Why catch rainwater

The reality is that rainwater harvesting is becoming a viable alternative for supplying our households and businesses with water.

There are many countries such as Germany and Australia where rainwater harvesting is a norm. Due to the green building movement, you will be seeing rainwater harvesting systems become more popular here in America. The collection of rainwater is known by many names throughout the world.

It ranges from rainwater collection to rainwater harvesting to rainwater catchment. In addition, terms such as roofwater collection or rooftop water collection is also used in other countries. We believe that rainwater harvesting is a viable technology in an urban setting. All that is necessary to take advantage of this resource is to capture the free water falling on your roof and direct it to a rainwater storage tank. By doing this, you can take control of your water supply and replace all or at least a substantial portion of your water needs.

Not enough benefits for you? Discover more rainwater harvesting advantages. Rainwater harvesting is important for several reasons but one of the biggest is the fact that we are tapping out water conservation gains inside our homes so we need to start looking outdoors for more opportunities.

The following graph shows the gains that have been achieved with our indoor water fixtures through the combination of governmental standards and innovation by fixture companies. Probably not! This phenomenom is known as the law of diminishing returns. So where will the next revolution in water conservation take place? We believe we offer services in the areas where this revolution will take place. You can essentially use rainwater anywhere you use tap water.

The idea of using drinking water to flush our toilets and water our lawns is wasteful and irresponsible, especially in light of population growth and water shortages across the country. Rainwater collection is a technique to green your home and to lessen your environmental footprint.

To calculate the amount of rainwater you can collect, you need to know your annual average precipitation for your area. You can use the precipitation map below to find an approximate amount for your area. Find the closest weather station to you and use the 0. Once you have the annual average rainfall in your area and the square footage of your collection surface, you can plug these values into our rainwater collection calculator below.

Rain can wash different types of contaminants into the water you collect for example, bird poop on your roof could end up in your water barrel or tank. Rainwater can carry bacteria, parasites, viruses, and chemicals that could make you sick, and it has been linked to disease outbreaks. The risk of getting sick from rainwater may be different depending on your location, how frequently it rains, the season, and how you collect and store the rainwater.

Dust, smoke, and particles from the air can contaminate rainwater before it lands on your roof. Roofing materials, gutters, piping, and storage materials can introduce harmful substances such as asbestos, lead, and copper into the water. Dirt and germs can be washed into collected rainwater from the roof, especially when rain follows several days of dry weather. Avoid using rainwater for drinking, cooking, brushing your teeth, or rinsing or watering plants that you intend to eat.

Instead, use municipal tap water if it is available, or purchase bottled water for these purposes. If you have a weakened immune system, you should be especially careful when choosing your drinking water source. Discuss this with your healthcare provider.

Before using collected rainwater for drinking, bathing, or cooking, consider whether treatment is needed to make it safe. Testing the water can determine if there are harmful germs, chemicals, or toxins in it. Water treatment options include filtration, chemical disinfection, or boiling. Filtration can remove some germs and chemicals. Treating water with chlorine or iodine kills some germs but does not remove chemicals or toxins.

Boiling the water will kill germs but will not remove chemicals. The amount of water that should be removed by a first flush diverter depends on the size of the roof feeding into the collection system. In addition, there are limits on how much water you can collect. If you have reviewed the laws and determined that you can install a rainwater harvesting system in your home, then there are still a few more things you need to consider.

Rainfall is hard to predict. Your rainwater harvesting system might take some time to recoup this cost. Leaks will result in unnecessary costs and high water bills even if you collect rainwater. You also need to be prepared for regular maintenance. Rainwater harvesting systems need to be maintained to prevent algae growth and pest infestation.

You also need to think carefully about your water storage limits. As the top expert in gutter protection in Hamilton, NY, we can help you figure out how your gutter system interacts with your rainwater harvesting system. Rain Barrels — This is the simplest and most affordable way to harvest rainwater. You simply place barrels or water tanks below the downspouts of your gutter system. This tank can be connected to a pipe for drip irrigation. Dry System — A dry system uses a larger storage container for the water.

This water is a few meters away from the property. The gutter system needs to be redesigned so that the water is diverted to the large storage tank. Wet System — In a wet system, many collection pipes are connected to the downspouts. The collection pipes need to be secure and well maintained to prevent water leakage into the soil.

Debris is likely to enter the conveyance system as you collect rainwater, so filtration is necessary. Consider installing a leaf screen over the top of the downspout.

You should also use a first flush diverter and sediment filter. When storing rainwater, you need to take steps to retain the quality of the water.