EarthSystemsNW

 creates custom cistern systems for each of our clients taking into account their water needs, their landscaping, their annual rainwater harvest, and their aesthetics. Below you'll find some of our featured projects.

Hidden Cisterns

 

 

This porch in Montlake contains a custom made, soft-sided bladder that holds over 800 gallons of rainwater.

 

 

The deck off the back of the house hides a 700 gallon bladder cistern, shown here while still flat and before installation.



Can you find the hidden cistern? (Hint - look at the left corner of the house)



This house has a rarely used side area and an extensive garden in the front. We were able to place a 1550 gallon cistern in this unused side area which provides the front garden with easily accessed rainwater. Although a sizable tank (see pictures below) notice that the cistern is hidden from the street.



When asked why she had the cistern installed, the homeowner replied: "I grow as much of my own food as possible and being able to water my garden with rainwater instead of paying for city water makes a huge difference. I also like being as self-sufficient as possible, the more I can generate my own water and energy, the better!" - Marcy (South Seatte)

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Roof Rainwater to Drinking Water

While some clients want to use rainwater simply for watering their gardens, others would like the economic and environmental benefits of running their entire household (including drinking water) on their roof rainwater. The 2,000 gallon cistern shown below stores rainwater for a Madrona family who uses it for all their water needs - inside and out.



To make this possible, EarthSystemsNW installed a series of filters to ensure the safety and purity of the drinking water. When the water was tested by an independent, third party laboratory, the water tested cleaner than City drinking water. Says the homeowner, "What surprised us most is the quality of the water. It's incredibly pure and it tastes fantastic--better than anything the city could provide. We bottle it and take it to parties instead of wine. Ok, our enthusiasm may be a little over the top, but the water really is good." - Paul (Madrona)



Regarding the installation of their cistern system, Paul notes "We're very happy with the job EarthSystemsNW did. They were easy to work with with and we were impressed with how creative and persistent they were in getting around the various challenges a custom system like this can pose. We highly recommend them."

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Under Porch Cisterns

The pictures below show two cistern tanks under a porch. This area was previously used for storage and now holds two, 550 gallon tanks. Below the porch is a backyard that is being transitioned from lawn to a fruit and vegetable garden. By attaching a hose to the tanks and using gravity, this back garden can be easily watered by the two cisterns all summer long.