When it rains, water slowly builds up in the roof gutter system before it exits through the
downpipe. The first flush of water from the roof can contain amounts of bacteria from decomposed
insects, skinks, bird and animal droppings and concentrated tannic acid. It may also contain
sediments, water borne heavy metals and chemical residues, all of which are undesirable elements to
have in a water storage system.
Instead of flowing to the water tank, these pollutants are diverted with the initial flow of water
into the chamber of the water diverter. The water diverters from Rain Harvesting utilize a
dependable ball and seat system - a simple automatic system that does not rely on mechanical parts
or manual intervention.
As the water level in the diverter chamber rises the ball floats, and once the chamber is full, the
ball rests on a seat inside the diverter chamber preventing any further water entering the diverter.
The subsequent flow of water is then automatically directed along the pipe system to the tank.
For a Water Diverter to work effectively, the contaminated water in the chamber must be sealed off.
This prevents the contaminated water from passing to the storage tank and ensures the water does
not "syphon" off the contaminated water in the chamber. The simplest and surest way to do this is
with a floating ball and seat.
A slow release valve ensures the chamber empties itself after rain and resets automatically. The
diverted water need not be wasted water because the drain pipe from the diverter chamber can be
fitted to a standard drip irrigation system.
Simple and effective first flush devices, these are installed at the downpipe and used when there
are a small number of downpipes supplying water to the tank.
It is preferable to fit the longest length chamber possible to ensure better quality water. Install
the chamber below the gutter filter (or rain head), to within 6" above the ground to allow easy
access to the end cap.
Downpipe Diverters should be installed at each downpipe that supplies water to the tank. For systems
with multiple downpipes or high volumes of water, a Post/Wall Mounted Diverter or In-Ground Diverter
may be more effective.
The diverters are supplied in kit form and come with everything needed to complete installation - just add the length of PVC pipe required to form the diverter chamber.
Water Diverters work best when a gutter downspout filter (sometimes called a rain head) is installed
upstream of the diverter. Fitted at the downpipe either directly on the underside of the roof gutter
or to a wall, the Leaf Eater or Leaf Beater rain heads, also from Rain Harvesting, are self cleaning
devices that deflect leaves and debris away from the flow of rainwater. Rain heads ensure the
diverter chamber and Slow Release Control Valve do not block up as easily. They not only help Water
Diverters operate more efficiently in preventing fine sediments and pollutants from entering the
rainwater tank, they also ensure Water Diverters drain and reset automatically after rainfall,
significantly reducing system maintenance.
