Comments on: Green Help: Rain barrels and Water Collection

By: sue

sue — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:30:27 +0000

We have well and septic and use rain barrels too. Less strain on the well, motor, storage, pipes, electric to name a few things. We have rain barrels that we bought from http://www.aquabarrel.com they have large inlet and outlet so they don;t overflow in place – that’s one of the biggest issues we saw when we were shopping around for one.

By: Rebecca (Green Baby Guide)

Rebecca (Green Baby Guide) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:41:47 +0000

Okay, I finally talked to my dad, the water systems engineer. I also read the links Meg posted above, which seemed to deal mostly with drought conditions.

My dad said that domestic wells draw from the aquifer at a certain rate–it doesn’t depend on how much you use. Too many wells on the same aquifer could bring the aquifer down, but if you were using it to irrigate or something, you’d be putting that water back on the fields. For your situation, he does not believe there would be any ecological benefits to conserving water.

However . . . as your husband pointed out, when you turn on that faucet, you are using electricity to pump from the well. My dad said that where he works (California and Nevada), people may spend around $40-50 for the electricity used to pump their wells. Therefore, any conservation you can do will reduce the amount of electricity you use, which of course is better for the environment.

So whether you need to save the actual WATER or just the energy used to pump the water, it is valuable to reuse bath water, get a rain barrel, etc.

Rebecca (Green Baby Guide)s last blog post..Using a Pantry to Save Time, Money and the Planet

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:24:54 +0000

Check out the book Blue Gold from the library. Great resource!

By: Jackie B.

Jackie B. — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:41:46 +0000

A cheaper makeshift alternative to a rain barrel is to buy a heavy duty trash can and set it out. This comes in handy because you can get one that has wheels and move it around fairly easy.

By: Lori

Lori — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:47:04 +0000

We added a rain barrel this year. We purchased through our town at a discounted rate. We too have well water, so economically the $50 or so we spent on the barrel will take a while to recoup in energy saving from running the well, but it is the right thing to do. During a heavy rain storm the barrel fills in about 5 minutes. We run a soaker hose from the barrel to our veggie garden and water the garden from the barrel as needed. I would actually like to get another barrel for the other down spout as well. Maybe look for a local discount program to purchase through so the money issue becomes harder for hubby to argue!

Loris last blog post..Weekend Gig Links – Sept. 27, 2008

By: Janelle

Janelle — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:18:01 +0000

Some approximate facts:

1. It would take 5-6 planets to sustain human life if everyone lived like Americans.

2. People in rich countries use about ten times as much water as those in poor ones.

If you really want to have an impact on water conservation in your home, you should really focus on your potty (which is the main use of water in every home) and your food choices (because 70% of water use goes to agriculture). From GoVeg.com:

“It takes 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons. A totally vegetarian diet requires only 300 gallons of water per day, while a meat-eating diet requires more than 4,000 gallons of water per day.”

I’m still in the boat that you need to be a role model for your kids and the rain barrel is a very tangible way that they can gain an appreciation for water conservation, but if you (or your husband) want concrete reasons for actions that have a real, immediate impact, you may want to look at your toilet or your daily menu.

By: Green & Clean Mom

Green & Clean Mom — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 03:42:55 +0000

Yes, please do Rebecca. I’m confused on this. How do I convince my husband when he’s probably closer to your thinking with the well and septic. He also sees an abundance of water in our area…the Great Lakes and my belief is he takes it for granted. I recycle bath water, etc and he just eye rolls. So I might need some facts. No, I do need some facts.

Janelle, you are right. Boy am I trying this to be a role model. Almost asked for a Rain barrel for my b-day!!

By: Rebecca (Green Baby Guide)

Rebecca (Green Baby Guide) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:28:34 +0000

Sommer, I will ask my dad! He's an engineer who works with water control systems (such as wells, tanks, pumps, etc.). Meanwhile, Janelle makes a good point about teaching your kids about conservation! Rebecca (Green Baby Guide)s last blog post..Organic Diaper Cakes Made from Nature BabyCare Eco-friendly Disposables (Giveaway!)

By: Janelle

Janelle — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:50:16 +0000

I think even if you have your own well, it still taps into shared groundwater resources.

Also, with the population rising and our natural resources (like water) being stretched further and further, it behooves you to teach your kids how to conserve water – to embed it in their habits by starting when they’re young. If they are used to turning off the water when they brush their teeth and see you using a rainbarrel – all if it will come quite naturally when they are older and water conservation will be even more necessary.

By: Meg

Meg — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:32:36 +0000

Even if you are getting your water from your own well rather than on ‘town supply’ you are still tapping into the same water sources as everyone else – so you still need to conserve!

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/vaiwebdocs/wscdocs/2026952insert_conserv.pdf
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Health+Department/Top+News/News+Archive/2007/WellConservation.htm
http://www.bcgwa.org/waterwell/4conservation.html
http://www.groundwater.org/

and a totally random link about water conservation
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0806/S00079.htm

Megs last blog post..Shame on you Dr Jack Phillips!! Give us back our Town!!