RAINPOD’s Beautiful Water Harvesting System
by Mike Chino, 05/07/08
Rain barrels, garbage cans, corrugated tanks… most water collection systems have a problem: they’ve got ugly written into their DNA. An unfortunate evolution, granted that rainwater storage has been practiced for more than 2,000 years. One would have hoped for a more elegant design by now! David l’Hôte’s Rainpod prototype rises to the occasion, pledging to better your battered cans with a simple, sleek design that uses only one operating principle: gravity.
Trading tap water for rain storage is an easy way to lessen your impact on strained water systems while saving money on your bill. David l’Hôte created the Rainpod because he saw that “people usually water their plants and garden with tapwater although rainwater is free and known to be better for greens growth.”
The Rainpod stands a bit taller than a person on three legs sourced from local timber. Its vaulted stature gives it enough gravitational draw and reach for just about any watering application, while an expandable screen maximizes its rain collecting radius. Its simplicity and ease of deployment would make it a great garden addition, and with a proper treatment system it could be used for applications where potable water is needed.
Looks like this thing would be a mosquito farm with open top like that. Also, what about evaporative loss?