Top 10 Reasons to Harvest Rainwater

It’s not going to be long before the price of water is going to be more valuable than the price of gold. With drought becoming more widespread and climate change wreaking havoc everywhere, finding fresh and good ground water to drink is getting harder. So why aren’t more people looking to the sky? After all, water comes from there, too!

The most valuable resource of all!

Here are just ten reasons that you should harvest rainwater:

1. It Lowers Your Utility Bills

Unless you have a well, whenever you run water through your sink, you tap into the municipal water supply and it costs you money. Collecting and harvesting rainwater and storing it in rain water tanks reduces your dependence on that municipal water supply.

2. Better for the Environment

The more water we can leave in the ground, the better for the planet. This isn’t just true of ground water supplies. Because humans use more water than the ground water table can easily supply, many cities tap into local rivers and lakes to keep the city functional. This devastates those habitats and ecosystems because in addition to removing water from where it should be flowing naturally, the piping and plumbing required open the door to allow pollution to flow back through the system and into the water supply.

3. Create Your Own Private Reserve

When your town works on the water main, you won’t have to worry dealing with the inevitable shut-off of water that comes with that type of work. You’ll already have water “on hand” stored in your rain barrels or rain water tanks. This is especially handy if you live in an arid area where water is in short supply for much of the year.

4. Cheaper and Easier

You could drill a well on your property, but harvesting rainwater is cheaper and easier to set up. You can set up a rainwater system with water storage tanks in an afternoon by yourself. A well takes weeks to dig and set up (and costs more in parts and labor)!

5. Plants Respond Better to Rainwater

It’s true: rainwater (or “grey water,” which is what it’s called after it’s been harvested and used in the kitchen, shower, etc) has been proven to grow stronger and healthier plants than those hydrated with municipal water. This is usually because the water that comes from the municipal supply has been treated with filters and chemicals to make the water ‘safer’ for humans to consume. This makes it worse for plants.

Grey water is happy water (at least as far as your plants are concerned)!

6. With the Proper Purification, Rainwater Is Absolutely Safe to Drink

No more buying bottled water! This helps you save money when you’re shopping at the store and reduces the amount of waste you create. Even if you recycle every water bottle you use, you’re still creating waste and pollution when you drink bottled water.

7. Reduce Your Risk of Flooding

If you live in a particularly rainy part of the country (like the Pacific Northwest), your property is at perpetual risk of flooding. The water supply gets backed up as the rainwater gushes into it. The ground can only absorb so much water before it starts to rebel. Overflowing gutters can cause structural damage to your house. By collecting rainwater in rainwater tanks, you keep your gutters flowing properly, and you reduce the risk of oversaturation on your property.

8. Cuts Down on Energy Use

Did you know that almost half of the energy used in a city comes from the pumping and treating of water? Harvesting rain water cuts down on the need for that and helps you save money on your power bill (as well as your already discussed water bill).

9. Erosion Reduction

Every drop of rainwater you collect is a drop of rainwater that won’t run off and down into a sewer drain, potentially eroding the landscape and overloaded stream banks as it does so.

10. It’s Fun!

Setting up your own rainwater collection system is fun! Even little kids can set up their own systems (a.k.a. putting a bucket in the yard and hoping for the best)! Checking on your supply can be oddly addictive and filling a rain barrel is highly satisfying. It sounds weird, but it’s true!

PRO TIP: There are lots of different ways to set up your own Rain Harvest. Make sure you are complying with local codes and ordinances!

Your own private water supply!

Saving the planet is fun, isn’t it?

Source: Erin Steiner  (Erin Steiner is a freelance writer from Portland, Oregon, where rainwater collection is common (as are bicycles and backyard chicken coops).

There are many more reasons to collect and store rainwater in your own water tanks, whether you live in the USA, South Africa or anywhere else in the world.  In South Africa, there are a few brands of water tanks to choose from; we recommend JoJo tanks as they are of high quality and still affordable, see Water Tank Brands: Quality vs Price…There is a difference.

JoJo Tanks South Africa offer a wide range of products such as plastic water tanks and chemical tanks to suit every household, business or agricultural need, including silo tanks and silo tank stands as well as other high quality JoJo Tanks products.  See JoJo Tanks’ VERTICAL TANKS, HORIZONTAL TANKS (transporter tanks), STEEL TANK STANDS and OTHER JOJO PRODUCTS and see JoJo Tanks’ NEW 6000 LITRE UNDERGROUND TANKS. Also see our FAQ and WATER TANK PRICES.