Even though the earth is 2/3 water, only 3/10 of one percent is suitable for domestic use. Most of the water falling from the sky never gets absorbed by plants, but rather goes into our sewer systems or simply drains to the ocean eroding our unprotected soil. Rainwater harvesting is also effective in reducing storm water runoff pollution.
Rainwater harvesting (also known as rainwater recycling, and grey water recycling) simply collects the rain which fall onto roofs, then stores until required. This reduces demand for mains-water and in the process; a volume of water is kept out of the storm-water management system, thereby helping to reduce flooding risks as well.
Recycling rainwater is not a new concept; however, over the last century its use has diminished with the availability of clean, inexpensive and reliable water sources. More recently, water demand has started to exceed supply, and localized flooding has become an issue. Industry experts are now recognizing the important role this process has to play in alleviating both these problems.
The first and cheapest method is to re-use empty water jugs or gallons. Just dig a very small hole under the spout of any gutter or where water naturally pours off from the roof. Next, place an empty and clean container in this small hole, so that the rain water will pour out of the gutter's spout and into the gallon. This makes the entire roof a giant funnel.
The second method is to use a rain barrel, which is typically a 50 to 80 gallon container that also collects and stores rain water from rain gutters. Typically, a rain barrel will come with a mesh screen, water faucet, and water run off system in case it rains too much for the barrel to store. Some cities even give them away for free, so don't forget to ask your town hall, especially since this method saves your city money as well.
The third method uses commercial equipment where rainwater is captured from the roofs and brought to a central point, via normal guttering and down-pipes, to a storage tank (frequently underground), where it is filtered on entry. A submersible pump delivers the water to a service on demand. The size of the storage tank is determined by considering the amount of water available for storage (a function of roof size and local average rainfall), and the amount of water likely to be used (a function of buildings occupancy and function).
Many companies in the US and around the world specialize in rainwater collection systems, ranging from rain barrels to underground cisterns. To find out more about domestic and commercial rainwater harvesting systems, be sure to check these resources:
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