Help your home buyers achieve greater independence by providing them with a system to harvest free water.
A professional rainwater catchment system, such as this one by Cultec, includes a preflush to get rid of particulates from the roof, and, in some cases, a filter that clears out unwanted material prior to cistern or tank storage.
While residents in many parts of the country have experienced water shortages and droughts over the past few years, they aren’t the only ones who need to worry about conserving water. The fact that water is heavily subsidized means that planning for effective water use now can help your home buyers save money should subsidies be reduced in the future.
“Until now, water has been fairly abundant and reasonably priced, but as the demand increases, especially in heavily populated areas, cheap water will become a thing of the past,” warns John DiTullio, vice president of sales for Cultec, a manufacturer of storm-water management chambers.
Homeowners with large or water-intensive landscapes will take a big hit should water prices rise, especially when you consider that for the average home, up to 40% of the water consumed goes to outdoor use, such as watering lawns and plants. (And approximately half of that water is wasted due to evaporation, misapplication, or overwatering.)
“There is a growing awareness that rainwater harvesting is at least a partial solution for potable, nonpotable, stormwater, and energy challenges. National, state, and local jurisdictions are developing legislation, codes, and ordinances that encourage the practice,” says John Hammerstrom, president of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA).
While harvested rainwater has the potential to be used inside the house for a variety of functions such as toilet fl ushing or laundry, watering the yard is the most common use of it—and largely free of heavy regulation. “For many applications such as irrigation, fire prevention, or additional reserve for exterior cleaning, the reclaimed water may only require very limited treatment,” says DiTullio. “It only makes sense in future designs to capture and reuse this rainwater as opposed to purchasing new water.”
How It Works
Realizing the worth of harvested rain is simple—and so is capturing it. Today’s choices include simple rain barrels, above-ground cisterns, and buried tanks.
If you are considering a rainwater catchment system, first figure out how much water you need to collect. The general rule of thumb is that for every inch of rain that falls on a catchment area of 1,000 square feet (the size of a typical roof), approximately 600 gallons of water can be harvested. In general, your plants need about an inch of rain per week (or approximately a half gallon of water per square foot of garden). If a landscaped area is 100 square feet, you’ll want to have about 50 gallons available on demand. (See “Rain Calculator,” page 39.)
For smaller amounts of water, a simple rain barrel will do. (See “Small and Simple,” page 41). But for larger amounts of water—1,000 gallons and up—a holding vessel is the best option. The components of a rainwater harvesting system include the following:
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