20 UCW SEPTEMBER 30 - OCTOBER 6, 2009
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
Efficient Ways to Use Rainwater
E/The Environmental Magazine
How can I make good use of the rainwater that runs down my roof
and into my gutters?
— Brian Smith, Nashua, NH
For most of us, the rain that falls on our roof runs off into the
ground or the sewer system. But if you're motivated to save a little
water and re-distribute it on your
lawns or plants — or even use it
for laundry, dishes or other interior
needs — collecting rainwater from
your gutters' downspouts is a no-
brainer.
If it's allowed in your state, that
is. Utah and parts of Washington
State have antiquated but nonethe-
less tough laws banning anyone but
owners of water rights from collect-
ing rainwater flowing off privately
owned rooftops. Such laws are
rarely enforced, however, and one in
Colorado was recently overturned.
According to John C. Davis,
writing in E – The Environmental
Magazine, just about any hom-
eowner can collect rainwater, given
that the roof and gutters do most
of the work. And since an inch of
rain falling on a 2,000-square-foot
roof produces some 1,200 gallons
of runoff, one can harvest enough
to supply all the water needs of a
family of four for about two weeks.
Of course, most of us would only
use rainwater to irrigate our lawn or
garden, and there should be plenty
to go around for doing that in all
but the most drought stricken areas.
Plants and grass actually do bet-
ter when fed rainwater instead of
tap water, which is usually treated
with softeners that actually inhibit
plant growth. And, reports Davis,
the lack of minerals in rainwater
actually makes it more effective than
tap water for shampooing or doing
dishes. Using rainwater for plumb-
ing uses can also extend the life of
pipes and water heaters, since the
salts added to tap water facilitate
corrosion. Homeowners should set
up a water purification system if
they do plan to use rainwater for in-
terior needs.
Beyond the benefits to individual
homeowners, rainwater harvesting
can also be good for the local community, as it reduces the erosion,
flooding and pollution runoff associated with heavy rainfall, and less-
ens reliance on public water supplies, alleviating some of the burden
on utilities. Given these benefits, some states, including even drought-
prone Texas, subsidize residential rainwater collection systems.
Many varieties of rain barrel systems, starting at just $100, are
available for home installation. A typical set-up is simply a rain barrel
positioned under a gutter's downspout. "The barrel is typically fitted
with a spigot at its base to
fill a watering can or at-
tach a soaker hose (which
bleeds out water all along its
length, providing effortless
drip irrigation), and a filter
or screen at its top to pre-
vent a buildup of leaves and
other debris," writes Davis.
According to the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency, a single 100 gallon
rain barrel can save up to
1,300 gallons of utility-pro-
vided water during the high
demand summer months.
Handy homeowners
can make their own water
harvesting systems, but
buying one pre-made is a
lot easier. Most nurseries
and garden centers offer a
range of choices (as well as
advice), but web sites such
as Aquabarrel, Clean Air
Gardening and R ainxchange
make it easy to order a sys-
tem online.
CONTACTS:
Aquabarrel, http://www.
aquabarrel.com, www.
aquabarrel.com, Clean Air
Gardening, http://www.
cleanairgardening.com;
www.cleanairgardening.
com; R ainxchange, http://
www.rainxchange.com. www.
rainxchange.com.
SEND YOUR
ENVIRONMENTAL
QUESTIONS TO:
EarthTalk
®
, P.O. Box 5098,
Westport, CT 06881; earth-
talk@emagazine.com. Read
past columns at: www.
emagazine.com/earthtalk/
archives.php. EarthTalk
®
is now a book! Details and
order information at: www.
emagazine.com
Collecting rain water from your gutters' downspouts is a no-brainer and is not expensive to do.
Photo: RainXchange
