What is Your Home Worth?

Judy Lindsay Team News

Rainwater Harvesting

May 4th, 2016

As the years go by, people become more and more aware of the environment and their impact on it. Wanting to help make change, old ways are new again and new technology is helping to pave the way for a greener Earth. Rain harvesting can be a great way to reduce your consumption of municipal water (or help with well and cistern costs, if the well is prone to dryness, for those in rural areas). By simply using rain water for gardening and lawn care, you can cut down, significantly, on your water bills. However, some are wanting to go that extra mile and are incorporating rain water usage into their daily lives. By using rain water for flushing toilets and laundry, you can chop those water bills nearly in half! That being said, a simple garden rain barrel, collecting rain water from your roof and eaves-troughs, will not do when using rain water in your daily life. 

Large watering, even just for larger gardens, can need Rainwater Conveyance Network Piping. What this means, is that the piping will distribute water to and from the holding tank to various areas in your yard. Which leads us to the next idea for larger rain water harvesting: Storage Tanks. Storage tanks can be above, or below, the ground and are used to store larger amounts of rainwater. Overflow pipes should be installed in case of heavy rainfall, and directed AWAY from the house. You don't want your rainwater harvesting system to backfire and end up with water pouring into your basement from overflow running into your foundation. Installing a larger system, especially those that pump directly into the household, requires local and provincial codes/standards to be met, and the use of a plumber.

Rain Water Storage tips: Anything found above ground needs to be fully drained at the end of season. And, any tanks that are placed underground, need to be placed under the frost line. If not done correctly, this can lead to cracks, leakage and contamination. 

You can find various rain barrels, and smaller tanks, at your local hardware stores. Starting with a rain barrel and working your way up is a great way to reduce your water consumption and save yourself money in the long run!