‘RAINWATER COLLECTION AND USE IS THE FUTURE’

With his company, JustNimbus, Iwan Fransen (43) devised a system that collects rainwater for flushing toilets, washing clothes and gardening. It is as clever as it is simple: a filter, a pump and a water bag as a reservoir. That’s it. Over four hundred households are now equipped with the system. “Together, they save millions of litres of drinking water a year”, said Fransen, an engineer specialized in project management, property management and sustainable techniques.

reduced their drinking water use, and how much water is being pumped out of the system.” The system can also be linked to the local weather forecast and respond accordingly. “For example, if rain is expected, the water bag may not have enough buffer to collect that rain. The system can prepare for this by increasing the buffer space in a controlled manner. The system will discharge its water into a designated facility, such as a pond. This removes the excess water in a controlled manner before it starts raining.”

Ultimate Goal

Although the realization that drinking water is becoming scarcer is taking root, Fransen says it remains difficult to convince consumers, home builders and installers that rainwater is useful. “It’s not made any easier by the fact that people with influence sometimes make incorrect statements that are accepted as truth by large groups. Things are sometimes made more complicated than necessary; that is a shame because, in essence, the message is very simple. Using rainwater is good for the environment, saves energy, and reduces pressure on sewers and your carbon footprint.”

The Long Game

The innovative Dutchman opens with a statement. He calls it absurd to use clean drinking water in the garden, toilet and washing machine while the environment is under pressure and there are major drinking water shortages elsewhere in the world. “I cannot wrap my mind around that”, he says. In response to water waste, he devised a smart rainwater system. “The system consists of a water bag placed in the crawl space or basement of a house”, Fransen explains. “Filtered rainwater flows through the downspout into the water bag. A self-regulating pump distributes the stored water to the garden, toilet or—after a self-cleaning filter—the washing machine.”

Weather Forecast

Users can monitor their stormwater data digitally. “For example, they can check how much rainwater is in their system, how much they have already

One of Fransen’s sources of inspiration is Elon Musk. The tech billionaire is a top executive at several companies, including electric car maker Tesla, space company SpaceX and chat platform Twitter. “He goes against the flow”, says Fransen. “No one was interested in electric cars, but Musk saw the opportunities. Today, every self-respecting car brand has an electric car. The moral: you sometimes have to play the long game to convince and conquer a market.” Asked about his ultimate goal, Fransen needs almost no time for reflection. “Making sure we no longer use clean drinking water for watering gardens and flushing toilets. By collecting and using as much rainwater as possible, we can drastically reduce the environmental impact of our drinking water system. “Rainwater collection and use is the future. There is no other way.”