Rainwater is a sustainable, renewable and high quality water source that can be used inside your home. Have you heard of rainwater harvesting? Do you know what it is and how an essential part of the process is selecting the proper water tank? If not, chances are you will probably find this information invaluable.
What Is Rainwater Harvesting?
This is a technique that involves collecting, storing and then using rainwater for landscaping and a number of other purposes. In most cases, when it rains, the water will pour off of the roof of your home, through the gutters and then into the yard or the street. When you harvest rainwater, it can be collected in certain types of water tanks and then stored to be used when it is needed.
The actual practice of using water tanks to collect and then store rainwater has been around for a number of decades; however, it has recently grown in in popularity, allowing people to have a source of portable water that they can use when other sources are unavailable or unsanitary. This practice is now used by many types of people in Africa, including individuals, schools, commercial buildings and apartment complexes.
Advantages of Harvesting Rain Water
Some of the advantages offered by collecting and then storing rainwater in water tanks for residential use include:
- The diminishing of flooding, cases of erosion and reducing storm water flow and decreasing the amount of storm water runoff.
- Reduction of water bills and the demand on the community’s drinking water supply when you use rainwater for activities such as watering your surrounding gardens, washing clothes and flushing toilets.
- Improving plant growth by utilizing rainwater for purposes of irrigation since rainwater that is stored in water tanks will be free from any pollutants, including minerals, salts and other types of man-made contaminants.
- Utilizing a resource that is valuable and more importantly, FREE.
In most cases, rainwater, even rainwater that is properly stored, can become contaminated because of pollutants, which means that it is not suitable for drinking without first treating it.
How Rainwater Harvesting System Works
The basic concept of a rainwater harvesting system is that it channels the rainwater from some catchment surface – a roof or other type of raised solid surface – then through a distribution system – pipes, downspouts and gutters – and then into a storage tank.
There are a number of different types of water tanks, which can be installed either above or underground. These tanks are composed of materials such as metal and plastic. The water storage tank will then be covered so that it doesn’t lead to breeding of mosquitos and the covering also reduces losses from evaporation.
In addition to water tanks designed for residential use, there are also a number of industrial water tanks that will collect and store rainwater for larger companies or farms. For more information, contact water tank suppliers, which will be able to better explain the options that are available.