The Hiʻilani EcoHouse provides for its own drinking water through an advanced water catchment and distribution system.  Like the overlapping leaves of a plant, Hiʻilani’s roofs collect rainwater, and gravity takes it via underground pipes to a SCIP storage tank slightly downhill from the house.

 

The tank has a 26,000 gallon capacity to ensure availability of water for the residents during dry spells.  The strength of the tank’s lid allows it to double as a terrace, or a staging area for special events. 

 

Solar-powered pumps will send the water to two tanks on a hillside above the house – one tank for household water and a second to receive any overflow so it can be used for irrigation.

 

Filtration systems clean the water, which gets pressurized and fed into the house. A solar water-heating array on the roof provides hot water.  Continual circulation of hot water through its piping system makes hot water available  instantly everywhere in  the home, and conserves water.

 

Hydrostop LEED certified waterproofing products applied to the roofs and the Tridipanel water storage tank assure long-term freedom from leaks. Hydrostop treated surfaces are certified safe for contact with drinking water.

 

All the water is recycled, and ends up in microbial activated cleaning tanks that leach out into the surrounding landscape and agricultural areas. The rainfall, briefly intercepted by the house and made available to its occupants, is ultimately returned to the earth to continue its natural cycle.