Sustainable Solutions
Start Seeing Rainbarrels!!!


Welcome to my web site. My name is Brad Crowley and I am in the process of finishing my Masters degree in Geography at Portland State University (PSU). I have specialized in Wetland Ecology/Regulations and Sustainable Development while a graduate student at PSU. I am currently looking for a job, so if you know of any jobs that are related to sustainable development please let me know. Please click on this link to view my resume.

Click on this link for the rain barrel tutorial.

Click on this link for my other website with numerous links related to sustainable development.

Click on this link to view my resume.

Please email me at rainsystem@yahoo.com or call me at (503)-236-7984 if you have any comments or questions. I will make a rainbarrel for you for a fee.

Rainwater Catchment:

YOU CAN GET THE BARRELS AT YOSHIDA GROUP OUT BY THE PORTLAND AIRPORT (503-284-1114).

Brief Overview of Rainwater Catchment:
Rainwater catchment is the process of capturing water runoff from an impervious surface for later use. A system can be as simple as a whiskey barrel placed under a rain gutter downspout for watering a garden or as complex as an engineered, multi-tank, pumped and pressurized construction to supply residential and irrigation needs.
Rainwater catchment systems were once fairly popular in the United States and supplied many rural and urban dwellings with part or all of their water. Rainwater is still one of the main sources of water used in many island communities, such as Bermuda, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Hawaii, and is being heavily promoted as an alternative water source in Austrailia.

Why Consider a Rainwater Catchment System in Portland:
The City of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services is advocating people to disconnect their downspouts. In some areas they are actually paying the homeowner $53 per disconnected downspout. The motivation for this project is to reduce the input of storm water into the city's sewer system. Currently the program recommends extending the downspout and discharging the water onto the lawn/garden or having the rainwater discharging into a dry well. Installing a rainwater catchment system allows a person to disconnect downspouts and use the water for indoor and outdoor purposes, reducing an individuals water bill and pressure on local water supplies.

An Inexpensive Method:
Although a complex engineered system would be ideal, the price can be prohibitive. I decided to create an inexpensive system using 55 gallon plastic barrels after finding them for $5 apiece. Taking into consideration the future sale of a home, it was also determined that such a system should be easily removed if no longer wanted. The steps to create this system are detailed on the following pages. All of the materials were cheap and found easily.
Calculation to Determine Rainwater Discharge from Roof:
The city of Portland receives an average of 37 inches of rain annually, and the following equation can be used to determine a roofs discharge of rainwater:
Rainfall (in.) x Collection Area (sq. ft.) x 0.6233= water discharged (gallons)
My house in Portland (which is a typical Portland Bungalow) has a total collection area of
1650 sq. ft. So about 38000 gallons of water are discharged into the City of Portland's storm water system from my roof every year.

Brief Overview of Rainwater Catchment: Rainwater catchment is the process of capturing water runoff from an impervious surface for later use. A system can be as simple as a whiskey barrel placed under a rain gutter downspout for watering a garden or as complex as an engineered, multi-tank, pumped and pressurized construction to supply residential and irrigation needs. Rainwater catchment systems were once fairly popular in the United States and supplied many rural and urban dwellings with part or all of their water. Rainwater is still one of the main sources of water used in many island communities, such as Bermuda, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Hawaii, and is being heavily promoted as an alternative water source in Austrailia.

Why Consider a Rainwater Catchment System in Portland: The City of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services is advocating people to disconnect their downspouts. In some areas they are actually paying the homeowner $53 per disconnected downspout. The motivation for this project is to reduce the input of storm water into the city's sewer system. Currently the program recommends extending the downspout and discharging the water onto the lawn/garden or having the rainwater discharging into a dry well. Installing a rainwater catchment system allows a person to disconnect downspouts and use the water for indoor and outdoor purposes, reducing an individuals water bill and pressure on local water supplies.

An Inexpensive Method: Although a complex engineered system would be ideal, the price can be prohibitive. I decided to create an inexpensive system using 55 gallon plastic barrels after finding them for $5 apiece. Taking into consideration the future sale of a home, it was also determined that such a system should be easily removed if no longer wanted. The steps to create this system are detailed on the following pages. All of the materials were cheap and found easily. Calculation to Determine Rainwater Discharge from Roof: The city of Portland receives an average of 37 inches of rain annually, and the following equation can be used to determine a roofs discharge of rainwater: Rainfall (in.) x Collection Area (sq. ft.) x 0.6233= water discharged (gallons) My house in Portland (which is a typical Portland Bungalow) has a total collection area of 1650 sq. ft. So about 38000 gallons of water are discharged into the City of Portland's storm water system from my roof every year.

Have a great day. Brad.