Rainwater Catchment

Two things humans, animals & plants can’t exist without are air & water. It’s pretty simple. And water is increasingly an issue worldwide. It is estimated that 50 percent of the world will be water insecure by 2030.

Water catchment can be as simple as a bucket under your drain pipe to a full-blown storage cistern system with the ability to purify water for drinking. The average roof in the United States generates about 1,800 gallons of water in a one-inch rain. That’s significant. Even arid climates, like California or Arizona, average 10-12 inches per year. We are talking about 18.000 gallons more of captured water!

In the US, we have been dealing with drought in the west for over a decade now. Washington state, think Seattle – the emerald city – experienced drought and wildfires in 2015 like they’d never seen before. Remember, the northwest is part of the North American rain forest. When our rain forests are burning, we’d better take notice.

In other parts of the country, with the reality of more extreme weather patterns, flooding is the issue. The problem is two sides of the same coin, we can’t drink non-existent water and we can’t drink contaminated floodwaters.

Although, complex ground water catchment systems exist, for the average person, catching the rain before it hits the ground is the goal. Once water hits the ground, controlling runoff and managing for contaminants (pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides) becomes much more complicated.

In an era of dwindling resources, water is poised to become the new oil. The entire world now faces the reality of a decreasing supply of clean water. To avert a devastating shortage, we must not only look at alternate water sources for existing structures but must plan our new developments differently. –Design for Water: Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment, and Alternate Water Reuse

Ed Beaulieu

Ed Beaulieu, Freshwater ecosystem restorative expert, is chief sustainability officer at Aquascape and developer of RainXchange, a rainwater harvesting system that helps manage storm-water runoff and has provided safe drinking water for many communities around the world. Ed has a philosophy called H2O, or “Homes 2 Oceans”. He believes in creating a connection between humans and the environment through the use of aquatic ecosystems. Protecting aquatic resources creates a greater awareness of our environment, which in the face of rapid expansion and growth is critical for the health of the oceans and the entire planet. Even though we many not see it or understand it, everything in our world is interconnected, so small changes at our homes, even in the Midwest will impact the oceans.

Rain Barrels

My Sister recently relocated to Huntington Beach, CA. While visiting her new digs last spring, I was astonished by the lack of water capture and greywater systems in this region. My Sis, being the smart, environmentally aware person that she is, completed a rain barrel certification course and established said barrel in her small yard. Her rain barrel mentor is Cindy Berglund of Rain Barrels International.

I love Cindy’s story. It was actually her 12 year old son (in 2006) who, out of concern for the environment, designed the prototype barrel for the family run company. The rain barrels are made from recycled food grade barrels otherwise destined for landfills.

Residential irrigation can account for up to 40% of domestic water consumption, water conservation measures such as a rain barrel, can be used to reduce the demand on the municipal water system or your homes personal well. – Cindy Berglund, Rain Barrels International

Rain barrels can be any size. They can be free standing or situated under a downspout. If the water will sit unused for more than 2-3 weeks, an aerator is suggested (stored water will become anaerobic or “stagnant” quickly). The type of aeration pumps used for fish tanks work well. Coordinate the tank pump with gallon size of your container. Your plants will be super happy drinking your freshly collected, chlorine-free, rainwater – sans a multitude of growth inhibiting compounds.

I’m not recommending any one type of barrel. You will find a wide selection on the internet. Depending on where you live, many experts seem to agree that the standard 50 gallon barrel might not be large enough and you may want to get two at that size. Or consider starting with at least a 100 gallon barrel to prevent overflow after every rain. If you are assembling your own rain catchment system from reclaimed barrels, make sure that they stored only food grade/non-toxic materials originally. Also, if your barrel is free-standing (without lid and spout connection) always have a mesh covered opening to prevent a breeding ground for mosquitos.

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are sometimes naturally occurring, but more often intentionally landscaped designs for water capture and re-routing to best benefit nature and mitigate waste and runoff. Sometimes it’s a matter of re-routing runoff from your home’s foundation! Designing berms and sculpted topography ushering water to areas where it can be most helpful for nature is the goal. Essentially, a depressed area (6 to 9 inches) of soil and rocks, rain gardens can typically look a like an oasis of native plants or rock garden, filtering runoff and sending it back to the earth. Small ponds can also be a feature of a rain garden. These waters foster a bio-diverse attraction for wildlife – frogs, lilies, insects, butterflies and native plants – which all generally thrive in these conditions.

Greywater Systems

Greywater  is the term used for non-potable, household water, such as water from the shower/bath, dishwasher, laundry machines and even storm runoff. The average person uses 11 to 15 gallons of fresh water daily in the shower alone! This captured water can be used for flushing toilets, irrigation, and other heavy duty cleaning jobs outside of the home. A plumber with specific knowledge in greywater systems is recommended for designing a suitable greywater system for your home.

A helpful site that I came across in my research was

Harvest H2O, which has a state by state vendor list for water catchment system providers.

The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA). Their mission is to promote sustainable rainwater harvesting practices to help solve potable, non-potable, storm water and energy challenges throughout the world. *memberships consist of professionals working in city, state, and federal government, academia, manufacturers and suppliers of rainwater harvesting equipment, consultants, and other interested individuals.