Rainwater harvesting key during rainy season

In certain parts of the world, rainwater harvesting is becoming a viable alternative for supplying households and businesses with water.

Rainwater harvesting basically is the accumulation of rainwater for reuse on-site, rather than allowing it to run off. Catching rainwater and using it to assist in our daily lives can also serve as a means of removing total dependency for water from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) and as such, more Barbadians need to engage in the practice, especially during the rainy season.

According to Global Water Partnership- Caribbean, it is currently estimated that approximately 500 000 people in the region at least partially depend on rainwater harvesting. The islands that still heavily use rainwater include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, the US and British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos and the Grenadines, as these rainwater dependent islands usually experience low annual rainfall, have limited land area and intermittent streams.

Around the world as well, there are many examples of rainwater harvesting as well as the water utilisation process. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Singapore has limited land resources and a rising demand for water and citizens there are always on the lookout for alternative sources and innovative methods of harvesting water. UNEP notes that almost 86% of Singapore’s population lives in high-rise buildings and a light roofing is placed on the roofs to act as catchment. Collected roof water is kept in separate cisterns on the roofs for non-potable uses.

UNEP further notes that in Tokyo, Japan, rainwater harvesting and utilisation is promoted to mitigate water shortages, control floods, and secure water for emergencies. At the community level, a simple and unique rainwater utilisation facility has been set up by local residents in the Mukojima district of Tokyo, to utilise rainwater collected from the roofs of private houses for garden watering, fire-fighting and drinking water in emergencies.

UNEP also points out that in Berlin, Germany, rainwater utilisation systems were introduced as part of a large scale urban redevelopment project to control urban flooding, save city water and create a better micro climate. Rainwater falling on the rooftops of 19 buildings is collected and stored in a rainwater basement tank. It is then used for toilet flushing, watering of green areas and the replenishment of an artificial pond.

Other countries listed as engaging in the process of rainwater harvesting with some degree of success include China, Bermuda, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, Brazil, Botswana, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Thailand.

For us here in Barbados, there are many advantages of engaging in rainwater harvesting.

As noted earlier, the collection of rainwater could possibly take a huge burden off the BWA and can also serve as an excellent back-up source in times of drought or disaster, low water pressure and when there are problems with the public supply, as seen recently. If rain harvesting is put into practice, schools and businesses would not need to close when the BWA cannot supply water to some areas and life can continue without much interruption. The fact that you own your “water” gives you control over how you use it. Your rain water harvesting system can also be designed according to what you can afford.

Rainwater can really be used anywhere you use tap water and even for cooking and drinking, as long as it is treated. However, without any treatment thousands of gallons of water can be saved and used for flushing toilets, to do the laundry, for gardens and lawns, for irrigation systems and for agricultural purposes. Also, to wash vehicles, bathe pets, refill fountains, fish ponds and aquariums and to wash driveways and sidewalks.

The possibilities are endless!