What is Rainwater Harvesting?
Rainwater harvesting is using natural resources to your advantage. We pay a fortune for mains water to be supplied to our farms without considering the other options available to supply water. In essence, we are paying for something we already have an abundance of all over the UK. Rain hits our roofs, goes down the gutter and straight down the drain.
That is your money just being washed away while you continue to pay for a different supply of the same resource from somebody else. We have got so used to paying for mains water, that the bill is expected and paid for without too much question. Therefore, the increasing cost of mains water will continue that trend unless we look for alternatives.
Harvesting
What is Rainwater Harvesting? – Harvesting is to gather something, take it and use it for your own purposes. So, harvesting rainwater is collecting the rain that falls onto any decent roof space, storing it and re-directing it to where you need it. Obviously, the more sheds or outbuildings and roof space that you have, the more rainwater can be collected.
We all know that it rains excessively in the UK, so why not make use of the natural supply of water rather than paying for it to be delivered to your farm. It is already there to be used! It is rare to find farms in all sectors of agriculture that do not already possess stables, barns, sheds or outbuildings. Therefore, we have the rainfall and the buildings to harvest it from yet were still letting that water wash away and paying for it from another source.
Rainwater Harvesting Example
Below is an example of the water that can be produced from an average sized shed:
- Roof is 18.5m x 12.5m
- Pitch of 1.5m
- 245.12m2 of roof space
- 8,500 litre tank (for example)
- 34.5mm of rainfall needed to fill tank
- 700 mm average UK rainfall
- 20 tank fills per year
- 179,000 litres of water harvested per year
Now, this example only comes from one shed. If you had multiple viable buildings, then those figures can be doubled/tripled accordingly. Just think of all that you could do with all that free water accessible when you need it!
Rainwater Harvesting Install
Rainwater harvesting systems can be installed onto existing buildings very simply, while also being ideal to incorporate into any new buildings under construction. Water runs off the roof, into gutters, it is then collected, treated if needs be and diverted to wherever you need it. We understand that a supply of water is only useful when it can be maneuvered to an ideal location at a quantity you need. That is why a zero-energy pump and water treatment are important options to create a complete agricultural water management solution.
Why Rainwater Harvesting?
- Soft water is ideal for spraying
- Rainwater is preferred by and better for livestock to drink
- Can be used for washing down machinery etc.
- It literally falls free from the sky
- You aren’t wasting the natural resources on offer on your farm
- You could supplement or replace using mains water saving you up to 75% on your water bill