2 where said overflow valve body is located outside the building when installed.

4. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 3 where said overflow valve body exit opening is opened and closed by a flap.

5. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 3 where said overflow valve body further comprises a flange portion which rests against the outside wall of the building.

6. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 4 where said flap is biased in a closed position by a spring.

7. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 2 where said overflow device further comprises an overflow outlet pipe connecting the overflow valve body to the overflow pipe.

8. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 3 where said overflow device further comprising a heater.

9. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 7 where said overflow device further comprises a heat trace element surrounding at least a portion of the overflow outlet pipe.

10. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 9 where said overflow device further comprises an insulation jacket around the heat trace element.

11. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 10 where said overflow device further comprises an insulation pocket to reduce contact between the overflow valve body and the building.

12. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 4 where said overflow device further comprises a screen covering said exit opening.

13. A lid for a rainwater harvesting tank comprising a float coupled to a pivot arm, which is coupled to a slide lock, where the movement of the float to a raised position actuates the pivot arm which moves the slide lock into an engagement position with the tank locking the lid closed.

14. A lid according to claim 13 where the movement of the flow to a lowered position actuates the pivot arm which moves the slide lock into a position that disengages it from the tank unlocking the lid.

15. A lid according to claim 14 where said pivot arm further comprises a slot and said slide lock a pivot rod, and said pivot arm and slide lock are moveably coupled to each other via the slot and pivot rod.

16. A lid according to claim 15 where said pivot arm further comprises a pivot post for moveably coupling it to the lid.

17. A rainwater harvesting tank comprising a supply opening for receiving a rainwater supply pipe, a water outlet pipe for delivering the rainwater in the tank to fixtures, an overflow pipe to provide an exit for excess water to be diverted from the tank, and an access opening large enough to allow for access to clean or repair the tank, where the lid for the access opening is designed to be leak proof above the calculated head pressure of the overflow pipe.

18. A rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 17 where said tank further comprises a post, said lid further comprising a post hole for engaging the post.

19. A rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 18 where said tank further comprises a latch hook and said lid having a latch for engaging the latch hook.

20. A rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 17 where said post is at an angle equal to or greater than 90 degrees to the tank surface.

21. A rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 19 where said access opening has an opening profile on the surface of the tank comprising an inner lip, a trough, and an outer lip and said lid having a complementary profile to engage the opening profile when sealed to the tank.

22. A rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 17 where said lid further comprises a float coupled to a pivot arm, which is coupled to a slide lock, where the movement of the float to a raised position actuates the pivot arm which moves the slide lock into an engagement position with the tank locking the lid closed.

23. A rainwater harvesting system for supplying stored rainwater to fixtures comprising a tank having a supply opening for receiving rainwater supply pipe; a pump inside the tank coupled to a water outlet pipe, said water outlet pipe exits the tank through an outlet opening ; said water outlet pipe having a pressure sensor, said pressure sensor connected to send a signal to a control unit to compare the pressure value in the outlet pipe with a preset value and then transmit a signal to turn the pump on if water is needed by the fixtures; said rainwater harvesting system further comprising a make-up supply pipe connected to a non - rainwater water source, said make-up supply pipe is connected to one of the outlet pipe or directly to the tank, said make-up supply pipe having a make-up control valve, said tank having a low level sensor for measuring the water level in the tank, the sensor sends a signal to the control unit where the value is compared to a preset value and if below the preset value a signal is sent to open the make-up control valve.

24. A rainwater harvesting system according to claim 23 where said water outlet pipe further comprises a water conditioning unit downstream of the tank, said water conditioning unit having at least one filter.

25. A rainwater harvesting system according to claim 23 where said water outlet pipe further comprises a water conditioning unit downstream of the tank, said water conditioning unit having a UV sterilizer.

26. A rainwater harvesting system according to claim 24 where said control unit is mounted to the water conditioning unit.

27. A rainwater harvesting system according to claim 23 where said non-rainwater water source is municipal water.

28. A rainwater harvesting system according to claim 23 where said make-up supply pipe further comprises a make-up check valve downstream of the make-up control valve.

29. A rainwater harvesting system according to claim 23 where said rainwater supply pipe connected to an overflow pipe.

30. A rainwater harvesting system according to claim 29 where said tank is intended for installation below grade in a building and said overflow pipe is connected to said rainwater supply pipe at a location above grade level to provide an exit for excess water to be diverted from the tank through the building wall to outside.

31. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 30 where said overflow valve body is located outside the building when installed.

32. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 31 where said overflow valve body exit opening is opened and closed by a flap.

33. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 31 where said overflow valve body further comprises a flange portion which rests against the outside wall of the building.

34. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 32 where said flap is biased in a closed position by a spring.

35. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 30 where said overflow device further comprises an overflow outlet pipe connecting the overflow valve body to the overflow pipe.

36. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 31 where said overflow device further comprising a heater.

37. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 35 where said overflow device further comprises a heat trace element surrounding at least a portion of the overflow outlet pipe.

38. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 37 where said overflow device further comprises an insulation jacket around the heat trace element.

39. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 38 where said overflow device further comprises an insulation pocket to reduce contact between the overflow valve body and the building.

40. An indoor rainwater system according to claim 32 where said overflow device further comprises a screen covering said exit opening.

41. An indoor rainwater harvesting tank comprising; A top surface, sidewalls, and a bottom; said top surface having a supply opening for receiving a rainwater supply pipe and a tank access opening for receiving a lid; said bottom having a bottom inside surface, said bottom inside surface further comprising a calming structure molded directly into the bottom inside surface to receive the rainwater supply pipe.

42. An indoor rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 41 where said bottom inside surface also comprises a raised pump platform molded directly into the tank for receiving a pump.

43. An indoor rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 41 where said calming structure has a hollow truncated conical portion that extends upward from the bottom inside surface to receive the rainwater supply pipe.

44. An indoor rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 43 where said calming structure has one or more support structures extending inward from hollow truncated conical portion to receive the rainwater supply pipe.

45. An indoor rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 41 where at least one of said side walls have at least one channel molded therein.

46. An indoor rainwater harvesting tank according to claim 41 where the tank further comprises a cross member extend directly from one of said sidewalls to the opposite sidewall, said cross member is hollow and molded directly into said tank.