Catch the rain and save

If you could save on your water bills, ensure that your plants don’t suffer during dry spells, and contribute to saving our country’s most precious natural resources, all in a simple, cost-effective way, would you be interested?

Rainwater harvesting is an easy way to re-use water that would otherwise disappear down stormwater drains. Collected natural precipitation provides a renewable supply of natural, soft, clear water, without harming the environment. In fact, harvesting rainwater can assist in preventing flooding in highly built-up urban areas, and can reduce the runoff of pollutants and pesticides into rivers and streams.

There are a variety of simple ways to collect, direct, and harvest rainwater, namely raintanks, permeable paving, gutters, and channels.

1. Raintanks

Harvest rainwater from your roof, and collect, and store it with raintanks, from where it can be distributed. There are many benefits to collecting rainwater in tanks and other storage containers, including:

• Reduction in the use of municipal water.

• Lower water bills.

• Reduced flooding and erosion.

2. Permeable paving

The increase in impermeable surfaces in urban areas has caused an increase in flooding and pollutant runoff. Stormwater flowing across streets, sidewalks and gardens picks up contaminants such as litter, spilled oil, detergents, solvents, dead leaves, pesticides, fertiliser, and bacteria.

Natural filtration of water through soil is the simplest way to control these pollutants, and is a direct advantage of permeable paving or other man-made soak-aways.

3. Gutter systems

Gutters can be used to direct rain water to storage containers, rain tanks, or specific areas in your garden. Sometimes, the force of rainwater directly onto pot plants, ponds, or garden beds from gutters can be too strong and needs to be softened. Place pebbles or gravel to break the force. Selected mulches around these areas can act like sponges that absorb water and then releases it slowly into the soil.

4. Channelling

You can direct stormwater to specific parts of your garden using channels, culverts, or troughs. Create ‘dry riverbeds’ using a lined channel covered with a variety of pebbles, rocks, and stones in various colours and designs. Detect where the water comes from, e.g. roofs, hard surfaces, and streets and decide where you want it to go in your garden.

Save water, spend less money, and ensure that your plants always have water by harvesting rainwater.