Rainwater harvesting is the collection of water for reuse before it reaches the aquifer.
Uses include landscape irrigation, car washing, flushing toilets, drinking water, and/or washing clothes. Rainwater provides protection against short-term droughts for keeping your garden alive. It can also reduce the impact of runoff in neighborhood streams and ponds. A rainwater collection system can also be used in the event that public water supply becomes unusable or polluted.
Rain water harvesting systems are easy to set up. You need a collection system like a gutter and roof and a storage system like a barrel or cistern. Adding a filter can prolong the life of your storage system and reduce the first flush pollutants from getting into the system.
In some areas in the mid-west, it is illegal to collect rain water. Charlottesville now has a Storm water Fee based on your impervious surface on your property. This fee may be reduced by having a rainwater harvesting system on your property.
