Rainwater harvesting is a popular method of collecting drinkable water in regions where wells are scarce are rainwater, safer and more plentiful. But in the US rainwater harvesting is just as useful as in these poorer regions and utilizes natural weather cycles rather than taking water right from the earth, helping conserve well water and giving you less salty, more nutritious water for plants as well as supplementing your own supply.
The basic idea of rainwater harvesting is very simple. It involves catching rainwater from a large surface area (usually the roof) and filtering and storing it. Different companies provide different systems that can be tailored to fit your home and your water needs. Many times a gray water system can also be installed, which recycles excess shower, bathroom and sink water for use either flushing the toilet or watering the garden. Both methods, especially in conjunction, are a great way to meet your water needs without overextending your well water or residential pipes.
When looking into what system to install, you should first consider what you’ll be using the water for. Collection systems that cover the roof usually provide potable water for the household, while ground-based systems provide water for gardening, livestock and irrigation. In short, is this a domestic affair or a commercial one. There is also the option to install a dual system, getting the best of both worlds for home and work.
There are also different scales of dependency. Some systems are able to collect water intermittently as a backup system or to provide water in a dry season. Others are designed to be used year-round with steady rainfall, but not to meet the entire households needs. In this case some water, as for bathing or laundry, may still come from other sources. The ultimate system, however, is designed to allow for complete dependency all year round, provided your area gets adequate rainfall.
More information on this great way to use your natural surroundings to meet your water needs can be found at Rainwater Harvesting.org Apart from talking about how RWH has helped rural third-world communities, this site also provides advice to help you plan your own system as well as explaining design and giving estimated costs.
Already in the United States some 250,000 households are equipped with Rainwater Harvesting kits, with more sure to follow as the merits of the system become more widely known.
Rainwater harvesting is a brilliant solution to the water supply problems facing the world today.
Thanks for the article.