Israel’s “Rain Man” Conserves School Water

January 31, 2014

Yechieli figured that the same vast amount of winter rain that ripped the school apart could bring it back together. It could be used to flush the toilets and help better the students’ future ecologically.

www.israel21c.org That was 15 years ago. Now, more than 120 schools later, Yechieli is helping the nation of Israel collect rain. By day, he teaches science at several schools near Jerusalem. By afternoon, and whenever else he can, Yechieli works with students and teachers to set up rainwater collection systems on the roof.

It only rains for about half the year in Israel. But this is enough to collect about 100 days’ worth of water at schools, Yechieli estimates. With an initial capital expense of about $10,000, it takes about seven or eight years to pay back the investment in water savings, but that investment is worth gold.

Another winning aspect of his low-tech design is several small catchment bins, instead of pouring all the rainwater into a huge tank. The smaller bins act as filters. Yechieli also developed a way to drain off the sand and debris from the bottom so the sum result is clean and tasty water. (Read more)

Source: By Karin Kloosterman, ISRAEL21c