Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing, of rainwater. This is not a new idea and has been used for years in many areas of the country and world. Rainwater is typically harvested and stored in a cistern or storage tank and later used for drinking water, water for livestock or irrigation.
Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses into gutters and then to a storage tank. This system can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water. As water conservation is becoming more and more popular, more people have begun to make their rainwater collection system and do it as a DIY installation. Systems can be both simple and complex.
Some companies such as www.braewater.com provide a complete system for you to install on your own or through a contractor. A buried or hidden 1700 gallon storage tank receives and stores rainwater from the homes gutter system and can be pumped to areas needed.
A Rain Harvesting System Consists Of:
- Tank: A Modular tank or a one piece 1700 gallon tank.
- Pump: A 1/2 horse power submersible pump, with a shut off to prevent it from running when dry.
- Filter: The downspouts have a basket filter to capture debris. Other filters would be needed for potable water.
How much rain can I collect?
A typical house with 2,000 sq. ft. of roof area in NC can average 60,000 gallons annually. To find out how much you could collect, use the equation below.
Collection Potential = CA(Rainfall)(0.6*)
Explanation:
Your Collection Area is expressed in square feet, for example 10 × 20 ft. Collection Area = 200 SF (square feet). Your Collection Area is the footprint of your house or building independent of the roof pitch or shape. One inch of rain on one square foot of Collection Area equals 0.623 (0.6*) gallons of rainwater. For example, 1 inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of Collection Area yields 600 gallons of collectible rainwater.
RELATED POSTS:
Sustainable Residential Designs
Rain Barrels