Bonfire night brings precious white rain

Fri, Nov 4, 2011

Water, UK Climate Change, rainwater harvesting

Looks like wellies and waterproofs for bonfire night celebrations this weekend with the Met Office predicting heavy downpours. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/se/london_forecast_weather.html

With all the fun of the fireworks it is easy to forget that rain could be one of our most precious commodities in the future.Population growth, climate change, drought conditions and the restriction of sufficiently large fresh waterways close to metropolitan areas are driving the necessity to find alternative solutions.

Water availability per person is decreasing (Figure 1), while water withdrawal per person is increasing (Figure 2). In its simplicity, demand is up, supply is down as this chart shows:

Figure 1: Water Availability Per Capita* Figure 2: Water Withdrawals*
   
Figure 1: Water Availability Per Capita* Figure 2: Water Withdrawals*

Rainwater harvesting is one way to renew our incessant demand for a regular water supply  – this was originally prefected by the Romans and it is time to rediscover and re-invest in this simple system as the environmental effects of climate change bring heavy rainfall to many parts of the world .http://www.savetherain.info/media-centre/rainwater-harvesting-faqs.aspx

If you are considering a rainwater harvesting system for your UK office or home check out these information days that are being held this Autumn:http://www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/training-days.php

Water is a free and valuable commodity that we should use more effectively.

Maybe the UK government should demonstrate their commitment to the environment by introducing council tax incentives that encourage homeowners to use rainwater systems instead of handing big profits to the Water Authorities?

Let me know your thoughts on this soggy issue by posting a comment here or email [email protected]

dsc01612

This post was written by:

- who has written 872 posts on My Climate Change Garden.

I am not an experienced gardener - more of an enthusiastic amateur who learns by trial and error and who is keen to "manage" the effects of shifting weather patterns on my garden. Writing this blog is my passion and it has evolved over 12 years to inspire engagement with climate change outside our back doors, in our personal gardens and green spaces. My mission is to fertilise and expand this platform to grow a community of global gardeners communicating about the effects of climate change on our plants and exploring how each individual can make small changes in our lives to become more sustainable. The future of our gardens and #OurPlanet is in our hands - please plant your own seeds for our collective sustainable future.

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1 Comments For This Post

  1. JeanK Says:
    August 9th, 2009 at 12:32 am

    I’ve been blessed to have been a rainwater harvester for over 50 years. We have had up to 6 rain barrels going at once, at our home here in Florida. Because my Victory Garden is not as large this year, flowers & native plants not requiring as much water, we are down to two rain barrels.
    Folks who participate in conserving rainwater from rain gutters and gutter downspouts realize how very important it is to keep those gutters extremely clean at all times. Clogged gutters stops water flow, causes stagnant water to collect (which entices mosquitoes to lay eggs, breed, and carry West Nile Virus, besides taking big chunks out of you. Clogged gutters also encourages bugs (roaches that carry 33 different infectious diseases) to hide under leaves & debris.
    We encourage all residents with gutters to stay well, stay safe, and keep those gutters cleaner, so the rainwater flows freely and cleaner.
    Everyone who hates cleaning out rain gutters I invite to come and visit me at http://www.gutterclutterbuster.com and see a cleaner, safer, faster, and easier method of cleaning out the gutters.