As climate change starts to transform our world and on-grid rainwater harvesting systems have their infrastructure fails, off-grid living looks better every day. If you’ve been thinking about living off the grid and harvesting rainwater to lessen your impact on the environment, it’s easy to get started. Off-grid systems allow you to completely control not only your water use, but also help with the conservation of groundwater and remove chlorination from your water. Learn about the ways you can harvest rainwater off the grid below!
- Passive Rainwater Harvesting Systems
Anyone can harvest rainwater – all you need is a surface for rain to fall on and a drainage system that drains your water into a cistern. This can be as simple as a slanted roof into a rainwater barrel. This type of system can collect water that can be used for gardens, lawns, or crops. Not only will you take a lot of your water use off the grid, you’ll be able to keep your plants healthy and thriving with water that isn’t being taken from over-strained water sources in your area.
The best roofs for passive systems are ones that can’t leach chemicals into your water. Simple peaked metal or tile roofs generally will deliver the best results. Your cistern should have a good filter to remove sediment and other debris, but since you will use it on your lawn and garden, it doesn’t need more than that.
- Active Rainwater Harvesting Systems
These rainwater harvesting systems tend to be much more complicated, but with a bit of time and money, can completely remove your water use from the grid altogether.
An active system can filter your water for washing laundry or flushing toilets, but with UV filtering, can also render it drinkable, too. Active rainwater harvesting systems fall into a few categories:
- Direct-Pumped: This type of rainwater harvesting system uses a pump to draw harvested water from your storage tank and sends it through your home, much like municipal water systems do. This type of water, with a filtering system, can be made completely potable, which means that you can use it for all of your household water needs.
- Indirect Gravity System: This system relies on gravity to flush water through your home, in tandem with a powered pump. A gravity tank is placed at the top of your home and fed from your cistern. Like a pressurized well tank, this, too, can be used as household potable water with the right filtering. If you’re looking to save power, this system might be for you.
- Indirect Pumped System: A fusion of the two systems above – it relies on two tanks, but uses a secondary pump to provide water pressure.
Whatever you choose, we can help! Contact us today for a free consultation and discussion on how rainwater harvesting can meet your everyday needs.