RIGHT AS RAIN As the planet’s temperature continues to rise droughts are becoming more severe across the globe. Is rainwater harvesting the solution to saving this scarce resource?
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lthough it’s one of the world’s most precious resources, with shortages all over the globe, water management is seriously lacking. According to the Global Water Partnership (GWP), 2021 saw record-breaking droughts, which are set to increase in frequency and severity. The Standardised Precipitation -Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) Global Drought Monitor’s records indicated that in the US nearly half the mainland has been afflicted. Brazil experienced one of the worst ever recorded, and in Madagascar, drought has left hundreds of thousands of people malnourished.
“Rainwater could be one way to reduce our use of public water supplies”
Rainwater harvesting is one solution that many countries have been investing in to tackle water shortages, but in the UK, where drought is less common or severe, this model is being used to reduce water consumption in an attempt to preserve our fresh water supply. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the practice of diverting rainwater that falls on roofs or other surfaces of buildings, storing it and reusing it. This is something that is increasingly being used in the UK as a means to reduce our reliance on mains water, providing they are installed correctly. “The UK doesn’t have enough water to meet growing demand, so using rainwater could be one way to reduce our use of public water supplies,” suggests Paul Millard, technical manager at Water Regs UK. According to the Environment Agency: “If no action is taken between 2025 and
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2050 around 3,435 million extra litres of water per day will be needed for public water supply to address future pressures.” The UK public are on board, according to Water Regs UK, with nearly half of British people welcoming the introduction of RWH into their homes. However, tradespeople should be aware that installing a rainwater harvesting system is classed as a material change of use, so the local water company must be notified about the installation 10 days prior to work commencing. “Systems can be directly or indirectly supplied,” explains Paul. “For a direct-supply system, water is pumped directly from the main storage tank, usually a buried tank, to the points of use, for example toilets and outside taps. Indirect systems are relatively similar to this in that they just add an extra step, pumping water from the main storage tank up to an intermediate cistern at high
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