The Environmental Benefits of Rain Barrel Use
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by: georgewonderman
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Word Count: 483
Catching rainwater as it falls is an age old idea. The concept of a rain barrel and other types of rain catchers has been in use as long as agriculture... which is thousands of years. However, during the last decades, home owners have become more and more reliant on their citys water services. Unfortunately, using falling rainwater is no longer widely done.
Everyone with a budget and a desire to take care of the environment wants to save energy and reduce their water usage. But most households do not realize the benefits they could receive from using a rain barrel. A rain barrel is a large, specially made container that is designed to catch rainwater. These barrels are placed under your roofs drain downspout. When it rains, the rain that falls on your roof will go into the gutters, through its drain, and out its downspout. Using this method, you can collect huge quantities of falling water.
Benefits for the Environment
Less storm runoff. Did you know that, though rain is good for an ecosystem, it can be bad for the environment? When it rains, the water that falls travels through our cities and streets before ending up on streams and creeks. In this process, rainwater picks up toxins, such as pesticides, pet waste, oil, etc. Routing some rainwater away from natural drainage reduces some of the tainted water that fouls up our rivers.
Improved water efficiency. The greatest benefit you will see from utilizing a rain barrel is, of course, water usage. In the summer time, up to 40% of a households water usage goes to watering their garden and lawn. Because of this, there are yearly water shortages in many cities nationwide, with rationing programs and overuse fines. By catching rainwater, however, you can relive some of the burden on your citys water supply, as well as keep your garden and yard healthy and watered year round.
Reduced energy usage. We hear more and more about how important it is to reduce our energy usage to protect the environment. However, many people do not think of using power when they use the citys water. When we use water directly from our pipes, that water must be cleaned, filtered, and pumped all the way to us. In that process, a ton of energy is used, which in turn hurts the environment.
You can reduce your water usage by thousands of gallons and have plenty of water handy for plants and odd jobs simply by using a rain barrel. The only job rainwater can not fill is satisfying your thirst. Other than that, using a rain barrel is perfect for cleaning your Camaro, watering your camillas... and protecting the Earth. Related . Related .
About the Author
Learn more about rain barrel, stop in at palmettorainbarrels.com.
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