What does a rainwater biofiltration system actually do?

A rainwater biofiltration system removes sediment, organic matter, odours, and roof contaminants from rainwater before it enters storage. It uses natural layers of sand, gravel, activated carbon, and biochar to improve clarity and protect irrigation equipment.

Is the system safe for garden and greenhouse irrigation?

Yes. The materials used, such as washed gravel, silica sand, activated carbon, and biochar, are safe for food-producing gardens. The system removes fine debris and helps stabilize stored water, making it ideal for drip lines and greenhouse watering.

Does the filter make rainwater drinkable?

No. A home-scale biofilter improves water quality for non-potable uses only. Treated rainwater is excellent for gardens, soil hydration, lawns, and greenhouse irrigation. Potable use would require additional treatment and certification.

How often do I need to maintain the filter?

Maintenance is simple. Monthly: rinse debris from the top layer and check flow. Seasonally: replace or recharge the activated carbon or biochar. Annually: refresh the top portion of the sand layer. This keeps flow steady and water cleaner during storage.

What size of storage tank works best with this filter?

The system pairs very well with 1000 litre IBC totes, small cisterns, or multi-tote setups. Larger greenhouses or gardens can add multiple filters or use a cascading arrangement for higher volumes.

Can this system be used year-round in Alberta?

Only if it is insulated and frost-protected. Most homeowners operate the filter during the warm season and bypass or drain it for winter. The Sustainable Life kit includes guidance for freeze-thaw conditions in Alberta.

Do I need special plumbing skills to build the filter?

No. The system is designed for everyday homeowners using common materials, basic tools, and standard fittings. The kit includes diagrams, layer depths, and step-by-step assembly and maintenance guidance.

Why does Sustainable Life recommend adding biochar?

Biochar significantly improves water quality by increasing microbial stability, reducing odour, and adsorbing organic compounds. It also supports soil health when used after filtration, which fits Sustainable Life’s circular, low-waste approach.

Why Air Quality Changes — and Why It Matters

One rainstorm in Diamond Valley provides a glimpse into the complex system above our heads.

On Wednesday morning, I opened our local PurpleAir monitor and noticed something remarkable about our Air Quality.

For much of the previous two days, the PM2.5 reading had remained elevated. Then, as heavy rain moved into Diamond Valley, the graph changed dramatically. Within a relatively short period, the particulate reading dropped into a much lower range.

A wonderful reminder that air quality is not a fixed condition.

The quality is constantly changing.

And everything is connected.

What happened when the rain arrived?

Rain can help remove particles from the atmosphere by capturing them and bringing them to the ground. But it would be tempting to look at our graph and conclude simply:

It rained, therefore the rain caused the entire drop.

Nature is rarely that simple.

At the same time, wind direction may have changed. A smoke plume may have moved. Atmospheric mixing may have changed. Humidity can also influence measurements from optical particle sensors such as PurpleAir.

What we’re seeing is not one isolated cause and one isolated effect.

We’re seeing a system responding to several inputs at once.

That is what makes monitoring so interesting.

PM2.5 is only part of the air-quality story

Our PurpleAir monitor primarily helps us observe particulate matter.

PM2.5 refers to airborne particles with diameters of 2.5 micrometres or smaller. These particles can come from wildfire smoke, combustion, vehicles and industrial activity, as well as chemical reactions occurring in the atmosphere.

Because they’re so small, they can be inhaled deeply into our lungs.

But PM2.5 is not the only constituent that affects the quality of the air around us.

Other important pollutants include:

PM10 — Coarse particulate matter
Larger airborne particles can come from dust, roads, construction, agriculture and natural sources.

Ground-level ozone (O₃)
Unlike the protective ozone layer high above us, ground-level ozone forms through chemical reactions in the atmosphere and can become an important component of summertime smog.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)
Produced largely through combustion, including transportation and industrial sources, NO₂ can also contribute to the formation of ozone and particulate matter.

Sulphur dioxide (SO₂)
Often associated with industrial processes and the combustion of sulphur-containing fuels, SO₂ can affect respiratory health and contribute to the formation of fine particles.

Carbon monoxide (CO)
Produced by incomplete combustion, carbon monoxide interferes with the body’s ability to transport oxygen.

There are others as well, including volatile organic compounds and ammonia. Air quality is really a mixture of pollutants interacting with weather, geography and one another.

Then add the atmosphere

Now things become even more interesting.

Consider some of the variables that can influence the air above Diamond Valley:

wildfire smoke
wind direction and speed
temperature
temperature inversions
rainfall and snow
humidity
road dust
traffic
agriculture
heating and combustion
industrial activity
topography
seasonal changes

Change one of those inputs and conditions may change.

Change several simultaneously and the result can be dramatic.

Our rainstorm provided a beautiful example.

Why local monitoring matters

Air pollution changes both over time and across distance. Conditions in one part of a region may not perfectly represent conditions somewhere else.

That’s why I’m excited to have placed a PurpleAir monitor, operating here in Diamond Valley.

Instead of wondering what conditions might be like locally, we can observe them.

And once we can observe something, we can begin asking better questions.

Why did the reading rise?

Where might the air have come from?

What was the wind doing?

Did the temperature change?

Did rain arrive?

Was there wildfire smoke in the region?

What happens overnight?

Those questions turn a little sensor hanging outside a house into an educational tool.

Take a look yourself

The PurpleAir map is freely available online and allows anyone to explore real-time particulate readings from sensors around the world.

Our Diamond Valley monitor can be found there, and the live reading is also available through the Community Air Quality section of Sustainable Life.

Try checking it occasionally.

Check it on a clear morning.

Check it when wildfire smoke arrives.

Check it before and after a storm.

Check it on a cold winter morning.

Then ask:

What changed?

Learning to see the system

Perhaps that is the greatest value of community environmental monitoring.

The number itself is useful.

But the questions the number encourages us to ask may be even more valuable.

Air connects weather, forests, transportation, energy, industry, agriculture, geography, ecosystems and human health. None operates entirely independently of the others.

This morning, a rainstorm made one of those connections visible on a graph.

The more we understand those connections, the better equipped we become to make informed choices—for ourselves and for our community.

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