Is your grass lawn withering due to lack of water? Do you have a lawn that needs a lot of maintenance and water to keep it looking good? Are you fed up with the skyrocketing water bills?
It’s hard to imagine how a natural resource like water is becoming more expensive and hard to come by as the demand for its use grows.
The situation is more dire during the dry seasons; it’s hard to believe some towns have had to come up with water restrictions bylaws to curb the situation.
If the above questions are talking about you, continue reading to learn more about water conservation and how to use rainwater to water lawn.
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Why Should You Consider Rainwater For Your Lawn?
Ok, you might not be feeling or experiencing the water issue yourself, but you can save a lot while conserving water. This is where rainwater collection and usage come into play!
To be honest, rainwater harvesting is not a novel concept. The idea has been around for millions of years. However, with water running at the comfort of our taps every day, people have forgotten and overlooked the benefits of rainwater harvesting.
Rainwater harvesting will not only benefit the grass lawn, but it will also keep some money in your pocket –Rain is free, right?.
You can use rainwater for your daily household course like, showering, washing, and irrigating your lawns and gardens during dry seasons.
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How Do You Harvest Rain Water
As stated before, rainwater harvesting has been there for centuries before; it’s not a new thing.
Generally, harvesting rainwater entails collecting rainwater from your rooftop using gutters, which will then redirect the water into downpipes or spouts and finally to a water-holding vessel such as a storage tank.
There are several rainwater harvesting systems. These systems can be as simple as harvesting rainwater in a barrel or as complex as collecting rain into a huge water tank to cater to the household’s needs.
1. Basic Rain Barrel Collection System
A rainwater harvesting system can be as straightforward as placing a barrel at the end of a downspout from the roof.
Such a watering system is sufficient for your grass lawn needs, but if you want to drink it or pipe it for home use, the installation expenses might be a bit high.
2. From Tank To Pump System
You can also use large storage tanks to collect water from your roof. This is one of the best solutions, especially if you want to use rainwater for your household and lawn irrigation.
Gravity-fed systems are the simplest and the cheapest method of moving water from the tank to your lawn. be sure to place your tank in a higher place.
You might need a pump to get water to other parts of your house.
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3. Complex water collection system.
If you want to drink rainwater, things get more complicated as you will need a specific type of roofing, gutters, and tanks.
Plus, an elaborate way of purifying the water before drinking. It’s advisable to involve a professional here.
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Note: if you live in an industrialized place, don’t drink the rainwater; instead, use it on your lawn.
How To Use Rainwater To Water Lawn
The most basic way of using collected rainwater to your lawn is by dipping a watering can inside the storing vessel and carrying the water to your lawn.
This might work for a small backyard lawn, but you might need to consider other efficient systems for a giant lawn.
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Let’s have a look at different rainwater irrigation systems for lawns
Rainwater Irrigation System For Lawns
- Drip Systems – This is a very effective way of watering your lawn, especially when it comes to using gravity. One advantage over other irrigation systems is that there is little or no water loss due to evaporation. It is particularly good if you have a small water storage vessel.
- Sprinkler Systems – This entails connecting a sprinkler pump to several pipes that connect your water storage vessel to your lawn. Sprinklers work well in large lawns and can cover a large area.
- Hand watering system – This is one of the most common ways of irrigating your lawn, simply connect your hose pipe to your storage tank and walk around your lawn watering your grass.
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How To Use A Rain Barrel To Water Lawn
Installing rain barrels to collect rainwater for you is usually the best option, especially if you live in an urban environment where space does not permit you to install big storage tanks.
So, yes, you have harvested water; how do you irrigate your lawn? as stated above, there are several ways you can water your lawn using rainwater collected on a barrel.
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- The best and the most effective way is to install a sprinkling system connected to your rain barrels. For maximum benefit, try and automate the system such that you don’t need to switch it on and off every time manually.
Note: It might be somewhat challenging setting up such a system; it’s advisable to involve an expert in this.
- You can also opt for a drip system. This will work particularly well with your barrels considering barrels do not carry a lot of water. Lay down your lawn drip pipes, connect them to the barrels, and watch as your lawn grows into a beautiful thing.
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Don’t forget to direct the barrel excess water pipe towards your lawn. It will come in handy when your barrels overflow; all the excess water will be channeled to your lawn.
Harvesting rainwater is a beneficial irrigation technique that can help you reduce your water usage cost by taking advantage of one of the most natural resources nature has to offer.
In the event of a drought or during dry seasons, using harvested rainfall to water your garden or lawn can be the only thing keeping your lawn and plants alive.
And perhaps the most important benefit of them all, you don’t have to use a cent! – other than the initial amount you use to install a water harvesting and irrigating system.
With an unpredictable economy, who doesn’t want to save a few coins?
