Oregon is known for its “wet” weather. This presents those looking for Oregon custom-built homes with a rather unique opportunity to harvest rainwater, which offers numerous benefits for a homeowner, such as limiting runoff, stopping garden erosion, and reducing flooding. We have some great ideas for incorporating this into your home design.
Rainwater Collection Symptoms
The key to harvesting is installing a rooftop collection system that will divert the rainwater into collection containers. However, you will also need to filter the water to separate the water from possible contaminants, such as leaves and debris, out of the water.
Rain Barrels
For those just getting started, rain barrels are a reasonably simple way to try this out. The barrels can be placed below downspouts to collect the water. These barrels are usually fitted with spigots, which you attach to your house and use for tasks such as watering the garden, cleaning your sidewalk, or washing the car. With the amount of rain that Oregon gets, however, you want to make sure they are emptied often as well as having an overflow mechanism in place.
Cistern System
One way to ensure you can make use of every drop possible is to install a cistern system, which is a large collection vessel that can be installed below or above ground. These large vessels enable you to store thousands of gallons of water. If you add a filtration system, you can save on your monthly water bill by using this water for home use, such as sewage water, and, yes, even drinking water with the right filtration system.
Rain Gardens
These are abundant in the Oregon area, offering a great way of preventing runoff as well as supporting the local Oregon flora. These are shallow, landscaped depressions that naturally collect rainwater.
Know Local Regulations
If you are considering using one of these measures to harvest rainwater, you need to ensure the system you want to implement meets local regulations. Compliance with these standards is essential, especially if you plan on using the harvested water for indoor purposes.
If you are considering a custom-built home and plan on incorporating a rainwater harvesting system, it is probably a good idea to have a local construction consultant who knows the ins and outs of local permitting as well as the best systems to put in place for a residential home. Better Build Now offers a variety of services, as well as a 3D image virtual walkthrough so you can see the design, as it will look in real life, before ground is ever broken on your project.
For more information on these services, give us a call at 888-402-4180.