Water conservation is the hour of the need, especially when the entire planet is struggling with an unprecedented fear of a climate crisis. As the monsoon approaches, you can play a small yet significant role in conserving water and contribute positively to the environment via simple water conservation efforts at home.
Check out these easy-to-follow methods to try this monsoon.
1. Place drums to store rainwater
Collect rainwater on your rooftop by placing drums in the open. You may also build rain gutters on the terrace to collect rainwater in drums placed on the ground. However, make sure to use a copper rain chain to direct the water stream from the terrace gutter to the container.
Lastly, you must close the top of the barrel or add a few drops of vegetable oil to contain the larvae spread. The collected water can be used to clean utensils, water plants, mop floors, wash cars, and flush toilets.
2. Use it to water plants
You can use rainwater to water the plants in your garden or build a rain garden around this season. Typically, a rain garden is created in shallow terrain outside a house or its courtyard. Depending on the available space, you can plant flowers, mulch, and perennial shrubs in the garden. However, planting saplings that develop deep roots could be more effective as they are better at absorbing water.
You can build a way to direct rainwater runoff to the base of such plants. By directing rainwater to the plants, you will allow it to seep into the earth and help recharge the groundwater level. Also, a rain garden is less likely to turn the space into a mosquito breeding ground as they don’t necessarily allow water to stagnate. If space is an issue, you can also build a roof garden and grow saplings that need plenty of sunlight and regular water and create your own green space.
3. Place rain saucers
You can also place rain saucers in open spaces to collect water. However, you will need a rain saucer with a small storage container, funnels, and PVC pipes to build a rain saucer and connect the funnels through the pipes to the set repository. This setup is not necessarily exposed to
contaminated water, keeping it clean and fit for use. The saucer will look somewhat similar to an inverted umbrella once set up.
Bonus: Direct the rainwater to recharge borewells
To recharge borewells in and around your house, you need to build a recharge pit. Typically, a recharge pit is 1 meter in diameter and is a minimum of 6 meters deep. It would help if you drilled it alongside a pipe covered with a net to filter out impurities. By doing so, the surface water can flow into the water table, recharging the groundwater level. This minimizes water scarcity during summer.
Try these means to conserve and use water this monsoon and contribute to the environment in your special way.
