By Michelle Domocol @inflourish_
In Healing Present’s (HP) farm and reforestation projects, we install different kinds of rainwater harvesting systems to:
- Reduce the use of scarce groundwater supplies
- Store water for upcoming droughts and dry seasons
- Save electricity
- Save money
In Cebu, reducing our use of groundwater can help our surrounding watershed renew its freshwater supply. In some areas, groundwater can be too saline or have pollution. Rainwater supplies can help you avoid using saline or contaminated groundwater. In general, Cebu residents, land managers, renters, and homeowners need to put less stress on our watershed and groundwater supply. Cebuanos, in uplands and urban areas, have experienced droughts and extreme dry seasons. Urban residents and farmers in Cebu’s mountains have seen decades of seasonal water scarcity, diminishing groundwater recharge, water quality deterioration, cost-prohibitive water treatment services, and failing drainage infrastructure from city water distribution lines. Rainwater systems offer an option to gain some relief from those water supply issues.
In Healing Present sites, we use the rainwater to minimize our reliance on deep well groundwater. When we do this, groundwater can:
- flow to major rivers,
- support wetland ecosystems,
- prevents land subsidence, and
- strengthen our watershed.
With simple rainwater harvesting devices like rainwater barrels and underground storage water tanks, HP spends less money and electricity on city-sourced water, external water treatment services, and water pumping stations. In our farm and forest projects, we attach rain barrels and tall rainwater water collection towers to plant irrigation tubing, garden hoses, plant nursery washing stations, sinks, showers, and toilet tanks.
Households can attach small rain barrels, above-ground tanks, or large rainwater towers to a filtration system so we have an independent supply of drinking water. Plus any pump system or filtration component can be powered with solar panels to reduce your electricity costs.
Here are the general installation guidelines for HP’s rainwater storage tanks or rain barrels:
- We identify a location for the rainwater collection device. We make sure the device can receive an ample amount of rain. Sometimes we add a platform or position the collection tank above the area we want to irrigate. Or if the rainwater is coming from a roof, we may improve the rain gutters and add pipes to direct the water straight into the collection device.
- We add irrigation tubing or mainline pipes depending on where the water needs to go. For example if the water is intended for a garden then we attach irrigation tubing, valves, and sprayers to the rainwater collection system. We always add a faucet or valve to control the flow of water from the tank or barrel. Rainwater tanks can be cylindrical, boxy, customized to fit underground, or be decorated to blend in with your landscape.
- You can add screens and nets to reduce the mosquito population and leaves that can enter your rainwater collection device.
- If your storage tank is located underground, you may need to add a pump to direct water towards a particular garden, pipe system, or building.
- Make sure to add pipes or extra storage devices to divert or store the overflow of rainwater.
In HP, we depend on rainwater tanks and reservoirs to support our growing reforestation projects. Young trees, shrubs, and potted plants need water to survive and develop strong root systems. After these young trees develop into a thick canopy, they can increase rainfall, absorb floodwaters, reduce storm damage, and stabilize our future water supplies.
In the coming months, we have plans to improve our rainwater harvesting systems. We want install more underground reservoir tanks to store freshwater for future droughts. We also want to add more tanks to store rainwater overflow. We will most likely use cement tanks and custom made corrugated metal tanks to store more rainwater. This helps us efficiently harvest during rainy seasons.
I hope this inspires you to assess your household, farm, or, apartment for rainwater collection opportunities. See if you would like to supplement or improve your household water supply with a rainwater collection system. It can start with one humble rainwater barrel and progress to larger rainwater harvesting systems.
