Collecting Rainwater: Putting Nature's Flow To Good Use

There is nothing quite like sitting and watching the rain. Have you ever wondered if there's a way to put all of that water to good use? Especially when you see it just flowing down a sewer grate, when there are water shortages in so many parts of the world.

Rainwater harvesting is a green solution for collecting and using that wasted rainwater and to reduce your dependence on the municipal water and hydro supply.

Benefits of rainwater collection

Rainwater is free, naturally soft and relatively inexpensive to collect. Collecting rainwater can also help you deal with any drainage, erosion or flooding problems around your lawn or home. You also won't be contributing to the risk of blockages or overflow of your neighbourhood sewer system.

Note: You will still have to properly divert some of your rainwater away from your home.

Collecting your own rainwater will also provide a back-up source of H2O in case of emergency, but how do you store it?

Collecting and storing your rainwater

Most households will use a simple rain barrel system for storage, while some communities and new homes have more complex underground or built-in systems.

Rain barrels are set up underneath gutters and downspouts from your roof, and need a secure lid as well as some sort of spout or spigot (you can also attach a hose). Barrels come in many shapes and sizes, and are usually made of plastic, metal, ceramic, rubber or wood. UV protection is important, as sun exposure can affect the quality of stored water.

Worried about bird droppings or other nasty contaminants that may be hiding up on your roof?

This is handled by something called a first flush diverter - a separate collection system that diverts a pre-determined amount of water when it starts to rain, so that all of that debris stays out of your rain barrel. Another simple solution is a debris screen that blocks out the mess.

Once collected, rainwater can be used both outdoors and indoors, greatly reducing your dependence on municipal water.

Uses for rainwater

One of the most common uses for rainwater is in landscaping and watering plants. In fact, pure rainwater is far superior to tap water for this task. Tap water contains chlorine and other chemicals that your plants do not need!

Using rainwater for landscaping and gardening can also have the biggest impact on your municipal water use, considering that a garden hose uses 1100 litres of water per hour. And according to a 2007 StatsCan study, domestic water consumption can increase up to 50% during the summer months when many people water their lawns and gardens.

Other outdoor uses for rainwater include washing the car or driveway, or even washing your pets. You can also use it in the antifreeze mixture in your car (experts recommend a 50/50 mix of coolant and water to fight rust, boiling and engine corrosion). Inside, rainwater can be used to flush toilets or for laundry.

With some extra effort and cost, and while taking professional advice into consideration, rainwater can be filtered to be safe for drinking.

With nature providing such a pure and plentiful source of water, doesn't it make good sense to gather it up and use it, instead of just watching it flow down the sewer?