Why Harvest Rainwater?

Capturing and reusing your rainwater is a great way to reduce polluted runoff while collecting free water for your plants and garden. Almost any home or building can collect rain in small barrels that can offset the use of city water for irrigation during drier weather. For those with more space and greater watering needs, a larger rain tank, or cistern, can provide irrigation for much of the summer. 

Capturing and reusing rainwater is a great summer benefit, but did you know rain barrels and rain tanks are a great stormwater tool for our Puget Sound winter weather as well? By leaving your rain tank open in the winter, you can disperse the overflow directly into a rain garden, or you can route the excess water through your yard via a soaker hose. Both methods help to infiltrate excess stormwater onsite and keep runoff from flowing into streets, picking up pollutants, and flowing into Puget Sound untreated.

Whether you're harvesting rainwater in a small barrel or a larger tank, you're helping to reduce stormwater runoff during heavy rains, decrease pollution in our waterways, and ease the strain on drinkable freshwater resources during summer months and times of drought.