Why Collect Rainwater

Municipal water systems are also users of rainwater. It is just that the water they use has come in contact with and traveled over and/or under the ground. In this process the water dissolves and mixes with all sorts of minerals and chemicals some hazardous (pesticides and fertilizers from lawns and farming), some are just annoying (dissolved calcium chloride and salts) which makes the water hard and leaves mineral deposits in pipes and on surfaces. This raw water is then processed by adding chemicals to treat pathogens and remove some of the hardness. In the case of private water wells the mineral content can be extremely high, making the water hardly fit for human consumption. Rainwater collected from your properly constructed system will contain only minimal amounts of minerals. Testing shows no chlorine, a pH between 6.2 and 6.8, and very low alkalinity. All in all the water is very soft; a bar of soap can last for months! All other detergent usage will be reduced as well. Besides, it just feels and tastes good.

Ground water is sometimes heavy in minerals and not desirable in a domestic water source. Municipal supplies are not always available and when they are, often contain undesirable chemical additives.

Rainwater collection systems start out as a “large math problem”. Consumption, collectable area, annual rainfall, and storage capacity all contribute to the viability of a rainwater collection system. Size of collection area and maximum rate of expected rainfall will determine which filtering equipment will be needed. Estimated consumption will help determine storage requirements.

Most domestic water waste comes from irrigation of landscaping. It may take 1.6 gallons to flush a toilet, while watering a sizeable lawn can take more than 7,000 gallons for a single watering event, with the greatest water demand during the summer when rainfall is sporadic.