Invest In
Harvesting-Rainwater
By continuously harvesting-rainwater, you can take advantage of a rain-barrel, avoid water-restrictions, and make use of a free natural renewable resource without much effort at all.
Unlike household water, which among other efforts, requires
an extensive collection process and chemicals for purification
purposes, natural rainwater just comes to us.
And It's Free!
With water-restrictions in our neighbourhoods the way they
are, it's difficult to keep up.
Restrictions aren't just limited to watering lawns. In
reality, we aren't to be washing vehicles or even watering
vegetable gardens or flowers on the off-days or beyond
regularly scheduled watering hours.
Depending upon the extent of the hot weather, this is
extremely frustrating, especially when you consider the
costs invested in planters and pots to beautify your
property. And what about the thirsty vegetable garden?
Personally, there just doesn't seem to be enough allowed
watering time for the lawn come mid-summer. We have
resigned ourselves to the fact that as of mid July, the
lawn is beyond coming back to a lovely green. It's just
brown and sick-looking, and there's not much we can do
about it.
Because we had such a terrible summer here last year
because of so much rain, it was the nicest my lawn has
ever been in years. Pretty ironic!
But, when we are lucky enough depending upon where we live
to get a decent rainfall, we should be harvesting-rainwater
collected by some means for use around our yards as much
as possible.
The best way to collect water is by using a plastic or
wooden rain-barrel.
If you can set a barrel just underneath the downspout
you could have free water to water flowers and give your
vegetables and houseplants a drink too.
You could even put a rain-barrel at the corner of a shed
or garage as well if they have downspouts.
Check with your local Utilities Office to see if they
supply plastic barrels. They just might supply them free
of charge, or at a reduced rate. At the very least, they
should be able to advise you where to get them. They can
usually be purchased for a minimum of 50 - 60 dollars.
Make sure you have a lid of some kind for your barrel.
This lid prevents dirt and debris from getting in. It should
also keep mosquitoes out as well. We have to be careful these days of standing water and the prevention of disease from mosquitoes.
Collecting run-off water aids us in a number of ways.
It can be diverted away from the house, which can prevent
water seepage into the basement. It can also be diverted
to a specifically dry area that needs water the most.
If harvesting-rainwater that is collected in huge amounts,
it can reduce the stress on water systems.
When you also consider that so many people in the word
struggle with water shortage every day for just the basic
necessities of life, it seems such a shame to waste it.
While North Americans can use upwards of 150 gallons of
water per day, less fortunate people try to manage on
4 or 5 gallons, and that's on a good day.
Now, this might be the best reason of all to think about
harvesting-rainwater that comes to us for nothing.
Leave Harvesting-Rainwater, Return To Conserve Water
Return to Carbon Footprint Defined Home Page
|
