Stored rainwater is a useful resource for outdoor use.
Harvesting rain with rain barrels can be good way to save water for gardens, lawns or projects like car washing or driveway cleaning. With gutters, downspouts and barrels, hundreds of gallons of water can be saved for later use. Does this Spark an idea?
Considerations
Water is easily harvested by collecting it from most roofs, with the exception of flat roofs. Downspouts drain into rain barrels that are waterproof. In areas prone to mosquitoes, screens or covers on the barrels will keep the insects from breeding in the tanks. Some tanks have spouts to which hoses can be connected to make using the water more convenient.
Benefits
Saving rainwater reduces the demand for municipal or well water. In areas where the domestic water supply is hard, harvesting rainwater and applying it to gardens reduces the amount of salts in the soil. Rainwater is free, cutting down on water bills.
Warning
Rainwater coming off a roof will not be clean enough to drink without purification by filtration, distillation or heat. Many jurisdictions require permits to plumb the water into the house, even for use in toilets. Plumbing the water through the main pipes in the house may prohibit any municipal provider from serving the home in the future.
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