Collecting the rain makes better sense than complaining about it. Whether you collect it in rain barrels or your storage needs require larger cisterns, rainwater collection and use has a host of benefits. Here is why you should change your way of thinking about rainwater collection:
Rainwater can be a clean, safe, reliable source of potable and non potable water. Rainwater is relatively clean to begin with and if collected, conveyed, stored, filtered and disinfected properly, it can meet the needs of small scale watering to whole house potable use.
Rain barrels can collect water inexpensively for small watering needs, with down spouts being diverted to a rain garden when full, as well as during the rainy season.
Larger cisterns can collect water all winter long to have a large volume for irrigation needs during the summer months. If collected water is pressurized and filtered, it can be plumbed into toilet facilities and laundry to supplement city water usage. If filtered and disinfected, whole house potable usage can be achieved whether large cisterns are used for year-round use or as small storage as a supplement to city water.
So, instead of saying “DARN RAIN!!!!”, consider changing your way of thinking about rainwater collection.
Ken is a United States Navy veteran, having served on active duty during the Vietnam War era.
A career entrepreneur, Ken created a new business focus with a commercial dive company in Hawaii in the mid 1980′s to respond to and clean up oil spills, oil spill equipment training, service and maintenance for the oil co-op service industry. Ken is passionate about having a positive impact on the environment and is also a founding director of BANK-ON-RAIN (2011-2014), whose mission is to create grassroots solutions for rainwater collection for consumption and agriculture in developing areas of the planet.