The number of people who are becoming eco-friendly is steadily increasing, as education about environmental problems is receiving more attention. One way of taking care of our environment is to conserve water, and a better way to do this is by using natural resources for our daily needs. Collecting rainwater is an age-old practice, and now that we are integrating our technology into rainwater collection systems, saving water can be more manageable. Here are some benefits of having a rainwater collection system.
Benefits of a Rainwater Collection System in Your Home
Reduces Catastrophic Erosion and Flooding
Collecting rainwater can reduce soil erosion around your house. As you control the flow of water around your downspouts and in gardens, it prevents the build-up of pools, which is harmful also to your foundation. Rainwater collection can prevent flooding in low areas of your home, which can destroy plants in your garden and the whole landscape.
Decreases Your Water Bills
Everyone knows that collecting rainwater can help reduce water bills for a single home and an entire community. If many people are using their rainwater collection system, it can substantially reduce the main water supply and services cost.
Lessens the Need for Groundwater
People are now discouraging groundwater sources throughout the world. There are plenty of reasons that using groundwater can cause considerable problems in a structure and its surroundings. Digging wells can be expensive, and it is causing damage to the environment like soil erosion. This gives enough reason to use rainwater instead, which has an unending supply.
A Substitute for Non-drinking Purposes
The everyday use of collected rainwater is for non-drinking purposes such as washing the dishes, clothes, flushing toilets, and bathing, which need large amounts of water. You can use rainwater for cleaning clothes and dishes, bathing pets, washing your vehicles, and almost all cleaning that needs water.
Helps Aid Plant Growth
People use harvested rainwater for their plants and gardens and notice significant improvements in their growth. Harvested rainwater can wash away salt build-up from soil and plants. Free from many types of pollutants, human-made contaminants, and chlorination, collected rainwater is clean and healthy for the trees and plants. This can also help you to save money on performing property maintenance and landscaping requirements.
Other Benefits
Your savings with a rainwater collection system will depend on meteorological factors, your consumption habits for both indoors and outdoors, and the initial project cost of installing the system. For those using water meters, a rough estimate on the billing projection is possible. Simultaneously, for a domestic network, you can save almost 40% to 50% on your water bills by utilizing the reserve water for cleaning chores.
It is imperative to know that the collected rainwater will not entirely replace the main water supply. Your home still needs to have a clean water supply for drinking, cooking food, and personal hygiene.
Rainwater Collection Maintenance
The rainwater collection system requires a lot of attention for maintenance. Some people found a way for easy erection and maintenance of the system by following an approved design. A homeowner can also consider using seamless gutters from City Seamless (cityseamless.com) for less maintenance in collecting rainwater. This system is beneficial to individuals, the community, and the environment, so it can be worthwhile to have one.
Great list of reasons for building a rainwater collection system. I also like to think of it as an emergency drinking water system when used in conjunction with a Berkey Filtration System.