Water collection system

Abstract

A water collection system blocks down-pipes to collect water from a roof. A down-pipe ( 27 ) is located adjacent a rain water diversion unit ( 31 ). The unit comprises a box ( 36 ) with the down-pipe ( 27 ) fitted to an opening ( 37 ) in bottom ( 38 ) of the box ( 36 ). The gutter ( 14 ) has two side-by-side openings ( 39 and 40 ), the opening ( 40 ) has an overflow in the form of upstanding wall ( 41 ) while the opening ( 39 ) has a valve plate ( 42 ) hinged to the front edge at ( 43 ). A pneumatic actuator ( 44 ) is used to move the valve plate ( 42 ) to the closed position. When the valve is closed, the opening ( 40 ) and the upstanding wall ( 41 ) serve as an overflow back to the stormwater via the box ( 36 ). The tank pipe ( 17 ) also has an opening ( 45 ) with an upstanding wall ( 46 ) which has its upper edge ( 47 ) set lower than the upper edge ( 48 ) of the wall ( 41 ) of the overflow. All down-pipes are fitted with diversion units. A controller includes a rain sensor to detect a rain event whereupon a time delay is imposed for first flush to flush the roof before the valves close the down-pipes. When the tank is full a float is used to operate the controller to open the valves if they are closed or prevent them closing in the case of a new rain event and the tank being already full.

1 . A water collection system where rainwater falls onto a catchment surface and water flows from the catchment surface to respective flow means and then to respective drainage means, diversion means moveable from an open position to a closed position to prevent water from passing down the drainage means so that water is delivered preferentially to a rainwater storage, and an overflow system whereby excess water may bypass the diversion means and flow to the drainage means. 
     
     
         2 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  wherein the diversion means comprises a valve assembly. 
     
     
         3 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  further including control means and wherein the control means includes a rain sensor which activates the system to move the diversion means to the closed position when rain is detected. 
     
     
         4 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  wherein the system has an inbuilt time delay geared to allow first flush of water to flush the catchment surface before diversion of later cleaner water to the storage. 
     
     
         5 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  wherein the system has an inherent time delay geared to allow first flush of water for an initial period to flush the catchment surface before diversion of later cleaner water to the storage, during this initial period water flows to the stormwater. 
     
     
         6 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  wherein the diversion means comprises valves and the system has a variable time delay geared to allow first flush of water for an initial period to flush the catchment surface before diversion of later cleaner water to the storage, during this initial period water flows to the stormwater, at the end of the time delay the valves shut off the down-pipes and water flows to the storage. 
     
     
         7 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  wherein the system has flow means in the form of a gutter and drainage means in the form of down-pipes, a time delay geared to allow a first flush of water for an initial period to flush the catchment surface before diversion of later cleaner water to the storage, during this initial period water flows to the stormwater, at the end of the time delay the diversion means shuts off flow to the down-pipes and water flows to the storage, overflows project up into the gutter adjacent each down-pipe, the height of the over low being chosen to ensure sufficient level in the gutter for flow to the storage but to allow the diversion means to be bypassed to stormwater in heavy downpours. 
     
     
         8 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  further including control means which operates automatically when the storage is full so that the water flows to stormwater either via the drainage means or via another route. 
     
     
         9 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  wherein, when the storage is full the diversion means do not operate or if the storage fills during a rain event the diversion means automatically opens upon the storage filling. 
     
     
         10 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  wherein a variable time delay is used to set the duration of first flush. 
     
     
         11 . A water collection system according to  claim 1  wherein, the diversion means comprises a rainwater diversion unit having a housing, an inlet enabling connection of the housing to a gutter at an upstream end of the housing, an outlet enabling connection of the housing to a down-pipe at a downstream end of the housing, an overflow, a valve member movable between inlet open and inlet closed positions and a valve member actuator controllable to operate the valve member, the overflow being so dimensioned and arranged such that when the valve member is in the closed position water flowing in the gutter flows through the overflow when the water level in the gutter reaches the overflow. 
     
     
         12 . A rainwater diversion unit having a housing, an inlet enabling connection of the housing to a gutter at an upstream end of the housing, an outlet enabling connection of the housing to a down-pipe at a downstream end of the housing, an overflow, a valve member movable between inlet open and inlet closed positions and a valve member actuator controllable to operate the valve member, the overflow being so dimensioned and arranged such that when the valve member is in the closed position water flowing in the gutter flows through the overflow when the water level in the gutter reaches the overflow. 
     
     
         13 . A rainwater diversion unit according to  claim 12  wherein the level of the overflow is between the level of the highest point of the gutter bottom and an upper level of the gutter. 
     
     
         14 . A rainwater diversion unit according to  claim 12  wherein the inlet and overflow both communicate with the outlet. 
     
     
         15 . A rainwater diversion unit according to  claim 12  wherein the overflow projects into the gutter though a bottom wall of the gutter and its level is set by the distance that the overflow projects into the gutter. 
     
     
         16 . A rainwater diversion unit according to  claim 12  wherein the overflow is set above the inlet. 
     
     
         17 . A rainwater collection system in a building having a roof catchment with at least two drains to stormwater via guttering, the system having a storage receiving water flowing in the guttering and there being valve means operable by a controller to divert rainwater normally flowing down the drains, to the storage. 
     
     
         18 . A rainwater collection system according to  claim 17 , the diversion occurring within a predetermined time delay from onset of rain. 
     
     
         19 . A rainwater collection system according to  claim 17  wherein each drain has a rainwater diversion unit between the guttering and the associated drain, each unit having two inlets, the first inlet having an associated valve member so it may be opened and closed while the second inlet is an overflow, the inlets being in flow communication with the associated drain. 
     
     
         20 . A rainwater collection system according to  claim 17 , the diversion occurring within a predetermined time delay from onset of rain and the storage having a detector to detect when the storage is full, the detector communicating with a controller to automatically cease or prevent diversion to the storage upon detecting that the storage is full. 
     
     
         21 . A rainwater collection system according to  claim 17  wherein the storage has a detector to detect when the storage is full, the detector communicating with a controller to automatically cease diversion to the storage upon detecting that the storage is full. 
     
     
         22 . A rainwater collection system according to  claim 17 , the diversion occurring within a predetermined time delay from onset of rain and the storage having a detector to detect when the storage is full, the detector communicating with a controller to automatically cease or prevent diversion to the storage upon detecting that the storage is full, the detector comprising a float and the controller having a pneumatic drive communicating with respective valve actuators, the control means being housed adjacent the storage with a mechanical link to the float. 
     
     
         23 . A rainwater collection system according to  claim 17  wherein water initially flows in the direction of the respective drains and then flows to the storage tank, there being an overflow operable to prevent gutter spill in case of heavy downpours.