Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater is clean, free and easy to harvest, the healthiest way to meet our water needs. Get it local!

Water is life. Most of our water is in our atmosphere, 15 times more than locked in the polar ice caps. When rain falls from the sky it should be captured as much as possible for use later. This can be done by collecting from the roofs of any buildings, this water can be used by humans directly for drinking, cooking and washing. Calulate roof area and mulitlpy by annual rainfall.Its usually alot and storage is main item after roof gutter. Low cost low tech concrete rings can be used as storage units. These can be modular, sourced anywhere and have good longevity.

The best place to store water is in the ground, usually in heavy rain only the top 10mm of soil gets wet, the rest washes away quickly to rivers and seas. Slowing water down and directing to the earth, up to 80% can be captured, this then moves slowly though the ground and raises the water table. Swales, ditches, dams, ponds and lakes are other methods to capture this precious commodity. Planting trees, bushes and plants, much being edible also aids in water retention whilst supplying food sources.