A new term has been developed to explain one of the advantages of rainwater collecting. It’s LID, or Low-Impact Development.
This low-impact that we speak of is part of a bigger picture that includes pollution reduction. In the case of storm water run-off, less is more! In other words, less run-off, means more water for the local aquifer. Less run-off equals more water that goes to carbon dioxide absorbing trees. Less run-off leaves streams and rivers cleaner.
Think globally, but let’s act locally by observing your own home, school, or business. The building in which you spend a lot of time has a roof, which sheds the water onto the driveway (or parking area) and eventually drains into the street or storm drain. This run-off never touched the earth, but flowed across a very non-pervious surface, taking whatever was on your roof, pavement and street with it. This whatever is called pollution finds its way, more often than not, to our nearest ocean.
If we were to implement Rainwater Harvesting, and actually slowed down the runoff by causing the rainwater to instead, flow through landscaped ditches filled with plants (bio-swales), or basins that allowed the water to slowly return to the ground (percolation), we would be part of our own LID.
Could we call this green? Could we call this eco-friendly? Could we call this sustainable? Yes, Yes, and Yes…Water Conservation in its simplest form.
Riverside has a $2.5 million LID Study.
…andvVisit our page at GroOrganics and see our Rainwater Harvesters made of reclaimed wine barrels for a fraction of the cost.
