Rainwater harvesting at home

South Africans are generally still very fortunate in that water is relatively expensive but it will not be like this for long, install rain water tanks!

As a relatively dry country, the water problem in South Africa is exacerbated by an average annual rainfall of about 464mm, compared to a world average of about 860mm. Additionally, it tends to be concentrated in certain areas, does not fall consistently throughout the year and is stored in very expensive dams remote from the concentration of users that leads to expensive pipelines and pumping costs.

The cost of water in South Africa is not that high so we tend to be wasteful. There are indications, however, that water will become more expensive and there may  simply not be enough water to meet the country’s future needs and the need to save water will be forced upon us. Every South African should therefore become savvy about rainwater harvesting.

JoJo 750 litre slimline rainwater tank

Drums or barrels can be used to make rain barrels

For the homeowner, collecting rainwater is just one of the ways to make a home more sustainable, by harvesting nature to store rain water for irrigation, washing the car (or the dog), filling the swimming pool, even bathing and drinking if properly filtered.

In addition to conserving an increasingly scarce resource, rainwater collection also helps reduce storm runoff—a growing problem caused by the acres of concrete and other impermeable surfaces that go along with booming housing or commercial development.

One of the main benefits of a rain barrel is to reduce the amount of stormwater runoff. Typically rain water flows off roofs, driveways, parking lots and other “impervious surfaces” into storm drains, which discharge either into community sewer systems or into nearby streams. In the first case, rain over-burdens sewers, leading to overflows, and rushing stormwater can erode stream banks, introduce pollutants and ruin habitat for fish and other aquatic life in rivers and streams.

A second benefit is for your wallet. You can use water captured in water tanks or rain barrels to irrigate your lawn and garden, saving on month bills. In drier months and water-stressed regions, or during droughts, this water-conservation technique may be a necessity, given the imperative to conserve water.

A rainwater-collection system can be as simple as a water drum or rain barrel at the end of a downspout or as elaborate as a whole-house system. Cost and complexity depend on how much water you need and how you plan to use it.

A simple system is adequate for landscaping needs, but cost, complexity, and maintenance increase if you’re planning to drink rainwater or pipe it into the house.

Catching and using rainwater can be as simple as a single plastic barrel with a gravity feed to a flower bed, or they can be sophisticated systems that supply all your water needs.

When people think of green building, they often think of the more obvious elements such as energy efficiency and environmentally friendly materials. Often the less obvious – and in fact more important components – such as water use reduction, water efficient landscaping and storm water management are overlooked. Additionally, networked systems of water supply and sanitation are becoming more difficult because of the major investments required to repair and replace ageing infrastructure. Water scarcity, the benefits of adjusting water quality to needs and the concern for making better use of available resources, all argue that water supply services should be adaptable, resilient and flexible.

A JoJo 750 litre Slimline water tank for storing rainwater

A house with a sloped roof, gutters, and downspouts is well on its way to harvesting rainwater for landscape irrigation or other non-potable uses. You just need a few simple components: wire-mesh gutter screens to keep out debris, a storage tank, and a way to move the water out of the water tank.

JoJo 750l slimline with brass tap

South African supplier JoJo Tanks offers a wide range of innovative and custom-made liquid storage tank solutions for a wide range of applications. Tanks are available in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes to suit every need and environment and include vertical and horizontal. In addition to the wide range of big volume water tanks, they also offer a streamlined urban option, the JoJo Slimline™. with a 750 litre capacity. It’s ideally suited for city living where space is a often a consideration.

When installing a rainwater harvesting system make sure you have the correct tank stand. You need to consider the size  of the water tank you require and how much it will weigh when filled with water. The water tank stand has to be able to support the weight. Naturally the bigger the water tank the bigger the weight so it is crucially important to install or construct your tank stand correctly. A tank stand could simply consist of a solid and level concrete slab or you can purchase either a timber or a steel tank stand.

Source: Home-Dzine

JoJo water tanks are ideal for rainwater harvesting systems, especially where rainwater is to be used for drinking (all JoJo water tanks are made from food-grade polyethylene and are rated to store water for human consumption). JoJo Tanks also offer steel tank stands for 5000 litre tanks and 10000 litre tanks. For more information about these and other high quality JoJo Tanks products, click on the links below.

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.