Rainwater harvesting is a hot topic these days. Collecting rainwater falling freely from the sky and using it to reduce the amount of water needed from other sources is certainly a good idea. The question is, however, How practical is harvesting rainwater for the average person? Unfortunately, household rainwater-harvesting systems are expensive, difficult to install and not cost effective on a small scale.

The average person can do a lot on an individual level to reduce the amount of water used each day. While implementing various water conservation measures within the home is still the most effective strategy, there is a simple, affordable way that almost anyone can harvest rainwater. All that is needed is to connect a downpipe from the roof to a water butt.

A water butt is a rainwater collection unit that attaches to a downpipe. As rainwater runs off the roof, it is collected and stored for later use. Water butts, usually made of plastic or wood, are simple to install and come in a variety of styles and sizes. Many water butts are strictly utilitarian but decorative options are available, as well. For homes with small children, only a child-safe water butt should be installed.

Although harvesting rainwater through a water butt system will not supply household needs, it is a simple way to gather water for outdoor use. Depending on the roofing material, the harvested rainwater may not be advisable for use on edible vegetation but can replace water from other sources for lawns, trees, shrubbery, flowers and any other type of ornamental plant.

Tags: Environment, Rainwater harvesting, Rainwater tank, WATER, Water conservation, Water Resources

This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 1:36 pm and is filed under Eco, Home, WATER. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.