Rainwater Harvesting Growing In Popularity

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Rainwater harvesting is something that many individuals and families in a number of countries have been looking to start incorporating into their way of living. And many will have a variety of reasons for doing it. Currently in the US, there are some rules surrounding the activity of rainwater collection.

There have been stories that have circulated about individuals allegedly being arrested and detained over their unauthorized use of rainwater that they've collected on their property. And this has prompted many to wonder as to whether or not it is legal or illegal for them to collect rainwater if they want to.

The rules are different depending on which state you're from, but there are some restrictions on what you can capture the rain with and if you can distribute that water and so on. This sort of infringement is criticized by many, yet defended under the justification of concerns for water supplies and droughts etc.

In the past several years, it seems like there has been a growing interest with people who have been eager to begin their own rainwater harvesting and there has been a push for authorities to allow for such activity to take place.

People want the freedom to be able to “recycle the rain.” For many, they don't see why it should be a crime for them to collect the rainwater that naturally falls on their home or on their property space.

In many areas around the US, it isn't illegal to harvest the rainwater and in some cases it's even encouraged by city officials. But you will find rules about things like storage restrictions and distribution rules etc.

Making it easier...

One company that is looking to try and make it easier for people to start collecting their own rainwater, is the Dutch company known as Studio Bas van der Veer. They've come up with a design for a small-scale rain barrel that they've called the “Raindrop.”

This design was unveiled several years ago and they've won several awards for the innovation; since then they've just recently unveiled a newer design for their product. And they expect to start selling this newer design for the Raindrop by 2018.

Those who are interested will be able to find this at garden centers and other business locations, as well as have the option to purchase online.

It's designed to be able to hold up to roughly 125 liters of water and it has the capability to be attached to any drainpipe that measures between 50-88 mm in thickness. It's a very convenient design that makes it easy for the user to opt for using rainwater for tasks like watering the garden or lawn, or washing the car etc, rather than turning on the tap.

There are many different ways that one can go about trying to collect rainwater. Aside from this small-scale device, there are many other options out there as far as what systems to go with, and how one can go about trying to get involved with this sort of 'rain recycling' activity.

Despite some areas frowning upon the activity of rainwater collection, there are multiple initiatives that are currently underway which are trying to encourage residents, businesses, and city officials to learn about rainwater harvesting and to start engaging in this activity for themselves.