Why Harvest Rainwater?
It requires a minimum of 13 gallons of water per day to meet basic human needs; however, Americans use at least 50 gallons per day on average to meet current lifestyle needs. If you include irrigation water in this calculation, it quickly doubles to over 100 gallons of water per day. Harvesting rain water can ease the burden of municipal water supplies, and give you that much-needed back up plan if the tap ever run dry from lack of water, pump failure, or any number of possible and probable situations.
How?
While there are a variety of ways to collect water for future use, rain barrels are an inexpensive alternative and beginner’s tool to start the process of rainwater collection. It has been established that if a person lives in an area that produces just one inch of rain, they could acquire well over one thousand gallons of clean water that may be reused for other means in and around the home. Naturally, if more inches of rain fall in a given area, more gallons of reusable water become available. Rainwater collection barrels are large units that have the capacity to hold a large amount of water that falls during rain. This distinct tool offers those that engage in rain harvesting to collect all the water that they need in order to perform certain tasks in and around the home without a mess or a hassle.
Rainwater Uses
Many individuals are under the impression that rainwater is not safe. However, by incorporating the right collection barrel, this water may be used in many different ways. First and foremost, it may be used for drinking as well as cooking. It is important to ensure that the collection barrels you use have a filtering system in place in order to use rainwater in these ways. Additionally, the rainwater may also be used for personal hygiene such as taking a bath and even brushing your teeth. Many individuals use rainwater from harvesting for cleaning purposes, laundry, and even for irrigation in their landscape. It may also be used to provide water to livestock and domestic animals and provide sanitary living conditions for those creatures.
The Benefits of Rainwater Collection
Apart from the obvious benefit of conserving the water from the earth, there are several other benefits associated with rainwater collection. First, using rainwater provides you with the means of acquiring no-cost water. This type of system is also beneficial in eliminating the high costs associated with utility bills. Many individuals have found that water contained in rainwater collection barrels is highly effective as an emergency water supply. If you are interested in saving money and doing your part in protecting the earth’s natural resources, you will thoroughly enjoy the process of rainwater collection.
Photo Credit: Rain Water Solutions 65 gallon Plastic Rain Barrel
