Install a rain barrel in your backyard to harvest rain water
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by: georgewonderman
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A century back people would have laughed at an idea of selling packaged water, but today it is one of the most profitable products in the market. Governments are toppled over the issue of water today, it has become a make or break political agenda in densely populated countries like India. Harvesting rain water is therefore more important today than it ever was anywhere in the world and we should stop taking the availability of water for granted. Of course, you can not influence the government or make policy decisions but you can start right from your own home by installing a rain barrel. Rain barrel is one of the most economical and simple ways to harvest water.
Rain barrel are becoming popular by the day. All you need to do to harvest rain water is to divert the flow of rain water from your roof to the rain barrel. Studies have found that in the recent past many families from across the US and Europe have actively participated in rain water harvesting by installing rain barrel. They use the water for their lawn and other activities like car wash
There was a recent news story stating that a venture capitalist firm was experimenting with the idea of turning rain water into clean drinking water by installing a hygienic rain barrel system with a Reverse Osmosis water purifier fitted in it. There is some wastage in this process and the rejected water can be used for other activities like gardening or washing a car. The traditional rain barrel water harvesting system collects rain water as it is, whereas the water collected by this system can be safely used for drinking as the quality as good as packaged drinking water. It is a fairly new but a good idea and should catch up fast in towns and countries where water is scarce during some parts of a year.
It is a practice in quite a few US cities, when there is no rain for a couple of months, that the city council asks its residents to stop wasting water on gardens and lawns. This is the time when the water saved in rain barrel can come handy. An inexpensive rain barrel can hold huge quantities of water, depending on the space you may have, you can save water in excess of a 1000 gallons if there is enough rain. In addition to a good rainy season, it is important that you mark all the areas where water flows to from your roof and install pipes there. Pipes from these marked areas should be led directly into the rain barrel.
You can buy a rain barrel or make an inexpensive one right at home by using material lying around. For a basic rain barrel, all you need is a tank and some garden hoses to collect and direct the water into the rain barrel. When you are setting up your rain barrel, make sure you have it raised slightly above the ground level by using bricks, cinder or wood. Also, make sure you have the height of your downspouts raised slightly above the level of the drum. Have your downspouts hoisted above the level of the drum too. A filter right in front of the inlet would ensure that debris and leaves stay out of the rain barrel. To draw water from the rain barrel you can install a tap at the bottom or have a large lid on the top. Related articles Rain barrels -- Make a rain barrel --
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