Rainwater harvesting is the diversion of rainwater into storage, rather than allowing it to fall to the ground and runoff. Put simply, when it rains, you save the water in a tank, and you can use it later for most household or agricultural uses.
This basic concept has been around in various designs for centuries, as a simple method of meeting the water needs of ancient civilisations. The most common way to collect and store rainwater in today’s modern society uses the following components:
✅ A hard surface such as a roof, onto which the rain falls, and from which the rainwater runs off and is collected
✅ A method of channelling the rainwater from the roof or hard surface; typically pipes, gutters, downpipes and drains
✅ Rainwater tanks or another storage system in which the collected rainwater is stored
✅ Means of distributing the rainwater from the tanks (or other storage container), such as hoses, pipes and pumps
It is possible for anyone to set up a simple system to collect rainwater and store it for later use. You just need a roof, a tank, and of course, some rain! You can read more about rainwater harvesting by checking our posts here.