With water being so scarce we should turn our homes into rainwater harvesting systems and try to capture every drop that lands on our property. During an average year of rainfall, a 200 meter squared home can harvest 83520 liters of water. The roof is a fairly underutilised area of our homes but seen from above it occupies the greatest area of a suburban property. It makes sense that the greatest portion of rainwater will land on the roof. Typically this water is lost down the gutters and onto the grass or to the storm drains. Without a rainwater harvesting system in place, you are missing out on being able to collect vast quantities of free water.
A few modifications to the guttering will direct the flow of the rainwater to your harvesting tank to be stored for water scarce times or used for everyday household water needs.
With the addition of a filter, the harvested rainwater can be safely used for drinking.
Tough times are coming as the population continues to grow and the water reserves dwindle. Our natural freshwater supplies are becoming polluted and despite the annual average rainfall being predicted to increase, it will come with a corresponding rise in temperature that will cause the water to evaporate faster.
Source: City Press - Climate Change: Will SA run out of water?
The current water shortages have provided a glimpse of the future, where the demand for potable water will outstrip the supply, with disastrous consequences.
The survivalist or homesteader has historically been seen as a fanatic of sorts, but the need to safeguard our own supply of water is fast becoming a necessity for all households.