Rainwater harvesting is an alternative to the normal water supply used throughout Ireland.  This process of rainwater collection comes from reservoirs or groundwater based supplies from wells. Rainwater harvesting will help to manage stormwater runoff to prevent erosion, flooding and poor water quality in our lakes and streams. If water harvesting was embraced it should in the longer term reduce municipal demand to the extent that it would be unnecessary to build new public water sourcing projects.

In urban settings, up to 90% of rainfall runs off because of hard surfaces like roofs, pavements, roads and carparks. This causes major flooding problems and necessitates the building of flood relief schemes to counteract major storm events. In rural settings major storm events cause excessive soil to be carried to our streams and rivers. This can cause major disruption to public water supplies, where these rivers are used as the source for the public water supply.  This is one of the many reasons why rainwater harvesting is so important in Ireland.

All of the water in our public water supply system is treated to provide water suitable for human consumption but only 4% is actually used as drinking water. There is an enormous cost to the state to provide water to this standard when over 90% does not need to be treated to this level. It is not a problem that will be solved overnight, but if water harvesting was embraced in all new builds, it will have a positive effect in the long term future of our country.

As an example; a detached building with a roof area of 150m² to be used for rainwater harvesting. This done using a tank with a storage capacity of 6,000 litres and supply up to 50% of the requirement for a family of 4 persons. With some secondary filtration and UV sterilisation this water could be used for all purposes bar for human consumption and greatly reduce the demand on the public or ground water supply.

Carlow Contract Tanks are Industry leaders in rainwater harvesting in Ireland. Please contact our experts today to discuss the numerous benefits or specific details of rainwater harvesting and rainwater harvesting tanks in Ireland. Email enquiries to sales@carlowtanks.com, or call +353 59 9159100