With the summer heat approaching, many areas across the country are at risk of drought. Harvesting rainwater is a great way to conserve—and reserve—water in case there is a shortage; however, rainwater harvesting policies vary, so check out your state government web site to find out what regulations apply to you before you start harvesting. Here are some reasons you should consider harvesting rainwater:
- It can save you money! Even if you live somewhere the annual rainfall averages only 12 inches, you can save money on water bills by collecting and storing rainwater and using it to irrigate your trees, shrubs, and lawn.
- It makes use of a valuable resource. By collecting rainwater from just ten percent of the residential roof area in Texas, we could conserve 27 billion gallons of water annually. Think about how much we could conserve if we collected water from our cities systemwide!
- It helps prevent problems. Collecting rainwater helps prevent flooding, erosion and, surface water contamination with sediments, fertilizers, and pesticides in rainfall runoff.
- Rainwater is good for plants. It is free of salts and other minerals that harm root growth. As rainwater soaks into the soil, it forces salts down and away from root zones, which lets roots grow better and makes plants more tolerant of drought.