Green Wednesday: Rainwater Collection
Share on Twitter | Email To Friend | Posted by Anna in Green Remodeling.
There are growing concerns about global warming, water shortages, and rising energy costs. All of these factors are encouraging many consumers to look for alternatives to the traditional methods of irrigation. Collecting rainwater is one method that is really beginning to catch on.
Collecting rainwater is a very simple and inexpensive method of irrigation.
Purchase an inexpensive rain barrel and place at each downspout off of the roof or your house or any outbuildings. You can purchase specially manufactured rain barrels that come in 36 and 75 gallon sizes. Look for any other areas around your yard where you can collect runoff. A note of caution: if your roofing material is redwood, cedar, asphalt, or treated shingles or shakes, you may have contamination problems. To properly filter the rainwater and to remove any contamination, be sure your rain barrel is equipped with an inlet screen, overflow outlet, drain valves, and a first flush device.
Plants love rainwater, and you can use it virtually anywhere outside.
It is possible to store water for a few months at a time, and you can use it to water your gardens, plants, and lawns. The water will need additional filtration for interior usage, but it is possible.
Storing rainwater is an easy way to save water and money around your home, while reducing the amount of damaging runoff reaching our water systems.
If you would like to rearrange your landscaping for more eco-friendly living, request free estimates from landscaping contractors in your area.
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October 10th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
verry interesting my roof has a run off like a huge waterfall and we finely did something about it we used a bathtub which fills up and overflow in 2 minutes of hevy rain verry brown filthy water. im still experimenting with dew and so on
November 17th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Thanks for reading; hope it provided some useful suggestions for you!
December 21st, 2008 at 5:44 pm
We never really hold on to water very long – seems no matter how tight the lid the mosquitoes seem to find their way in. I was looking at a design that might limit that problem http://www.aquabarrel.com – but what I really liked was the size of the over flow on the 80 gallon one they have.
July 30th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
[...] polyethylene barrels have replaced the old wooden rain barrels. These streamlined rain catchers can hold up to 100 gallons of water and come with a screen top to [...]