One of the easiest ways to use stored rainwater is for landscaping. In many communities, 30 to 50 percent of the total water is used for landscape irrigation. If that demand for a limited natural resource can be reduced, everyone benefits.
Rainwater is good for plants because it is free of salts and other minerals that harm root growth. As rainwater percolates into the soil, it forces salts down and away from root zones, allowing roots to grow better and making plants more drought tolerant. Use the calculator on this Web site to help determine cumulative storage and supplemental water use for your rainwater harvesting system.
Related Resources
EarthKind: Environmental Stewardship Programs for the Urban Landscape
Homeowners and landowners can construct systems to capture, store and use rainwater to water their landscape plants.
Storage and Supplemental Use Calculator
Determine cumulative storage and supplemental water use for your rainwater harvesting system.