Filed under: Customer Testimonials | Tags: bladder tanks, cisterns, collecting rainwater, Green Buliding Products, harvest rainwater, Jim harrington, rain pillow, rain water, rainwater harvesting, storm water, Stormwater management, The Original Rainwater Pillow, water conservation, water pillow
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Marist High School
Sandy Springs, GA |
A 5,000 gallon custom size Original Rainwater Pillow has been installed in the crawl space of a new modular classroom. 
The Pillow is 32 ft x 10 ft x 2.5 ft
A 20 gallon per minute demand pump will supply irrigation for the new landscape and the organic garden. The irrigation system includes drip, bubblers, and a soil moister sensor to ensure water efficiency.
This is the second Original Rainwater Pillow system installed at the school to control storm water run-off into the
bordering Chattahoochee River tributary.
The Marist School is dedicated to increasing their sustainable design footprint and include rainwater harvesting as a key component to all new construction. The Original Rainwater Pillow is a perfect fit for the crawl space area under the new modular buildings.
Filed under: Original Rainwater Pillow in the Media | Tags: bladder tanks, cisterns, green, green approved products, green building, Green Buliding Products, green products, GreenBuild, International Builder's Show, irrigation, landscaping, National Green building Standards, rain, rain pillow, rain water, rain water harvesting, rainwater, rainwater harvesting, rainwater pillow, The Original Rainwater Pillow, water conservation, water pillow, waterpillow
Rainwater harvesting is a proven technology that reduces the demand on municipal water, controls storm water runoff pollution, and reduces energy cost through source point collection and use.
The Original Rainwater Pillow system is an innovative rainwater collection system designed to be stored in horizontal wasted space (no excavation or visible tank). Custom pillow sizes up to 200,000 gallons are manufactured to fit the available space for commercial and residential projects. Complete turn key rainwater harvesting systems for potable and non potable applications.
The Original Rainwater Pillow is a new product with a long history. Flexible pillows were designed by the military over 50 years ago for fuel cells. Rainwater Collection Solutions simply used the pillow and designed a self maintaining rainwater harvesting system. The most remarkable aspect of The Original Rainwater Pillow is that it is the only truly customizable above ground rainwater harvesting container. Pillows are manufactured up to 200,000 gallons as a single unit to fit the required dimensional footprint. Since pillows are flexible, they are easy and convenient to ship world wide.
We provide the complete rainwater harvesting kit including filters, pillow, pump and fittings for both potable and non-potable applications. Pump and filtration options selected based on site specific requirements.
Product Specifications
FABRIC
- NSF 61 and FDA Compliant
Reinforced Polymer alloy (polyester scrim coated on both sides with PVC polymer)
Fabric weight 6.5 oz sq yard
Total weight 30 oz sq yard
Breaking Strength 550 lbs per inch
Tear 80 lbs
Adhesion 35 lbs/inch
Abrasion resistance >2000 cycles
Low Temperature – 30 F
High Temperature +160
Radio frequency welded seams
FITTINGS
- Standard: 3/4″ thru 2″
- 4″ thru 6″ Available Upon Request
- Aluminum, Stainless steel, Polypropylene with Camlock, Storz or threaded fittings to accommodate hoses
- Ball Valves, Pressure Relief Vents and Caps
OPTIONAL
- Ports for Periodic Cleaning and Inspections
- Emergency Plugs
- Repair Kits
- Operational Spare Parts
- Pressure Relief Valves
Filed under: Original Rainwater Pillow in the Media | Tags: green approved products, green products, GreenBuild, Jim harrington, rain water collection, rainwater, rainwater harvesting, rainwater pillow, Roger Wicker, storm water, The Original Rainwater Pillow, water conservation, Wibur Colum
We are very excited to be a part of this project. A 2,500 gallon Original Rainwater Pillow collects water from the home’s roof. The water flows thru a four stage UV light purifcation system before entering the home for complete indoor use.
Houses for Africa: Colom’s vision on display in prototype
August 23, 2012 10:26:14 AM
It quickly became apparent why Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chose to ride with Wil Colom rather than go to New Hope alone Wednesday.
Even with the address in hand and a rough idea of what he would find on Lauren Road, Wicker still might have driven past his destination, assuming the tidy houses on the pine-strewn lot were an ordinary subdivision.
The shine in Colom’s eyes as he and Wicker walked up the driveway told a different story: He believes these simple structures will revolutionize Africa in the same way cellular technology has revolutionized the world.
Colom, an attorney and philanthropist, has spent eight years working on this project, and Wicker has been involved from its conception, when Quality Housing was little more than the skeletal framework of a larger-than-life dream.
Accompanied by his business partner, Utah lawyer James Parkinson, and other business owners from around the country, Colom entered one of the houses and walked into the kitchen.
When he turned on the faucet and clean water spilled from the spigot, the collective reaction was amazement. Everyone crowded around him, thrusting styrofoam cups to be filled.
Colom took the first swallow. It tasted like the future.
A call to action
Colom’s vision of affordable housing in Africa began nearly a decade ago on the Serengeti Plain.
As he stood beside a scarlet-clad Maasai warrior, the man reached beneath his robe and extracted an object. There, among a tribe of semi-nomadic people who lived by the spear, Colom witnessed an elder being summoned — by cell phone.
Solar power kept the phone charged; a gas generator powered the cellular tower.
But the continent remains besieged with problems. Colom believes houses like the ones he and Parkinson are building will solve the housing shortage and improve the health and quality of life for residents.
The idea is simple: Design a home made of cheap, readily-available materials that can be shipped overseas for assembly and mortgage the homes to middle-class families.
Success has proven more difficult. As he walked around the prototypes Wednesday, Colom pointed out the reason each design was discarded.
The goal was to find a house that could be built for $62,000 in the United States and built and mortgaged in Africa for around $35,000. But there were setbacks.
The dome-shaped house was easy to frame and roof but the interior was too expensive. The wire mesh and sprayed concrete house was expensive and required too much equipment and highly-skilled labor.
These homes will be rented. The latest creation, made entirely of concrete, steel and PVC siding, will be the testing ground for future plans.
The houses offer a self-sustaining solution utilizing solar and wind power and rainwater collected and transformed into potable water. Someday, wastewater may be transformed into methane gas for cooking.
A sustainable dream must make economic sense, Colom and Parkinson believe, and they feel they’ve finally hit upon a formula to commercialize the venture and ensure its expansion.
A helping hand
Wicker’s role is that of armchair quarterback, public relations liaison, wheel-greaser and granter of wishes.
For him, it offers an equally appealing promise — the marrying of American jobs and an African growth strategy built upon exports, economic development and global trade competition.
Colom and Parkinson have not been successful in securing federal funding; instead, the prototypes have been financed privately.
But Wicker believes he can change that by involving Overseas Product Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
OPIC, a federal agency, advances U.S. foreign policy by providing investors with financing, bank guarantees, political risk insurance and private equity investment funds, helping U.S. businesses establish themselves overseas in emerging markets. USAID assists foreign countries with social and economic development.
Together, OPIC and USAID may provide Quality Housing with the push it needs to move from concept to completion.
But Colom will never truly be finished. He is always scanning the horizon, looking for ways to improve.
“We want to take this all over east Africa until we drop dead,” Colom said, laughing.
“I’ve never seen anybody like him,” Parkinson responded, shaking his head.
Carmen K. Sisson covers education, family, health, and community issues. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter at cksDispatch.
Read more: http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=18443#ixzz24O5dpKOK
Filed under: Original Rainwater Pillow in the Media | Tags: bladder tanks, cisterns, green, Green Buliding Products, green products, GreenBuild, irrigation, Jim harrington, rain water harvesting, rainwater, rainwater collection, rainwater harvesting, rainwater pillow, Stormwater management, sustainability, The Original Rainwater Pillow, toilet flushing, water, water conservation, water pillow
The Fifth Group has made a commitment to help the environment and reduce energy cost by harvesting rainwater in their newest restaurant LURE. The rainwater will be used to flush the low flow toilets in this renovated building in mid-town Atlanta’s new eco district.
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Perfect example on utilizing wasted space. The pillow was build to fit the available area in the crawl space under the building.
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A 3.000 gallon custom size Original Rainwater Pillow installed in the crawl space of LURE will collect rainwater from the 3,450 sq ft roof. Approximately 2,154 gallons of water will be collected from one inch of rainfall providing an annual collection potential of 108,000 gallons.
State building code requires that the collected rainwater be treated to potable standards. This is achieved through a secondary filtration system.
A 22 gallon per minute pressure pump delivers the stored rainwater through the four stage purification system which consists of a 20 micron filter, 5 micron filter, charcoal block, and UV Light treatment.
Municipal water automatic back up is included in the system for times of extended drought.
A typical restaurant uses a tremendous amount of water making the return on investment for this project very attractive. The constant demand for the harvested rainwater on a daily basis for flushing toilets shortens the system’s payback window.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: harvest rainwater, landscaping, rain, rain pillow, rain water harvesting, rain water pillow, rainwater harvesting, rainwater pillow, The Original Rainwater Pillow, water
2012 Eco-Friendly Landscaping Roundup
Legitimate “green” landscape products should help homeowners conserve water, spend more time outdoors, or reduce maintenance impacts. Here’s our selection of products that met those criteria at the International Builders’ Show in February – plus some other notable contenders.
Rainwater Pillow
3/13/2012
The Original Rainwater Pillow can hold from 1,000 to 200,000 gallons of water (customizable), and is a rainwater harvesting system ideal for irrigation, toilet flushing, stormwater management and fire suppression.
This product comes as a complete system with the pillow, filter, pump, remote control and all the fittings fully automated. It can be placed in wasted horizontal spaces such as a crawlspace or under deck or porch areas.
Click here to see full article
Filed under: Original Rainwater Pillow in the Media | Tags: Green Buliding Products, Jim harrington, landscaping, rain, rain pillow, rain water, rain water collection, rain water harvesting, rainwater, rainwater collection, rainwater harvesting, rainwater pillow, The Original Rainwater Pillow, water conservation, water pillow, waterpillow
By Jim Harrington
Jim@rainwaterpillow.com
As a horticulturist for 25 years, I believe in the benefits of organic gardening for myself and my clients whether for fruits, vegetables or flowers. No one who has gardened with organics would argue the benefits. My personal garden has been pesticide free for 17 years. The insect populations of predators and prey reached a balance after about 3 years. Since that time, I have observed a substantial reduction in the insect populations. Weeds will always be a problem but the loose organic soil makes them easy to pull. Our organic garden has afforded me and my family the piece of mind to walk on the lawn in bare feet and eat vegetables right from the garden.
That being said, I have another area of my environment that concerns me. I design and manufacture a rainwater harvesting system called The Original Rainwater Pillow. This business venture has required a deep study of water. I am often asked “Why should we harvest rainwater in areas where water is plentiful?” The fact is the more developed an area is, the more pollution there will be in the water sources. Impervious surfaces create storm water run-off that pollutes our ground water, streams and rivers. Rain is the cleanest water on earth before it touches a surface, but once it hits an impervious surface it washes the surface of debris and dumps the pollutants into our drinking water sources.
Atlanta and the surrounding metropolitan areas require over 500 million gallons of fresh water per day.(1) Most of the water is supplied from surface water ( rivers and reservoir ) and requires extensive treatment to insure that it meets EPA standards before it reaches the tap. The incredible quantity of water required daily impedes the municipal water treatment system’s ability to removal a variety of pollutants in our drinking water. It is well cited that these pollutants are on a very small scale and should have no affect on a healthy individual. Some of the common pollutants are pharmaceutical drugs(2) and a long list of industrial chemicals(3). These chemicals mainly enter our water system through storm water run-off and raw sewage overflow creating challenges for Atlanta’s water quality.
My concern with using municipal water in organic vegetable gardening is the fact that plants are basically water filters. As a plant grows it absorbs water and pollutants. It then transpires pure H2O into the atmosphere and the pollutants collect in the plant tissues. This filtering continues as long as the plant grows. The older the plant are the more pollutants present in the plants tissue. The efficiency of absorption varies with plant species and the size of the molecules of the pollutants. (4)
The premise of growing vegetables organically is to produce the cleanest healthiest vegetables possible. But irrigating with municipal water and it’s associated pollutants reduces the quality of the organic produce. The degree of contamination is dependent on many factors but the biggest issue is that we have no idea what the pollutants are and how they will affect us over long periods of time. It could be many years before we know or understand the long term affects of the chemical accumulation of pollutants in our drinking water and in our organic gardens. Our bodies might simply not be affected or evolve to assimilate these pollutants. But the fact remains that pollutants in our produce are measurable and steps should be taken to reduce or eliminate these pollutants.
The easiest way to overcome this issue is to collect rainwater. Water that falls from the sky has been pre-filtered thus making rainwater the cleanest water on earth. A well designed rainwater harvesting system will provide the highest quality water for potable and non-potable uses. The first consideration in selecting a rainwater harvesting system is to determine where and how you are going to store the water. A large variety of different catchment vessels are available from pillows to in ground cistern to various shapes of above ground tank. The size of a system is based on your collection potential (average annual rainfall ) and your water use needs. The other necessary components of a rainwater harvesting system include a collection area (usually a roof), a pre-filter prior to storage and a pump. For potable water systems, minor additional filters and UV light can provide the cleanest drinking water readily available.
Rainwater harvesting is a proven technology with the direct benefits of source point collection and use, which almost eliminates the energy cost necessary to provide water from any other source. Equally as important is the benefit of reducing storm water run off which is polluting other water resources. Rainwater Harvesting is one more option available to make our organic gardens simply more organic.
(1) http://www.northgeorgiawater.org/files/2010_Water_Metrics_Report_FINAL.pdf
(2) http://www.wcponline.com/column.cfm?T=T&ID=2199
(3) http://ga.water.usgs.gov/nawqa/publications/pdf/henderson.pdf
Filed under: Customer Testimonials | Tags: bladder tanks, cisterns, green approved products, Green Buliding Products, GreenBuild, International Builder's Show, irrigation, Jim harrington, landscaping, National Green building Standards, rain, rain pillow, rain water, rain water collection, rainwater, rainwater collection, rainwater harvesting, rainwater pillow, storm water, The Original Rainwater Pillow, water conservation, water pillow
A High School in Atlanta Ga. is leading the way in sustainability by harvesting rainwater. The 3,100 gallon custom Original Rainwater Pillow is stored in the crawl space under a classroom building. The collected rainwater will be used to irrigate the organic garden and for other non potable uses around campus.
http://www.rainwaterpillow.com
