Rainwater harvesting is a technique that has been used through the ages and is gaining in popularity today. It is being used in many states in the United States—California, Hawaii, Oregon, Arizona, Texas and the Virgin Islands and in many other parts of the world—Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Bermuda.

Rainwater harvesting consists of four main components: catching rainwater from rooftops and impervious surfaces into gutters, transporting the water through downspouts and pipes, filtering the water and storing it for landscaping irrigation. Then it is important to test the water before it is used to confirm its suitability for the intended purpose.

Rainwater can be a high quality source for home gardens. Rainwater harvesting can be as simple as catching water in a barrel and using it in the garden. In that case, only a small amount of water is stored. However, if many people store 50 to 100 gallons of water, (1,000 people x 100 gallons) then approximately 100,000 gallons of water would be saved and available for irrigating gardens. On a larger scale, rainwater catchment systems can be designed to capture thousands of gallons of water for landscape irrigation. Rainwater is generally free of minerals and usually neutral in pH. Often rural homeowners will use rainwater harvesting when the quality of their well water is poor or the volume is low, particularly during the summer months. Many homeowners enjoy more independence with rainwater harvesting–a self-sufficient source for both fire and earthquake protection. Gardeners enjoy rainwater--a less expensive and purer source--for their gardens. Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable and efficient use of water.

CAPTURE, STORE AND USE THIS VALUABLE (and free) RENEWABLE RESOURCE FOR YOUR GARDEN.