Harvesting the Rain

a sustainable solution.

  • Why harvest the rain?

    Delivered free of charge, rain water can be used without treatment to water the yard, or with minor treatment and filtering, the rain can be used to flush our toilets or wash or clothes. With no more processing than a house on a well, the rain can be used throughout the house. It works! Watch this video; -click here- . The rain can pick up contaminants and carry them into streams, beaches, and even the ground water. This "strom water" is detrimental to the environment and costly to our wallets; Millions are spent in Santa Cruz every year. Areas like Aptos and Live Oak budget for over $100,000 per square mile inorder to controll the flood of water running off our streets and rooves. Capturing the rain, before it becomes hazardous to the environment and costly to the tax payers, benifits the environment, and can be used to offset the home owner's demand on municiple water resources. This reduces ground water pumping and fights salt water intrusion. Please, save the rain.

  • History

    Humans have always been harvesting the rain, "Since the dawn of man...", its part of the water cycle and how we get our water. Whether directly with rain harvesting or indirectly through biways such as lakes and aquifers, without the rain, fresh water would be virtually unavailable (more history) .

  • Goals

    • Study the feasibility of using rain water to reduce Santa Cruz County's potable water demand.
    • Educate the public on Santa Cruz County's water crisis and its effect on the environment.
    • Support legislation which allows people to store and use the rain which falls on their home.
  • Benefits

    Multiple benefits come from modern day rain harvesting and storm water management:
    • Increases fresh water supply by capturing and holding MORE water.
    • Decreases local stream and beach pollution from storm water.
    • Increases local stream water levels allowing for natural habit resoration.
    • Decreases dammage from storm flooding and erosion.
    • Increases sustainability.
  • What is Rain Harvesting?

    Rain harvesting is a old technique of capturing rain water and storing it for future use. Today, it can have may applicationation around the home, from watering your lawn to flushing your toilet . One of the most popular books on the subject is the Texas Manual on Rainharvesting . There is a wide variety of rain harvesting systems from small rain barrels, about 50 - 200 G, to large 10,000 G Systems.

  • Where can I harvest the rain?

    Anywhere it rains. The run-off from your roof is an excellent source of rain water. In Santa Cruz County, average rain fall of 31 inches, a 2000 square foot home yields enough rain run-off to supply a family of four with water for a whole year.

  • How am I involved already?

    You already are! If you live in Santa Cruz County and consume water... you are involved.

 

 
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