Outdoor Water Conservation
Posted by Lisa Haderlein at 6/5/2007 7:43 AM 
Categories: Conservation,Water Conservation,Savings,Water
Categories: Conservation,Water Conservation,Savings,Water
We just installed two rain barrels.
They are linked together so that when one fills up, the water flows through a tube into the second. It rained a lot yesterday, and now we have 100 gallons of water stored behind the bushes at the side of our house.
The barrels are old olive barrels that were used to ship olives from overseas (I think Greece).
Now, some might think that rainbarrels are an old fashioned thing that people used before they had running water. They are right, but the fact is that rainbarrels are becoming a fashion statement - and a bit of a political statement.
In America, each person uses about 100 gallons of water a day. About 30% of this water use is for outdoor purposes like watering the garden and lawn or washing the car. Americans use 30% of the treated, potable water (water that is safe to drink) for these outdoor uses!
Where we live, water comes to the tap after being treated at the water treatment plant in town, and pumped through miles of water lines that are located under the streets. We pay about $300 a year for our water. Most communities are like that. If you do not have a private well, chances are that you get your water - for toilet flushing, teeth-brushing, cooking, cleaning, even watering your lawn - from a municipal water treatment plant.
This water has been treated with various chemicals to clean it and make it safe to drink. A municipal water treatment system uses energy - and apparently, 30% of that energy is to provide drinking water that people use to water their lawns and wash their cars!
I'm still looking for information about how much energy is used to deliver a gallon of potable water to the average home, but I haven't found it yet. Still, we know it uses some, and whatever that cost is, almost one-third of it is going to treat water that is used for something that doesn't need treated water! In California, water pumping is the single largest use of electricity.
So, we have our first 100 gallons of rain water to use in the yard - to water new plants in the garden, to fill the bird bath, to so all those things that we would usually turn on the tap to do.
Here are some resources for either buying or making a rain barrel!
Rain Barrels & More
You Grow Girl DIY
Rain Barrel USA
They are linked together so that when one fills up, the water flows through a tube into the second. It rained a lot yesterday, and now we have 100 gallons of water stored behind the bushes at the side of our house.The barrels are old olive barrels that were used to ship olives from overseas (I think Greece).
Now, some might think that rainbarrels are an old fashioned thing that people used before they had running water. They are right, but the fact is that rainbarrels are becoming a fashion statement - and a bit of a political statement.
In America, each person uses about 100 gallons of water a day. About 30% of this water use is for outdoor purposes like watering the garden and lawn or washing the car. Americans use 30% of the treated, potable water (water that is safe to drink) for these outdoor uses!
Where we live, water comes to the tap after being treated at the water treatment plant in town, and pumped through miles of water lines that are located under the streets. We pay about $300 a year for our water. Most communities are like that. If you do not have a private well, chances are that you get your water - for toilet flushing, teeth-brushing, cooking, cleaning, even watering your lawn - from a municipal water treatment plant.
This water has been treated with various chemicals to clean it and make it safe to drink. A municipal water treatment system uses energy - and apparently, 30% of that energy is to provide drinking water that people use to water their lawns and wash their cars!
I'm still looking for information about how much energy is used to deliver a gallon of potable water to the average home, but I haven't found it yet. Still, we know it uses some, and whatever that cost is, almost one-third of it is going to treat water that is used for something that doesn't need treated water! In California, water pumping is the single largest use of electricity.
So, we have our first 100 gallons of rain water to use in the yard - to water new plants in the garden, to fill the bird bath, to so all those things that we would usually turn on the tap to do.
Here are some resources for either buying or making a rain barrel!
Rain Barrels & More
You Grow Girl DIY
Rain Barrel USA
Thank you for suggesting people use rain barrels. I own a company that manufactures a unique rain barrel that is child safe and stackable. I also do free public education talks on how to use the "Pitcher Approach" to water conservation. On my web site, www.aridsolutionsinc.com, there are Water Recycling pictures that show how simply keeping a pitcher in the kitchen sink to catch the water before it goes down the drain when you are just rinsing your hands or fruit and veggies, that water can be used again. That water is just fine for soaking pans, rinsing off dirty dishes, watering plants, and filling your rain barrel when it's not raining. We do not turn on the outside faucets at all for outdoor watering. We only use rain and light greywater that we catch at the sink and in the shower waiting for the water to get hot. Please do practice the "Pitcher Approach" to water conservation. Thank you! Lisa
Reply to this
It is great to see rain barrels becoming part of our landscape. Harvested rain water is considerably better for your garden then chlorinated taps water. On our website www.buildabarrel.com we show people how they can build a rain barrel using mostly recycled parts. It is a fun project and an essential part of a healthy garden.
Chris
Reply to this