Annual rainfall for one year to date is only 1″ below average in Seattle. But, an expected warmer winter will mean a low snowpack for water reserves next summer. With already low levels in our reservoirs and less snowpack, the answer to the shortfall question could be yes.
The reservoirs are much lower than usual going into the wet season this autumn. If we do not see a significant snowpack to replenish reserves during the spring, an already low water level will be stressed even more than this year.
RainBank customers are recognizing that having a rainwater collection system designed and installed by a professional will help ensure that their households will have enough available water for next summer.
An average 2,000 square foot home in Seattle will yield over 44,000 gallons of water annually from the roof. Storing enough of this yield to get through the dryer summer months does not have to be large scale. A household using 120 gallons per month would require approximately 10,000 gallons to see them through the dry season AND that’s for whole house usage. Toilet and laundry facility uses approximately 48% of household demand requiring one half of that amount of storage.
A well-designed water catchment system can ensure enough water to get through next summer’s expected drought.