How Do You Utilize Your Collected Rainwater?
September 24, 2011
If you just collect rainwater but never get any benefit from it, you may as well not waste your time and energies going through the motions. To get the most benefit from the water you collect, you will need to do some modifying of your home plumbing system and change the way you think about water usage.
Outdoor Uses of Rainwater
The one problem with rainwater is that it can become contaminated as it sits in collection barrels or vats. Without a sophisticated and expensive filtration system, it can't be used for things like drinking and showering.
It is, of course, excellent for irrigation because it doesn't contain the chemicals found in public water systems. Those are the same chemicals that make the water healthy and drinkable.
Washing your car with rainwater is a commendable use, and it requires a separate plumbing line from those used for potable purposes. If the storage facility is below ground, this will necessitate a water pump to provide the pressure necessary. If a pump is installed, another use of the rainwater can be for irrigation of the lawn.
Some amount of sterilization may be necessary by the use of chlorinated shock in your storage bins, but this does not make the water good enough to drink. It is advised, whether it is a code requirement or not, to label any faucets that use rainwater so that no one mistakenly drinks from one of them.
Indoor Plumbing
In some areas, you will need to get a special permit to run rainwater lines into your home. Be sure to check on this before you decide to begin a major change to your plumbing or let a professional rainwater harvesting contractor advise you. The permit will bring with it an inspection to be sure that you do not endanger human life as a result of your remodeling efforts.
The primary place where rainwater is used inside the home is in toilets. That is one area where there is little chance that the water will be used for more than one purpose.
There may also be areas where rainwater can be used for such purposes as mopping and other cleaning chores as long as any faucets are clearly marked. Another great use for rainwater is for watering plants inside a greenhouse.
When using rainwater in toilets, it becomes important to monitor the amount of reserve water you have in your collection facility. You may find that you need more volume to keep up with the many uses you find for your harvested rainwater.