Does using potable water to water your garden seem absurd to you? So do something for the environment - and your wallet - by installing a rainwater harvester. Key tips.

While our planet is being put to the test by its inhabitants, every little daily gesture counts. Especially when it comes to water, an increasingly precious commodity with repeated heat waves and droughts . Why not explore a not so expensive solution and install a rainwater collector at home and promote, if only on your own scale, ecological and sustainable gardening?

Is it forbidden to collect rainwater?

Apart from food consumption and if you wish to use it for domestic use, it is not forbidden to collect rainwater and store it, indicates the official website of the French administration. And it is not recommended to drink, cook or wash dishes with it.

Why harvest rainwater?

There are several reasons why you might want to install a rainwater harvester in your home. First of all, from a very practical point of view, this makes it possible to carry out real savings because you don't always think about it when you turn on your tap, but drinking water has a cost, and an increasingly high cost.

In addition to your wallet, the environment will also thank you. By using the water that nature makes available to you, you will not put pressure on groundwater and thus contribute to the preservation of water resources . You can also store it and anticipate periods of drought and any water restrictions which can be nightmarish for gardening enthusiasts!

The rainwater collected in this way is certainly not drinkable as it is, but it is sweet, no limestone and therefore perfectly suited for watering your plants . You can also, if you wish and depending on the size of your water collector, use it for the wash your car you are on your own , For fill in the flush your toilet and even the washing machine!

How to collect rainwater easily?

Two solutions are available to you for the rainwater harvesting :

• A outdoor or aerial water collector , connected to one of your gutters, for use limited to watering of the garden. The container can be between 200 liters and 2,000 liters depending on the exterior surface to be watered. As its name suggests, the collector collects water from the gutter, which is filtered before joining the collector. A tap located at the bottom of the tank allows very simple use of this rainwater.

• A buried tank , for larger uses, which will hold up to 10,000 litres. You can then make real water savings by connecting to your home's water system . Be aware, however, that this will require earthworks, and that a declaration to the town hall will be compulsory if the water used is discharged into the collective sanitation network. You will also need to indicate that the water is not potable next to each toilet and tap that will supply this recovered water.

How is the installation of a rainwater collector carried out?

Easy as pie, the installation of a rainwater collector can be done in a short time And you don't need to be a great handyman to carry it out . Equipped with the right tools, follow the steps and wise advice in this DIY tutorial and all you have to do is connect your storage tank at the desired location:

What is the best rainwater harvester?

Having become legion in DIY stores, as with e-commerce giants, there is no shortage of rainwater collectors. 300 l, 500 l, 650 l, buried or not, to be plugged into the gutter... There are a host of models on sale. Rainwater collector Brico Dépôt, Leroy Merlin, Lidl or to shop on Amazon, here is how to find the best rainwater collector on the market:

How to collect rainwater without a gutter?

No secret, without a gutter, it will be difficult to collect rainwater efficiently and in sufficient quantity. But there are solutions, such as flexible tanks offered by the company Ducielôpits , which will transform a dry well, the underside of a raised terrace or any disused cavity into a rain collector by installing a coated canvas.

How to collect rainwater on a balcony?

It is also possible to install a rainwater collector on your balcony if a gutter is present there; you just have to ask the authorization to the union council of your building and ensure that your balcony will be able to support the maximum weight of the chosen collector.

Source journaldesfemmes.fr