Rainwater Harvesting

According to a Gallup poll in March, 2008, when Americans were asked to rate their level of worry about each of 12 environmental concerns, the top four relate the to quality of water.

Rainwater harvesting systems allow us to reuse water without straining our municipal water systems, and save money on water and sewer costs. Don’t think rainwater harvesting is a viable way to conserve this valuable resource? Consider these facts (courtesy www.aquascapeinc.com):

• One inch of rainfall on a 2,000 sq. ft. residential roof generates 1,250 gallons of water that can be reused.
• That same roof in a region receiving 30 inches of annual rainfall generates 41,000 gallons of reusable water.
•  The average U.S. household with a 10,000 square foot lot uses 5,000 gallons of water weekly for landscape irrigation.
• Running a sprinkler for two hours can use up to 500 gallons of water.

Rainwater harvesting systems go far beyond using rain barrels that capture only 60 gallons of water. Systems can hold thousands of gallons of water in custom-sized underground modular storage tanks, protected by a rubber membrane that creates a watertight basin around the tank. Through an on-demand pump system, stored rainwater is brought to the surface for lawn irrigation, watering plants and for use in a water feature such as a pond or waterfall.

Worried the underground tank will fill up? By installing an overflow tank, excess rainwater is sent to a separate underground storage area. This water is gently returned to underground aquifers, back to the earth’s water table.

This system not only conserves water, it is easy to use, provides a natural habitat for wildlife, and can add beauty to your landscape by creating a self-sustaining water feature.