How Can I Use Rainwater?
Overview:
- Outdoor (25-60% of Total)
- Watering and Irrigation
- Car Washing, Pool Filling, Patio Washing
- Indoor Non-Drinkable (20-40% of Total)
- Toilet Flushing
- Laundry
- Indoor Drinkable (20-40% of Total)
- Tap Water, Cooking, Shower & Bath
You can collect a lot of water with an ECOVIE system!
| Home Roof (Square Feet) | Atlanta Collection Potential (gallons)* | |||
| Gallons per Inch | 2007 Totals | 2008 Totals | 30 Year Average | |
| 2,000 | 1,200 | 36,000 | 46,000 | 56,000 |
| 3,000 | 1,900 | 54,000 | 69,000 | 84,000 |
| 4,000 | 2,500 | 71,000 | 92,000 | 112,000 |
| 5,000 | 3,100 | 89,000 | 115,000 | 141,000 |
| 6,000 | 3,700 | 107,000 | 138,000 | 169,000 |
* assumes 10% loss due to evaporation and other factors
Outdoor Rainwater Usage
Water usage varies from person to person and household to household. According to the EPA's reported usage data, the average US household of four uses over half of their total water consumption out of doors in applications such as watering, irrigation, pool filling, and car washing. These types of water usage are prime targets for rainwater collection systems.
Indoor Rainwater Usage
Indoor use of rainwater for laundry and toilet flushing is the next potential application after outdoor applications. If your outdoor water usage rate is low and you are doing a major remodel or building a new home the added cost of piping for bringing rainwater into the home is low. If this is your situation, you may be a strong candidate for this application.
Indoor drinkable (potable) applications also represent 20-40% of total household use. Using rainwater for indoor drinkable applications is technically feasible and is a practice in many regions of the US and the world.
Georgia State code requires fine filtration and disinfection treatment which ECOVIE can set up and install.
Regardless of the application, rainwater harvesting makes sense on many fronts. Check out the next sections to find out why.