Rainwater Harvesting

According to HarvestH2O.com, rainwater harvesting focuses more on protecting a precious resource than on catching a limited resource. After all, Florida has an abundance of rain during the summer months. However, much of this rain normally becomes runoff on the streets, catching pollutants such as fertilizers and pesticides along the way to the lakes, streams and waterways. By harvesting the rain rather than letting it run its natural course, residents can dramatically reduce the storm runoff and its associated pollution of waterways, reduce their monthly water bills, postpone the need for costly stormwater infrastructure improvements, and have healthier plants.

 What is Rainwater Harvesting?
Rainwater harvesting is simply the collection and distribution of natural rain water for irrigation applications. The simplest systems consist of little more than plastic barrels or drums to store the water. Add a spigot at the bottom and screen the top to prevent insects from intruding and you've got yourself a nice rain barrel. Some manufacturers might use durable hardware and heavy-duty fittings in their rain barrels, but the basic idea is simple.

Why Should You Harvest Rainwater?
The incorporation of rain water collection and distribution as part of a responsible landscape design can help ease the burden on municipal water resources. Since rainwater harvesting systems are not connected to municipal water supplies, it's likely that your monthly water bill will decrease substantially. More important for you lawn, however, is that most installations may be eligible for exemption from watering restrictions.

How Does it Work?

Rainwaterservices.com shows how rainwater harvesting systems can be designed for nearly any application, ranging from large municipal development to small residential landscape irrigation.  In all cases, the core components are the same. Think of the rainwater system as a hybrid of sorts that combines principles of storm water management as well as irrigation.  The parts of a complete system include the following:

• Collection: comprised of the catchment area (i.e. roof) and conveyance system (i.e. gutters and downpipes)
• Holding vessels: cisterns or other suitable storage container
• Roof-wash system (optional): usually the first 10 -20 gallons of rain are diverted from the cistern to improve water quality and minimize debris build-up
• Delivery system: From an engineering and construction standpoint, the delivery system is virtually identical to that of a traditional irrigation system (i.e. pumps and sprinklers); water is withdrawn from the source (i.e. cistern) by a pump that delivers the water to sprinkler heads for irrigation of landscaping.
• Filtration (optional): to remove particulate and contaminants for downstream application.  Can be simple or complex depending on the requirements and applicable health and/or environmental regulations.

What Are The Benefits of Using Rainwater?

• It is free; the only cost is for collection and use.
  
• It lessens demand on the municipal water supply.
  
• It saves money on utility bills.
  
• It makes efficient use of a valuable resource.
  
• It diminishes flooding, erosion, and the flow to storm water drains.
  
• It reduces the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers and pesticides from rainwater run-off resulting in cleaner lakes, rivers, oceans and other receivers of storm water.
  
• It can be used to recharge groundwater.
  
• It is good for irrigation and plants thrive because stored rainwater is free from pollutants as well as salts, minerals, and other natural and man made contaminants.
  
• It is good for laundry use as rainwater is soft and lowers the need for detergents.
  
• Potential EXEMPTION from watering restrictions.  Many localities allow (and some require) irrigation with rainwater harvesting to be exempt from watering restrictions.

So, whether you use a simple plastic barrel to harvest rainwater, or choose to have a system constructed, the benefits are the same. Harvesting rainwater is good for the environment and could save you money! Just remember to call ProMo Lawn Care to maintain your beautiful yard!

We are a full-service lawn and landscape company serving Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples and Punta Gorda. We are insured professionals and a member of the BBB, so if you want it done right, call us or fill out our free estimate form at promolawns.com!