Using Rainwater in Your Home

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Using rain indoors can cut your water bill in half.
Using rain indoors can cut your water bill in half.
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“The Water-Wise Home” by Laura Allen offers countless ways to use less water in your home.
“The Water-Wise Home” by Laura Allen offers countless ways to use less water in your home.

Using rainwater indoor is the best way to maximize water savings, especially in Mediterranean climates where there’s no outdoor irrigation need during the wet season. Indoor rainwater systems are more complex than irrigation systems, and it’s important to seek professional advice. However, if you have professional experience or are a very handy DIYer, there is good technical information available to help you with the installation, although a consultation with an experienced installer is recommended.

Treatment or Purification Systems

All over the world rainwater is used for washing, cleaning, and drinking, without filters or disinfection. However, in the U.S. and Canada most potable systems do include filtration and disinfection. An increasingly popular option in homes connected to a municipal water supply is to use rainwater for non-potable indoor uses: toilet flushing and washing machines. These systems are easier to get permitted, cost less, and don’t require as much treatment as whole-house potable water systems.

For nonpotable use of rainwater (e.g., irrigation or toilet flushing), filters remove particles in rainwater to prevent clogging in a pump, drip emitter, or plumbing fixture. Nonpotable indoor systems also require filtration to prevent odor or discoloration in toilets or washing machines. Drinking water systems require filtration as well as disinfection so there are no disease-­causing organisms in the water.

Types of Filters for Indoor Water

  • Published on Apr 19, 2018
Tagged with: collecting rainwater
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