Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting
More people live in cities now than in any other time in the history
of civilization. The benefits of urban area rainwater harvesting can be
huge, providing supplemental water for many local uses. Such as
irrigating the vegetable garden and surrounding landscape, which also
leaves more treated water in the municipal water supply to help cities
through times of drought or other shortages. Even the practice of
collecting rain water to divert slowly into the ground, rather than
becoming storm water runoff, increases the groundwater table and helps
prevent urban flooding and lessens pollution carried into our rivers
and oceans. Summary of
benefits:
- Free: Rain water is free.
- Happier Plants in Garden or Landscape
- Reduces Urban Flooding
- Improves Groundwater Quality & Levels
- Improves Water Quality of our Lakes, Rivers and Oceans
- Capital Improvement for Residence
- Water Independence and Peace of Mind
- Lower Overall Water Cost
- Flexibility
- Less Demand
- Soft Water vs. Hard Water
- Fire Protection
- Emergency Use
- Sustainable Living and Environmental Friendly
- Save Land use for Reservoirs
- Less expensive than Well Drilling
Happier Plants Garden plants thrive on rain water because it is free of chlorine, fluoride and other minerals added to the municipal water. Rain water is normally highly oxygenated with a slightly acidic pH, helping plants absorb nutrients easier. The amount of water needed for your vegetable garden depends on how well the soil drains, its capacity to hold water, how much mulch you laid out, needs of particular plants, the daily temperature, etc. A very rough estimate for a 20' x 20' foot garden would be 600 gallons of water per week. Reduce Urban Flooding Helps mitigate urban flooding by reducing storm drainage load and flooding of the city streets during heavy downpours. Improve Groundwater Quality and Water Quality of our Lakes, Rivers and Oceans Seventy percent of pollution found in our waterways originates from rain water runoff. By reducing the amount of runoff to the street helps prevent pesticides, fertilizers, and oil residues from our cars, from making its way into the drains that lead to our rivers and oceans. Sewer overflows also pollute these water ways during peak storm events when drainage loads are in flood stages that can be reduced by urban areas residents practicing rainwater harvesting. Capital Improvement for Residence The trend towards environmentally friendly housing is leading more builders and architects to build LEED certified homes. LEED certification will give an environmental rating on commercial and residential buildings that will increase the value of our homes. Of course, it depends on the system you install. If you have a simple rain barrel kit installed on your downspout, there is not going to be much of a capital improvement. However, if a large underground tank or cistern that can free you from the demand of the municipal system for your every day needs then you have definitely added property value. Enhanced landscaping improvements such as a rain garden that utilizes the captured rain water, can create an attractive feature that can also attract wildlife. * LEED certification includes rain water harvesting along with many other green building standards. Water Independence By installing a rainwater harvesting system, you are able to capture the water and use it as you determine, you are not dependent on the local infrastructure. If you live in an area experiencing extended periods of drought conditions, local governments may be forced to determine when you can use water, how much, and for what purpose. If the local municipal water supply is unavailable due to contamination or other disasters such as earthquake or fire, you won't be completely reliant on this as your only water source. Lower Water Cost In the United States the average price of water is about $1.50 for every 1000 gallons used. Even though water prices are relatively inexpensive in the U.S. today, future prices are expected to rise sharply due to increase in demand along with the currently diminishing water supply across the world. Maybe even more importantly, individuals harvesting water, demad on the local water systems will stay lower and in turn will keep costs lower. Look for incentives that your local city, state, or county may offer by installing a rainwater harvesting system. Incentives are offered in the form of tax credits, lowering water bills for drainage fees, rebates, etc. Your cost savings, of course, depends on the storage capacity of your system and the cost of potable water in your area. World Water Cost conducted in 2001:http://www.waterbank.com/Newsletters/nws13.html Flexibility Water harvesting and storage systems range widely in size. Small systems could consist of a single rain barrel installed directly under your gutter downspout. Most single rain barrels offer the capability to expand your harvesting system by adding more barrels via a linking kit. Rain barrels also come in a wide variety of colors and shapes. Some are very generic and industrial in appearance while others can blend with various outdoor decor and actually enhance the aesthetic appearance of your home. There are also mid-sized cisterns that could have several hundred gallon capacities. Underground water containment systems usually range in the thousands of gallons capacities. Less Demand You help lessen the demand on the local municipal water supply. Production capacity is already at current demand levels in many regions of the country. Because of this many cities are suffering through water shortages and rationing. In the last century, the world population has tripled, and that population is responsible for using six times more water, than at the start of the century. With populations expected to be over 8 billion by 2025, 50% will live with water needs that cannot be fully met. Soft Water vs Hard Water House hold chores and bodily cleansing are more efficient when using rain water or more importantly, soft water. This is because soap does not react well with magnesium and calcium found in hard water. Hard water will leave spots and residue on dishes, bathtubs, shower curtains and other surfaces. It also shortens the life of home appliances. It will cause unhealthy, dull looking hair. However, hard water is better for drinking, not only because it tastes better, but because it contains the essential minerals that our bodies need. Hard water is water that contains dissolved minerals, like calcium, magnesium, chlorine, fluoride and other minerals added to the municipal water or picked up on the way there. Soft water: rainwater is naturally soft water, however as it makes its way into our waterways, it picks up minerals along the way, mostly calcium and magnesium and becomes hard water. Sustainable Living It takes a lot of energy to move the water we use from the water companies to our homes. By harvesting rainwater for our non-potable uses causing us to use less municipal water, we also use less oil to transport it. Thus helping in the fight against global warming. Less expensive than Well Drilling Drilling a new well is expensive and often requires multiple drilling sites before you find a strong enough water supply. See our selection of:
 Rain Barrels & Harvest Systems
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