Drinking water is not only expensive, but also valuable. Around 45 percent of drinking water consumption could be saved with rainwater. We'll show you how.
According to the Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), in 2014 each person consumed around 121 liters of drinking water a day. A frightening value that you have to let melt in your mouth. Hardly anyone is probably aware of how much water it flushes down the sewage system every day. But that's exactly how it is. Only the smallest part is used for the preparation of food and drink.
According to statistics from bdew.de, the majority of water, namely 36 percent, is used for bathing, showering and general personal hygiene. This is followed by flushing the toilet at 27 percent. In the garden, for room cleaning and car care, 6 percent of water is used and for the preparation of food and drink only 4 percent.
You can see at first glance that a large part of the drinking water could be easily saved. This not only saves money in your own wallet, but is also good for nature. Because drinking water is a precious and scarce commodity.
Saving drinking water - 4 ways to use rainwater
The natural use of rainwater is a far-reaching but also very interesting topic. Rainwater can not only be used in everyday life, but is also used for infiltration, retention and unsealing, in short: for rainwater management. In this article, however, I only want to refer to the use. Anyone looking for further information on the above-mentioned topics will find it in the free e-book from benz24.de. In addition to an extensive guide, you will also get helpful answers from experts on frequently asked questions.
1. Garden Use
Even if garden irrigation accounts for only around 6 percent of daily water consumption, it is one of the simplest methods of using rainwater in everyday life. Just imagine if you had to water your entire garden with drinking water? That wouldn't beonly a lot of water, but also a significant amount of money.
This can easily be avoided if you set up rain barrels or water tanks. Standard water butts often have a volume of between 100 and 300 liters. That's enough to water small beds and potted plants - provided it rains regularly. However, if your garden is larger, water tanks are a much better alternative. 1000 liters fit in here. The downside, however, is that they don't look very appealing and could easily be seen as an eyesore in the garden. But you can easily change this if you cover the canister with wood (inspiration and instructions at it's me!), wall it in with stones or cover it with a bamboo mat, such as those available cheaply from Amazon.
» By the way: The rainwater can not only be used to water outdoor plants, but also all indoor plants. Basically, plants tolerate rainwater better because it is not as calcareous. It also gives you more minerals.
2. Cleaning work
Garden tools, toys, floors and windows - there is always something to clean. In most cases, tap water is used for this purpose. Very few would use rainwater for this. Why not? Rainwater is at least as good and even has the advantage that it leaves no limescale deposits.
Nowadays cars are washed with rainwater more and more often. Why? Subsequent polishing is not required. Saves a tiresome work process and also saves money.
High-pressure cleaners are very popular for removing stubborn dirt on paving stones or other floors. Here, too, you can confidently switch to rainwater.
3. Flush toilet
Saving drinking water is also playing an increasingly important role in the home. Very high up on the subject of "toilet flushing". After all, why should you absolutely use clean drinking water for rinsing? Here it is actually only logical to switch to a cheap alternative: rainwater!
In order to be able to operate the toilet with rainwater, however, a rainwater utilization system is required. This consists of a water reservoir, a filter system, an efficient pump and an extra pipe network. These systems must be registered with the water supplier and approved before they are put into operation. You can also find out what costs you will incur here and how the tank sizes are calculated in the above-mentionedEbook.
4. Washing machine
Not only the toilet is one of the components that can be operated with rainwater. The washing machine is also a hotly debated topic. Unfortunately! Because many doubt the hygiene, the quality is much better than many think.
As mentioned above, rainwater does not contain lime. This means that you can completely do without water softeners in the washing machine. Another advantage is that the heating rods do not become calcified, so they save not only drinking water but also energy. According to a report by oekologische-bauen.de, washing with rainwater can even save around 60 percent of detergent. It doesn't get any better than that, does it?
A rainwater utilization system is also important here for washing with rainwater. The rainwater must be stored dark and cool so that no bacteria can form.
Conclusion:
If you stick to the first two points mentioned, you can make a big contribution to reducing the amount of drinking water you need every day. The two following options are relatively easy to implement in a new building and in a renovation. In retrospect, this is quite difficult due to the required network of lines.