Pictured above is a rain collector. This one was in Laurel Park, left over from Conway Ecofest a few weeks ago. Basically, the rain collects on the V-shaped roof and drains into the elevated water barrel behind it. Once the small barrel is full, you can drain the water into a larger storage container (the white cube next to it). A friend told me this was still out in the middle of the park so I decided to take a look. I think it is so neat and I would love to have one if I could (apartments don't lend themselves well to rain collectors). This is a great way to save water and water your plants with rain water. I have heard, though, that it is a good idea to not use this water on your edible plants. I guess this has to do with any possible pollutants, but you can still save water using it on your decorative plants and landscaping. The structure would look great in any backyard. It would be a nice place to sit and read, and be eco-friendly at the same time!
That's coolio. Let's build one together!
ReplyDeleteThis sort of rain capture is considered safe for watering edible plants. It's the roofs that have composite shingles, or other impregnated chemicals in them that can be an issue in the run-off.
ReplyDeleteThe worst you really are looking at here is bird poop, but that makes for a decent enough fertilizer. There are overflow contraptions you can place on the downspout to divert the first couple of gallons of water during a rainstorm if there is a concern about accumulated pollutants. But, unless you plan on drinking the water, it should be fine for plants.
Thanks for the info. I am relatively new at this and always enjoy people's comments.
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