Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting water that falls down the roof when it rains through gutters and flows to a drum or water tank.
It is also great for the environment and your pocket, and it can be used for needs such as washing cars, filling pools and aquariums, and gardening. It can also be piped for use in the toilets and bathrooms in the home. Thus, it reduces your water bill and may prevent soil erosion due to flooding.
Rainwater is particularly great for plants because it is free from chlorine, fluoride, and chemicals used to treat water. However, unfiltered rainwater is not ideal for drinking or cooking as it can be contaminated by air pollutants, debris, bacteria, viruses, and more dirt as it moves through the roof and gutters.
In this article, we explore some of the best tips for DIY rainwater harvesting you can try in New York.
9 DIY Rainwater Harvesting Tips for Beginners
1. Choose the right storage containers
Buy at least two or three storage barrels that can hold 55 gallons of water from a local food distributor. You can also improvise a large plastic food grade drum.
Do not buy barrels that were previously used to hold petroleum products, as they may not clean well and still have residues that are not good for consumption.
Clean them with warm, soapy water to remove any oil or toxic contaminants. The containers will hold a lot of water, which is useful for your outdoor applications.
2. Secure the covers
Uncovered drums or barrels may be filled with debris and dirt from the roof. They also increase the chances of breeding by mosquitoes. Ensure you cover the barrels tightly.
3. Choose the right location
When setting up the DIY rainwater collection system, ensure that you select the section of the roof where water flows naturally. This will make it easy to collect sufficient water.
A good location is where there are steep inclines which allows water to flow to the direction you have laced the barrels. This ensures that you collect sufficient water even if there is minimal rainfall. If the roof does not have gutters, place the drum in the middle of where the two sections meet.
4. Set up a filtration system
Although rainwater is not good for drinking or cooking because of the risk of contaminants, it can be made safe if treated. Some of the best methods to make rainwater drinkable are disinfection and filtration.
You can set up a UV disinfection unit that uses ultraviolet light to kill the bacteria and viruses after you have filtered the water and removed debris, leaves, and twigs.
The alternative is to distill the water, which both filters and disinfects the water in one phase. The distillation process separates the clean water from the contaminated water and makes it safe for drinking.
If you cannot do this, use the water only for outdoor applications such as watering plants or washing the compound or the cars.
5. Add filters to the rainwater harvesting system
You can add filters to the barrels or storage drums to prevent debris, leaves, twigs or large contaminants from entering and contaminating the water.
Consider gutter guards or mesh filters near the entrance of the barrels to ensure the water remains clean.
6. Regular maintenance of the system
Have a regular cleaning schedule of the barrels and drums to ensure the water remains clean. Even if you use the water for gardening, you need to keep it clean since the plants are edible, and contaminants can risk your health.
Furthermore, the debris can block the gutter and prevent the collection of rainwater. It is good practice to drain the system every three years.
7. Implement FIFO
Set up the storage tanks so that you will use the initial water first and the newer collected water last. This ensures good movement of the collected water in the system where the water doesn’t stay for too long in storage.
8. Set up an overflow port
Set up a system to prevent overflow to redirect excess water to other places to prevent flooding. You can do this by connecting two drums with a pipe so the outlet will direct water to the other tank if it is empty.
You can also add an overflow valve to direct water away from your home to the garden if both tanks are full.
9. Attach water hose
Make your gardening experience easier by attaching a water hose to the drums.
This will make it easy to use the water to water the garden with a hose pipe.
FAQs
- What is the easiest method of DIY rainwater harvesting?
The easiest method for DIY rainwater harvesting is using rain barrels made from unused containers where you install the drums or tanks below the gutter system, and rainwater directly goes into the tanks.
- Is it safe to drink Rainwater?
No, you should not drink unfiltered rainwater because it may contain harmful contaminants, particularly in areas with high pollution. It may also contain disease causing microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses that may make you sick.
- What are the disadvantages of rainwater harvesting?
Some of the disadvantages of rainwater harvesting are that it needs regular maintenance once you install and if not installed properly, it can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes or pathogens that cause waterborne diseases.
- How do you filter rainwater from a roof?
You can filter rainwater from a roof using distillation, mechanical filtration, or reverse osmosis methods.
Final Thoughts
Rainwater is too precious to go to waste. It can provide months of water for gardening and outdoor needs, such as washing the car for months, and reduce your water bill significantly. Furthermore, rainwater harvesting is good for the environment, as it is a sustainable and cheap way to provide clean water to our homes.
Install a DIY rainwater harvesting system, collect gallons of water, have a steady supply of clean water in your home without hefty water bills, and make an impact on the planet.
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Rainwater Harvesting for Sustainable Urban Gardening in New York - City Green Thumbsays:
February 1, 2024 at 4:16 pm[…] harvesting is essential for urban gardening. The initiative is backed by the New York Department which gives free rain barrels to increase […]
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March 20, 2024 at 10:46 am[…] 9 DIY Rainwater Harvesting Tips for Beginners […]