Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Rainwater Harvesting


Research shows that it is possible for a subdivision in our area to harvest enough rainwater to irrigate a sustainably designed landscape, year round; with the possibility of surplus that the city could use for parks and open space. The issue is designing such a system in real space with all the challenges that come with it. Of course it first must be legal.

That;s right rainwater harvesting is illegal in the great State of Utah. Why? well there is a little history to the issue and some valid concerns.
Valid Concerns
1.) Concern that the storage of large amounts of rain water will deplete underground aquifers and not allow these aquifers to be recharged naturally.
2.) Concern that the harvesting of rainwater may keep water from reaching streams, rivers and other bodies of water thus harming ecosystems downstream.
3.) There is also concern that these storage areas will become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests. Also that this water may become non potable through some mishap during containment and be misused to the grave misfortune of some unsuspecting victim.
4.) The concern that regulating rainwater harvesting then becomes a burden on the State whom will then have the duty to enforce these regulation, through inspections and investigations of reported unlawful rainwater harvesting activities.
Populations in the arid west are growing rapidly and the issue of water conservation and availability is one that is becoming more and more dire.
The majority of water used by private citizens is for landscape irrigation. That is why this issue should concern everyone especially landscapers. A shortage in water may become a limiting factor in landscape development. Resulting in state legal restrictions on what may or may not be done concerning your landscape. One thing that can be done is for the State to make rainwater harvesting, for landscape irrigation use legal, however for a bill to pass through congress the above concerns must be addressed.

We must first study and address the valid concerns about ground water recharge, and riparian ecosystem decline rainwater harvesting has the potential to affect before we can decide how to approach rainwater harvesting on a large scale in municipalities and in rural areas.