Rainwater harvesting is the principle of collecting and using precipitation from a catchments surface by gathering and storing rainwater. Traditionally, rainwater harvesting has been practiced in arid and semi-arid areas, and has provided drinking water, domestic water, water for livestock, water for small irrigation and a way to replenish ground water levels. Even with the minimal rain in state like Arizona, hundreds or thousands of gallons of rainwater from roof surfaces can be redirected into designated areas.
Rainwater harvesting in urban areas can have tremendous benefits such as reducing your water bill and usage of chemically-treated city water, increasing soil moisture levels for urban greenery, as well as improving the quality of groundwater in our yards and communities. At a household level, harvested rainwater can be used for numerous applications from controlled irrigation to cleaning, washing cars, bathing and even drinking when properly filtered.
Rainwater tanks are installed to make use of rain water for later use, reduce municipal water use for economic or environmental reasons, and aid self-sufficiency.
Many homes use small scale rain barrels to harvest minute quantities of water for landscaping/gardening, can be quite inexpensive when made from standard 50-gallon barrels or trash cans, and can be properly engineered to screen out mosquitoes and debris.
Watch for Part 2 next month.
Happy Digging,
Doreen aka the Garden Goddess
For more great gardening resource visit my website at www.down2earthgarden.com
