Novel Water-harvesting Systems

Two neighbors in Weybridge Park, UK,  have designed their own water harvesting systems to stop wasting rainwater and fight the water scarcity.

Roy Larkin shows off Johan Ferreira’s swimming
pool pump, which is part of a water-harvesting project
Picture: EUGENE COETZEE

Johan Ferreira collects the rain down his road that would usually flow off and Roy Larkin collects the rainwater from the gutter on his roof, redirects it to his home so that he has completely stopped using the municipal water.

They both have found inspiration in “boer maak ’n plan” (farmer makes a plan), since they both grew up on farms.

Ferreira wanted to utilize the stormwater which would usually be wasted and he made a channel in his pavement, connected it to a pipe which leads to his swimming pool. He used a brick to make an angle and direct the water into the pool.  

Additionally, he uses gravity to irrigate his lawn and has another water tank which is filled from his gutter.

Since he installed this system, he hasn’t used the city’s water to fill the pool.

Larkin installed filters on his gutter, to collect the leaves and other solids.

His water fills up two tanks and total dissolved solids (TDS) and incredibly low: 38 ppm, in comparison to municipal tap water which has 159 ppm.

His water either fills the swimming pool or is directed in the house, after it undergoes a three-stage filtration process.

He adds a bit of chlorine to the tank to kill the bacteria.

They both believe harvesting stormwater could help the community and reduce water scarcity.