Did you know that just one inch of rain over one acre of land is approximately 27,143 gallons of water? That’s almost as much as average American uses in 10 months. On average, Hawaii gets between 25 and 30 inches of rain per year. What if there was a way to collect some of this water to use at home? Well, there is! It’s called rainwater harvesting.
Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting the water runoff from a structure and storing it for future use. Some rainwater harvesting systems use roof gutters that lead water into larger vessels, while others are more sophisticated and collect rainwater into large cisterns that can supply an entire household.
In addition to its low cost, rainwater harvesting has a number of benefits. Rainwater is relatively clean and can be used to wash cars, clothes or animals, water the plants, landscape irrigation and even bathing. Many systems are easy to maintain, and rainwater can provide an excellent back-up source of water for emergencies. Since your tap water may be chlorinated, water straight from the sky is actually better for your plants than water from the sink! As you collect rainwater, you’re also reducing stormwater runoff keeping our oceans clean and sea creatures happy.
Let’s protect and conserve our water together. Start rainwater harvesting today! For steps on how to build your own rain barrel, visit our blog here.
Sources: National Weather Service, Farmers’ Almanac, US EPA, Custom Made, Water Cache