by Edyta.Materka

Does Harvesting Rainwater really help the Environment?

In some parts of the world there is still a certain amount of skepticism about the merits of harvesting rainwater and if it is in fact beneficial to the environment. This may possibly be because harvesting rainwater in rainwater tanks is still a new concept, especially in some modern urban areas where householders are very used to just turning on the tap to water their garden or fill their swimming pools.

I remember when growing up, rainwater tanks, water issues and drought were very rarely talked about. We had all the water we needed. I remember we’d use water for hosing down concrete paths and driveways. We’d pour as much water as we’d liked onto our lawns over summer and as kids we’d spray each other with the garden hose for hours.

And of course all of this water came from our local water storages. These water storages were always full of water, as every winter it rained and filled them up. Then during the summer we’d do our best to try and empty them again but the levels never really seemed to get low.

These days though it’s a different story. South Eastern Australia has now been in drought since 1997. As a consequence most of the water storages, lakes, dams and reservoirs are now perilously low. This winter in 2009 we have received average rainfall which is the first time since 2000. Unfortunately all this has done is slow the decline of Melbourne’s water storages which are now at an all time low of 29%.

To fill these water storages with water is going to take a lot of rain over many years. Unfortunately for South Eastern Australia, this upcoming summer is tipped to be hotter than normal. The likelihood of bushfires of the scale of Black Saturday, during February this year, are high. Low rainfall is also forecast so the chance of ever getting enough rain to fill our storages seems low. Unfortunately though, Australia is not alone.

There are now many parts the USA, India, Asia, Africa, Europe and many other places that are also experiencing lower than average rainfall and low water levels in their water storages.

As a gardener I’ve watched the climate change over the last 13 years and whether or not this cycle of dry weather continues is anyone’s guess. In the meantime though, I’ve installed rainwater tanks for harvesting rainwater for my garden. I have a green lawn in my backyard during summer and I can wash my car or clean my paths whenever I want to. The most amazing thing that I’ve discovered is that even in a climate where you only get around 300mm (12 inches) of rainfall per year I can still harvest lots of rainwater. It all has to do with how much of your roof you can harvest rainwater from.

Underground rainwater tanks are very good at harvesting rainwater from all of your roof area. Unfortunately, these are not always viable for some houses. They can be expensive to install and for existing houses they may not be an option. Above ground rainwater tanks are cheaper and easier to install but it can be difficult to harvest rainwater from all of your roof area. Most people don’t really want a rainwater tank at the base of every downpipe or downspout on their house.

These days it is now possible to harvest rainwater from all of your roof area and direct it to above ground rainwater tanks without having to place a rainwater tank at the base of every downpipe. This means that above ground rainwater tanks are now a viable less inexpensive way of harvesting rainwater from all of your roof area. As a consequence large volumes of rainwater can be harvested from your roof even during a drought.

The other important advantage of being able to harvest rainwater from all of your roof area is that during summer when you’re not getting very much rain and you are using lots of water, you can really maximise the amount of rainwater you can harvest. That means that if you only get a little bit of rain you can still harvest lots of rainwater.

Rainwater tanks are now a viable alternative to using water from already stressed water storages. This can only be good for the environment and the extra water will also allow your garden to flourish which will be good for the environment as well. Harvesting rainwater and storing it in rainwater tanks is just a beginning but the more people that harvest rainwater, the bigger the impact it will have and then everyone can benefit from harvesting more rainwater.

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