The Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting
One of the privileges of living in the UK is having easy access to water. However, there are areas in England which are experiencing water shortages. This will come as a surprise to many. Therefore this will be a wake up call to many of us who take our water for granted. There are methods of saving water, and once we start doing this, we will reap the benefits.
Rainwater harvesting is collecting rain water that would otherwise go down the gutter. If everyone started harvesting rainwater they will be surprised to learn how much water we will be saving. Rainwater harvesting is a practice that has been around for centuries and is still used around the world. Household-owners are mostly unaware of the advantages associated with rainwater harvesting. For instance if we find ways to preserve rainwater, our water bills will be cut dramatically.
The water butt
A largely popular method of collecting rainwater is to place a water butt on your down-pipe. Using a water butt is a popular method of harvesting rainwater as it is cost-effective and easy to use. The rainwater can be used for gardening purposes and even car washing. In addition, if you wish, you can fit two water butts next to each other from the same downpipe if you have a big garden.
If you are not that satisfied with using a water butt and wish to go one step further, you can try upgrading to a simple harvesting rainwater pump and filter. This pump is useful for creating a pressurised system that can then be used in conjunction with a hosepipe; great for watering the garden or washing the car using a hosepipe.
How can we use the rainwater?
You can use rainwater for outdoor purposes such as topping up swimming pools, washing windows watering the garden, and cleaning patios. As well as saving on drinking water-use, rainwater is beneficial for other purposes too. For example, it encourages less build-up of calcium deposits in appliances.
The use of rainwater around the house
Once the rainwater is filtered, it can even be used around the house to supply toilets or washing machines. However, it is important for the rainwater to be filtered and siphoned in order to make it suitable as a source of non-drinking water.
In deciding which tank to install next to your house, you should think about a few things. The type of area you live in, the number of people that are living with you, and the amount of water that will be used all play a big part. The procedure is then as follows; once the correct tank has been installed the rainwater is then filtered and pumped into a header tank in the loft of your home where it is distributed into a household and non-drinking supply. Do not be surprised to learn that some modifications will need to be done to your existing plumbing. This is essential so that the rainwater supply will be separate from your fresh water supply.
Some final thoughts
It is very likely that water rates will continue to get higher, making water harvesting sound more and more like a viable option to the home-owner. If we stopped to think about this in more depth, we will realise that most of our domestic water usage such as toilets and dishwashers do not actually require water from the mains supply. The long-term benefits of harvesting rainwater far outreach the notion of continuing to waste rainwater that could be used in the house. The potential savings in water bills is also something to think about.