Green Daily

Though this is a fantastic way to make your home more green most US municipalities and states have expressly forbidden domestic or other rainwater harvesting systems. As this rainwater is assumed to drain into aquifers which run cross city, county, and state boundaries any collection system takes water which is assumed to refill these aquifers and breaks all sorts of fun cross border water agreements.

Arizona, New Mexico, and New York are more progressive and do allow domestic rainwater harvesting but the rules and regulations are extremely strict.

Before you spend $15,000 on a fancy water system be sure your state or city allows it!

-S

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You can build rainwater catchment systems for a lot less than $15k as well. One way to greatly reduce the cost is to utilize the caught water for other uses besides consumption. We can greatly reduce our use of potable water by catching water and using it for irrigation, toilets (instead of flushing our excrement with drinking water), etc.

Here is a link to lots of rainwater information including case studies/plans for systems ranging $100 to $10,000.

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oops, here is the link - http://www.appropedia.org/rainwater

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you might want to check out a very simple rain barrel from www.aquabarrel.com - plus they have downspout diverters and downspout filters too.

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And do not forget some other good tasks rain water can do for you:

* Wash your car (cost, pollution, and labor free)
* Wash your drive way (why you would spend any time or energy doing this ever I will never understand)
* Wash anything that is stored outside
* Clean clothes (just hang them in a rainstorm, has worked for some instead of dry-cleaning - No guarantees!!)
* Wash carpets, runner, etc.

Check the site below for more ,sometimes strange, but potentially very efficient, not-polluting ideas.

Karsten
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http://www.polluteless.com
Practical Advice to Pollute Less

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