1. Our Services
H2O-Consult can provide a range of technical advice
services relating to Rainwater Harvesting systems including:
• Water-Use Audits
• Water Reduction Advice
• Site Assessment & Feasibility Studies,
H2 -Consult
• Technical Design Services, Sustainable Water Management
• Procurement Advice and
• Project Management.
About Us Contact Information
The history of H2O-Consult is a short one so far, following
the economic downturn which affected Ireland in 2008/
2009, the principal of the business, Tony Cain, found
himself without employment and decided to take up the
challenge of setting up his own business to provide
technical advice to businesses, public bodies and private
individuals alike on the following:
Tony Cain
• Rainwater Harvesting Senior Engineer
• Storm Water Management Rainwater
• Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS) 12 Griffin Close,
• Water Conservation
• Foul Drainage Design North Monastery Road
Tony is a Civil Engineer and has been working for over 20
Harvesting
Cork City
years in Local Authorities and Private Engineering
Consultancies, mainly in the design of storm and foul water
drainage systems for residential and commercial Cork
development and major road projects in the UK and Systems
Ireland.
He has particular expertise in the design of Sustainable
Drainage Systems (SUDS) and other storm water m: +353 86 809 5484
management facilities and has recently been nominated for e: tony.cain@h2o-consult.com
inclusion on the South Western River Basin District
Management Plan Advisory Committee charged with the w: www.h2o-consult.com
implementation of Plan.
Tony is also a member of the management committee of
Cork Environmental Forum, a Cork based environmental
group of individual volunteers who highlight and work
towards ensuring sustainable development in County Cork
Visit www.cef.ie for further information on their activities.
If you would like to know more about the services provided
by H2O-Consult please do not hesitate to contact Tony
using the details on the back of this leaflet.
H2 -Consult
Sustainable Water Management

2. Rainwater Harvesting Systems : Why? Water Consumption: How Much? Rainwater Harvesting: What is it?
Water is a valuable, precious natural resource, which The “average” person uses in the region of 150 litres of It is essentially the collection of rainwater and its storage for
should be protected and nurtured. water per day, for toilet flushing, washing clothes, dishes subsequent use for non-potable uses.
and bathing and then there’s also the amount drunk.
Unless you have a private supply well, the water you use in Rainwater harvesting systems, range from, simple water-
your home, place of work or school has been abstracted Non-potable uses account for up to 70% of the water used butts, to more complex underground tanks and pumped
from rivers, reservoirs or groundwater aquifers, it has been by the “average” person, that’s approximately 105 litres per systems which collect rainwater from roofs (sometimes
treated to the drinking water standards and then, pumped person per day flushed down the drain without ever being areas such as car parks and hardstandings).
through an extensive network of water mains pipework. drunk.
Harvested rainwater can be used for watering flower-beds
We have traditionally given very little thought to the cost of Example: A school with 200 pupils with 15 teaching and & gardens, flushing toilets, showering and bathing and
these processes, However, the introduction of non- support staff; assuming the cost of water charged by a local other non-potable outlets. Resulting in a reduction in mains
domestic (including commercial, public offices, education authority per cubic metre (1,000 litres) is €2.40; assuming water consumption, helping the environment and reducing
facilities and non-profit organisations) water charges in the school is fully occupied for 6 hours per day; the total costs.
Ireland has increased the awareness of, certainly amongst daily water consumption per day for the school is 8,062 litres
non-domestic water users, the cost of water. costing €19.35 per day, 40,310 litres costing €96.74 per The more complex rainwater harvesting systems for non-
week and 1,451,160 litres and costing a staggering domestic properties, will require a mains water back-up, in
Studies carried out by the UK’s Environment Agency have €3,482.78 per academic year. the event that the rainwater tank is empty. This is usually
estimated that between 50% and 70% of the water controlled electronically and the switch over to the mains
delivered to consumers is used for flushing toilets and other Using the UK Environment Agency’s figure of 70% of the system is automatic and requires little or no user input.
non-potable (non-drinking) uses, this is water that has been water delivered to a premises is used for non-potable uses,
treated to drinking water standards and is then flushed this means that 1,015,812 litres of abstracted, treated and
straight down the drain without ever being drunk. It has has pumped drinking water, costing €2,437.95 per year is
to be paid for. A waste of money...? flushed straight down the drain. Rainwater Harvesting: Environmental Benefits
Let’s put the money saving issue to one side for a moment
and consider the environmental benefits of installing
rainwater harvesting systems.
Rainwater Harvesting can help to reduce storm water run-
off from a development, thereby reducing the volume of
water entering our streams and rivers, which contributes
erosion and flooding.
They are recommended to be the first in a line of
There are two elements to the cost water charges; A Water Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDS), which are an
Supply and Wastewater Treatment element. engineering measure designed to mimic the natural
Rainfall harvesting systems can, with further treatment and drainage regime of a natural catchment area.
The amount charged to consumers is based on a “water-in” filtration processes, be used for drinking water.
equals “water-out” basis, the “water-in” element is They can help to reduce the amount of energy required to
measured by a water meter installed on the public supply However, such systems need to be very strictly managed produce our drinking water, through abstraction, treatment
main at the entry point to a premises. (It is proposed to and monitored to ensure they are safe for human and pumping it to our homes, schools and businesses,
charge domestic customers in Ireland by 2011) consumption, the cost of which may lead them to becoming which in turn helps to reduce CO2 emissions.
financially un-viable bearing in mind that treated drinking
In Ireland, we are blessed, (yes you read it correctly, water is supplied by the local authority through the water
blessed) with an abundance of rainfall and when collected main.
in a suitable rainwater harvesting system, it can be used to
supplement water use and used for flushing toilets, washing With minimal filtration, rainwater harvesting systems can be
clothes, showering and bathing - but not drinking - thereby used for the flushing of toilets, bathing and grounds-keeping
reducing the amount of water required from the mains activities such as watering landscaped areas, cleaning
supply network. hardstandings and car parks.
As harvested rainwater has not passed through the mains The cost of installing a rainwater harvesting system can be
supply - abstraction, treatment and delivery - network it will offset against the cost savings in your water bills, the pay-
not attract water charges from the local authority. back period will depend upon consumption and the
configuration of the site, but would typically be within 2 to 5
years for a non-domestic premises.