After reading the previous article, you should be motivated to use every drop of water wisely in your home and reusing grey water where you can. But you'll still need a source of water which is a problem in some areas.
Let’s look at what it takes to harvest rainwater and the estimated cost. For a more detailed discussion download the full sustainable living guide.
The amount of water you can harvest is determined by three factors:
As a rough guide, we estimate that 1 mm of rain on 1 m² of roof = 1 litre of water
For a basic rainwater harvesting system, you will need the elements below:
If you do some of the work yourself and can get away with a basic system, it can cost as little as R6 000.
Figure 1 shows the components of a standard rainwater harvesting system.
Generally, harvested water is used as grey water to flush toilets, wash hands or for other non-potable (drinking) purposes.
In the next six of our 13-part series, we look at savvy plans to put in place to minimise load shedding from disrupting your family’s life.
Ready to invest in a power or water saving solution for your home? If you’re an SA Home Loans client, we'll help you finance it through your home loan.
Our full guide to SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & WATER is available for you to download, absolutely free
Cost estimates provided in the Sustainable Living in South Africa series of articles are approximate and valid at the time of publication.