Rainwater, why don’t we use it?

Published June 27th, 2021

Capturing rainwater is a viable alternative to address the shortages that are exacerbated by drought, population growth, and overexploitation of aquifers. Retaining and reusing this natural resource would also help reduce the costs of distribution and consumption of piped water.

In addition, preventing rainwater from reaching drainage systems, would reduce the level of flooding, among many other benefits. However, water harvesting is not a common practice in our country.

Arturo Gleason Espíndola, president of the Mexican Association of Rainwater Harvesting Systems, assured that any person, company, or industry can harvest rainwater. It can even be collected on a community basis.

The easiest way to do it at home is to place buckets, pots, or drums in the yard or garden. This water can be used for cleaning or irrigation, and the tanks should be kept covered.

Another way to do it is to install gutters and downspouts that capture water from the roof and lead it to a tank or cistern equipped with filters and a pump that allows the water to rise to the tank for distribution inside the house.

With this type of ecotechnology, water could be used for human consumption and personal hygiene, but it is not always viable in houses with small roofs and high demand, explained Gleason Espíndola, who is also a research professor at the University of Guadalajara.

Rainwater harvesting is the action of collecting, conducting, storing, and treating the water that falls on the precipitates to the earth’s surface for its use or consumption.