Rainwater

Rainwater harvesting does not have to be difficult, it can be as easy as installing roof gutters on your home and draining the water onto your plants and trees.  You can go a step beyond that and capture the water in barrels or holding tanks, and using it at a later time to water the plants.  There are many different ways to capture and make use of rainwater and we have written more about them on the water harvesting and complex water harvesting pages.

Why would you want to harvest the rain?  It is some of the purest and cheapest water available.  Add to that our water shortages throughout the world and it just makes sense to make the best use of this natural resource.

Rain can be used for potable water use such as drinking, cooking and bathing.  It is more commonly used for non-potable uses like landscape irrigation and livestock watering.  Stored this free source of water can also get you through power outages and temporary water shortages.  Are you experiencing water rationing in your area?  If so hopefully you are making use of rainwater.

Some people switch to harvested water systems so they can eliminate the chemicals in their drinking water.  Harvested water is not chlorinated or fluoridated, this means a lot to some people.  You may also experience a lower hardness level in your harvested water, reducing your need for soaps and detergents and a water softener.

Since outdoor watering can consume as much as forty percent of a households water use it makes good sense to make use of the rain by harvesting it.  Your plants, gardens and trees will much prefer this fresh water over the stuff they get out of the city water supply fed garden hose.  While the simplest of systems do not require containers of any kind, they are certainly worth looking into as a means of using rainwater over a longer period of time.

Ready made rain barrels ranging from fifty to sixty five gallons are available for water storage.  These containers come equipped with filter screens, spigots and lids.  The most common of these are manufactured from plastic, so depending on your green views, other options may look better to you.  Possibly opting for the ones made from recycled plastic is a better choice.  You may prefer using a wooden wine barrel for your storage container.

Some other types of tanks available for water storage include galvanized steel tanks.  These can include ready made farm tanks or can be custom made in just about any size.  If you are using a farm tank for potable use it should be treated with an epoxy based sealer.

Polyethylene water tanks are often used and these can be obtained with an FDA approval for potable water.  These tanks are versatile because of their light weight.  They can be used above ground and moved as often as you need.  A slightly heavier version is made for sinking into the ground.  Fiberglass is also used in pre-formed water tanks.

Other tank options include concrete, either pre-cast or using on-site forms, or ferrocement tanks, concrete sprayed over a wire form.  A liner can even be used over an existing frame to contain rainwater.  There are many possibilities depending on you budget