Rainwater Harvesting-Need of the Hour!

[adam]

Most of us talk about saving and conserving fresh water reserves and ways to optimize our water usage. While this is an important aspect one of the more simpler and natural ways to add on to our fresh water reserves is by harvesting and storing the main source of fresh water-Rainwater.
Rainwater Harvesting is still something which is not being given the importance which it truly deserves. Though initial efforts have started, the need of the hour is to plan & implement schemes and introduce simple cost-effective techniques so that earth's most precious resource could be harnessed.

[ryan]

Rainwater havesting is a method that way we can save the rain water. During the rainy season the people can preserve the water in underground storage and give the way to water in deep wells and other storage manner. Construction of the buildings and houses in such a way that the water can stored in underground storage watertank and it can be improve the water table.

I have a friend that collects all his rain runoff from the roof of his house and the garage. He stores the water in two 500 gal tanks behind the garage and uses this to water his whole garden and lawns. He also has a solar heater and can divert water to a shower and washing machine. One inch of rain will fill both tanks in a matter of a few hours.
The whole system is gravity fed and he has valves to control flows. I do this also but on a smaller scale.

[Bob Walsh]

Did you know that rain water is one of the purest water sources available. The pH is typically between 6.0 and 7.0....7.0 is neutral.
Rainwater is free. It will reduce your water bills, thereby saving you money.
Even if you harvest just a small portion of a tank with each rainfall, you could save a good amount of money on your waterbill.


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[gthurnball]

What is the best way to do this at home?

[tysookal]

Have you checked this site for answers?

[Judy]

Wow that is so interesting! I know there are rainwater barrels that you can set up to collect the water. Actually I believe EnviroCitizen has them.

I always wondered how pure rain water is. Since it travels through the atmosphere doesn't it pick up pollutants?

[gthurnball]

I guess that depends on how clean (or dirty) the air is in your neck of the wookds.

[sueerassmus]

This is an interesting article on rainwater harvesting in China:


Harvesting rainwater


BEIJING, May 12 -- Water shortages plague most Chinese cities; even so, rainwater is inadequately harvested or not at all.

Rainwater goes down the drain serving no useful purpose. Recent rainstorms that affected a number of cities in South China have sparked debates on rainwater conservation efforts in urban areas.

One can take a leaf out of the German pavilion at the ongoing Shanghai Expo, which is showcasing Berlin's rainwater harvesting system which not only makes good use of rainwater but also keeps the city's waterways uncontaminated.

Chinese cities, for instance, received as much as 260 billion cubic meters of rain in 2004, according to latest available data. Properly conserved, this rainwater would help ease chronic water shortages in these cities. Yet, few cities adopt facilities to collect rainwater. Beijing's water management authorities say most of the rain the capital gets is unutilized, finding its way instead into the city's waterways.

True, funds needed for rainwater conservation, such as building tanks to collect and store rainwater, are by no means modest. Still, if the money can be rustled up, as the rainwater harvesting system in Berlin shows, it will go a long way in combating water scarcity. Moreover, expenditure on cleaning up urban waterways can be better utilized elsewhere.

Furthermore, if such a rainwater collection system is able to effectively prevent urban areas from being inundated during rainstorms, incalculable economic losses may be avoided.

Allowing more rainwater to seep into the ground and recharge underground aquifers is another way to beat the shortage. This is imperative for sustainable development.

[patpatrick88]

Saving rain-water is a big deal in certain countries with no fresh water supply, its usually un-tainted and safe enought to drink without treatment. Countries in Africa were water is scarce must use other means to get water!

[Josh44]

You know when you're about to take a shower? You turn on the hot water faucet but nothing comes out for several seconds but cold water. Why let that clean water run down the drain. Catch it in five gallon bucket and use it to clean, water plants and so on.