Harvesting Rain Water

 

We are all looking for ways to become more "Green".  Conserve more, do what we can to help the environment.  Harvesting rain water is a great way to do that.  When you collect and save rain water you are doing so much more than just saving water, you are also:

 

Saving money - you will reduce your need for tap water, lowering your monthly bill. Rain water is free.

Saving energy - you need energy to bring water in to your home.

Protecting ponds & streams/decreasing storm run off - storm water can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt and other pollutants that can flow into ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands, having adverse effects on plants, fish, animals and people.

Providing an ample supply of  free "soft water" containing no chlorine, lime or calcium - because it tends to have fewer sediments and dissolved salts than municipal water, rain water is ideal for a organic vegetable gardens, raised planter beds for botanicals, indoor tropical plants like ferns and orchids, automobile washing, and cleaning household windows.

Reducing flooding in your yard - collect the water and use it for watering your plants or slowly releasing it so it can be absorbed into the ground.

Creating a back up source of water/drought preparation - if there is a drought you will have the water reserves to water your garden, or even wash your car or top off your swimming pool.

Decreases the burden on water treatment facilities- reduces the need for additional tax dollars for sewer expansion.

Rain barrels are becoming increasingly more popular as they are an excellent way to collect rain water.  A rain barrel is a storage unit to collect rainwater from your rooftop.  A simple rain barrel is relatively easy to install, they can sit conveniently under any residential gutter down spout.  It only takes about 1/4 inch of rainfall runoff from the average roof to completely fill the typical barrel. For every inch of rain that falls on an average roof top, 700 gallons of water run off.  For example, a 50 X 40 foot surface can collect 600 gallons from 1 inch of rain.

Tips to think about.

- Look for one with a spigot that can be connect to a garden hose.

- Make sure it has a fully screened intake to keep out mosquitoes and debris.

- Think about a linking system in case you want to add barrels in the future.

- Do you want something that can be left our over winter.

- There are several sizes and materials to choose from.  Look for one that best suits your needs.

  Shop Here for Rain Barrels