Invest In Rainwater Harvesting Today For Tomorrow’s Peace Of Mind

For many of us, water use is a no-brainer. Tapped into municipal water services, we simply turn on the tap or flush the toilet, never giving it a second thought. This same kind of blinkered can sometimes affect the decisions people make when increasing the energy efficiency of their homes- often people look to upgrade heating systems and better insulate our houses, but neglect other sustainable solutions. Rainwater harvesting is a simple and highly effective way in which you can adopt a more sustainable approach to your life, and has the added bonus of lowering water bills and increasing your independence from local water services.

Converting to a rainwater harvesting system should instead be the no-brainer, especially for residents of North Carolina. Although  the droughts experienced in 2002 and 2007 are relatively normal phenomenon for the general environment of the region, an increasing population and demand on our water supplies means our vulnerability to drought is also on the rise (source: State Climate Office of North Carolina). Water bans and the cost of water services can be expected to increase as a result- which means the decision to upgrade to a rainwater harvesting system today translates into peace of mind for tomorrow.

The concept is simple. Rainwater harvesting starts with a collection system- think of your roof and eavestroughs as one giant bucket. Collected water is stored in tanks or cisterns either above or underground. Depending on its use, water is then circulated using a pump through your house, to irrigation channels or even maintained for fire protection.

One of the best things about rainwater harvesting is that the system you choose can be as small or as large as you want. There is a water system available for any scale of use, whether you’re looking for a small cistern to help keep your garden watered during, or want to install a 30,000 tank to complete upgrade all your household water uses.

Today, opting to harvest your rainwater doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice aesthetics for function. Many rainwater tanks can be designed and installed underground so as to be almost completely invisible- conversely, tanks can be installed above ground if you’re looking to proclaim your sustainable lifestyle to the world.