NOAA tells us this February 22% of the lower 48 states were experiencing drought. This is not just the usual suspects like Arizona and California. Low snowpack, decreasing soil moisture, and dry, warm weather have led to growing drought in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan and other normally wet states.
With fewer hometowns across the country safe from occasional drought these days, it’s in their best interests for many to take steps to protect residents from water shortages. One of these steps is what we used to think of as water barrels, but what bureaucrats and marketers are now calling rainwater harvesting.
Not only does catching rainwater and using it around the house reduce the pressure on our town’s water utility, it also helps limit the damaging effects of stormwater runoff, erosion, and flooding in our neighborhood. And since our water utility takes energy to produce and deliver drinking water, we’re saving energy - and in some places our aquifers - by installing rain barrels and cisterns.
The process
What was a simple ladle-and-drink process a couple of generations ago, getting clean water now is a complex, even expensive, process. Our environment is increasingly polluted, so there are few places where rainwater is still safe to drink without cleaning the roof, screening the barrel, emptying it regularly, and putting the water through filtration, chemical disinfection, or boiling.
But rainwater, to state the obvious, is safe for irrigating our yard, garden, and plantings, and it can be used for flushing toilets and washing surfaces that don’t need to be hygienic.
If we’re thinking of using rainwater in the house, we should start by checking local experts and the array of online resources on how to do it safely. Aside from the technical challenges, some states have restrictions on rainwater collection. Others require permits. And some homeowners’ associations control what members can do on their properties.
The costs
As with other local projects which protect us from the growing costs and dangers in our local environment, governments are offering incentives for rainwater harvesting. Until this year, the federal government offered a tax credit of up to 26% of the cost of a rainwater harvesting system to be claimed on our income tax returns but promoted and administered through the states. This federal credit might come back, but many states still offer rebates and grants. For example, California offers rebates of up to $2,000 for residential rainwater harvesting systems, while Texas offers grants of up to $50,000 for commercial rainwater harvesting systems.
Some counties and towns offer incentives in the form of property tax exemptions or actual cash rebates for purchase and installation. And some water utilities offer water conservation credits, like $0.50 per gallon in San Antonio, Texas.
What we can do
Many Americans are beginning to visualize their neighborhoods in a future where multiple protections are needed to keep it livable, to battle flooding, heat, drought, wildfire, or other growing environmental dangers and costs. But they can also imagine what their future community will look like after many of those risks have been seriously reduced by taking protective actions.
Describing and discussing those visions with neighbors and local government officials, especially with information about funding sources, can go a long way toward creating the community we want to live in as climate pressures mount.
See NOAA’s latest monthly drought report and map.
We can see more detail about a specific location at drought.gov.
Although not up-to-date, HarvestH2o has a trove of relevant information and advice.
Legal issues, state by state, are discussed in this news report.
As always, useful information!! Thank you!!
Skagit PUD offers low-cost rain barrels that are fairly easy to install at the bottom of your downspouts; these are the same barrels that are sold in retail stores for twice as much. Recommend! https://www.skagitpud.org/about-us/conservation/stewardship/rain-barrels