Rainwater Harvesting - Pros and Cons

Rainwater harvesting benefits you in many ways. First of all, it offers a modicum of INDEPENDENCE from your municipal water service. It is a great BACK UP in areas where summer droughts are frequent. If you pay a heft price for water (particularly for watering your garden) it provides water almost for “FREE.” The water is SOFT and requires much less laundry soap compared to municipal water and if you are one of those trying to AVOID ARTIFICIALLY FLUORINATED WATER – rainwater harvesting is your choice source for water.

Rainwater harvesting helps RECHARGE YOUR GROUNDWATER and aquifers and is also a wonderful way to PROTECT YOUR AREA’S RIVERS and lakes. By reducing the amount of rain water that runs off your roofs and pavements, deluges your water bodies with excessive mud, and washes off aquatic habitat by fast flowing sheets of water, rainwater harvesting better mimics the natural process of gradually releasing rainwater into your area’s waterbodies during heavy downpours. Thus water that would have otherwise created havoc in your rivers is instead trapped for later use during dry spells.

Another way that trapping water can help your community is to reduce the impact of rainwater on your MUNICIPAL WASTE WATER PLANT and related costs. Your city might be among the many where these pipes are combined with your sewer pipes. Therefore during downpours, the water you could have captured is sent down the gutters, through the stormwater pipes and into the sewer system. When this system is overloaded during heavy rains, the stormwater that is mixed with the sewer overwhelms the waste water treatment plant, causing untreated water to be released into your river and lakes – with the obvious consequences of contaminating your local water and poisoning aquatic life.

Rainwater harvesting therefore allows you to save money, be a little more independent, and express your passion for your local environment.

However, you need to be careful; areas that are dry will consume this saved water quickly. Therefore the COST OF LARGER STORAGE needs to be assessed against the cost of the system. Also, you need to check if your local rivers are tied to any NATIVE AMERICAN TREATY RIGHTS. In some places, Native American treaties give the Nations the right to capture rainfall in the rivers, and courts might consider your little rainwater harvesting system, an infringement on the Nations’ access to rainwater. Also, if you decide to use the rainwater for potable purposes, it can get FAIRLY PRICEY PRETTY QUICKLY. This may make it out of many people’s reach. Also, rainwater harvesting is associated with some level of MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP above and beyond that for piped municipal water. The water needs to be frequently chlorinated or checked for unwanted microbes; you need to make sure that if you will use this water for potable purposes, that your Ultraviolet treatment system and your filters will clean your water of all harmful microbes and bacteria. Some local codes will not yet allow these systems to be your primary source for water - so check with your city hall before you decide to build one. Lastly, these barrels can be UGLY!!

Hope I have not dissuaded you. The reasons for not rainwater harvesting are easily outweighed by the many benefits of doing so. This is the simplest way to be green.

Next: Rainwater Harvesting for Irrigation