Approach to Rain Water Conservation

Why Conserve Rain Water

Rain water is a resource that is often overlooked when planning green initiatives. Not only does the collection of rain water provide a free water supply, it also helps keep surplus water from garden and patio areas. If rain water is not collected it drains into the waste water system, whereas by collecting the rain water it can be used at a later time. One of the benefits of using collected rain water is that it can be used with a hose pipe at any time regardless of hose pipe bans or restrictions in many areas.

The amount of rain water that can be collected and stored varies depending on conditions and each area and country will have differing amounts and patterns of rain fall.

There are many useful websites that offer information about rain fall. These include:

• NOAA - Includes reports and estimates
• Weather.com - Weather forecasts
• countrystudies.us - Average rainfall by state

International Sites

• bom.gov.au - Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, information and forecasts
• metoffice.gov.uk - The Met Office UK website, includes a rain fall radar

Using Rain Water

Rain water can be used to water the garden, clean cars, wash down patios and for many other uses. It can also be used as gray water inside the home. Gray water can be used to flush toilets which saves a large amount of water.

How to Conserve and Collect Rain Water

Collecting and conserving rain water is sometimes referred to as rain harvesting. This is an appropriate name as it suggests the sustainable and renewable source of the water.

There are many different systems of rain water collection available and these range from simple buckets left to collect rain through to large rain barrels and at the top end there are sophisticated systems that collect and store vast quantities of rain water that is later filtered and available for drinking. It is possible to build your own water butt.

The easiest way to collect rain water is using a rain barrel or rain butt which is placed under a down pipe. Water that drains off the roof is collected in the guttering that in turn drains the water down the down pipe and into the barrel. This is one of the most efficient ways of collecting rain water.

Some rain barrels are sold as interlinking kits that much more water can be saved and conserved. These kits are quite simple to install, although many vendors will be happy to advise.

Rain barrels are available in a variety of sizes. Popular sizes start at 50 gallons and go up to 80 gallons, although there are bigger and smaller barrels available.

The Best Approach to Rain Water Conservation

The best approach to rain water conservation will depend on the needs and conditions of a household and its locality. Someone living in a dry and arid area will have a much greater need to collect and preserve rain water than someone living in a lush damp area where there is rain for much of the year.

Households who grow a lot of fruit and vegetables will also find collecting and conserving rain water useful. The collected rain water will provide a good source of water and saves the need to call on the drinking water supply. Rain water is a soft water and often free from harmful nutrients and chemicals making it ideal for watering allotments and smallholdings.

Even people living in damp areas can benefit from collecting rain water. The collected water gives a ready supply for a number of activities where drinking water would otherwise be used. This includes car and vehicle washing.

There is a lot of useful information available online about rain water conservation. These websites include:

• Rain Barrel Guide - Information including a rain water calculator
• NSF.org - A variety of useful information
• GreenBuilder.com - Links to suppliers

Collecting rain water is part of a water conservation and management program that can be put into practice in any green living household.