Water harvesting, whether grey-water or rainwater, does not have to be expensive. Nor does it have to be as complicated as it seems, only to be done by a professional. There are many different levels of approaches to water harvesting, the most simple being to use what you already have to make a difference.
To re-use our greywater, a tip I have had the privilege of sharing is leaving our bathwater in for rinsing the toilet and washing hands/floors etc.
Another I have started to do is to collect my laundry’s rinse water in a bucket, which I then add to my next washing cycle. I also collect the washing cycle’s water, which I then use for our vegetable garden.
I use Probac, a probiotic-rich product, which does not harm the delicate balance of microbes in the ground necessary for healthy plants. It also does not need any softener, and this is something to consider when re-using water.
Harvesting rainwater can also be as easy as putting out a wide-brimmed bucket. Or, if you would like to catch up some more, to put up a tarp/other smooth waterproof cloth at an angle.
Create a V-shaped run-off area at the lowest point (with wire/by hanging a weight for instance) for the water which can then flow into a bucket for use.
If you would like to be able to purify this rainwater to use as drinking water, it certainly helps if you stretch a permeable cloth over the bucket (preferably tied in place) to filter out bugs and leaves.
I think we will be surprised when we see how much water can be collected this way!
