Collecting water on rainy days and then using it in the house and garden when the sun is shining: An exciting option for different sizes.
Munich - After the cool and rather wet spring months, the beginning of June in Germany brought the first humid and warm days with it, on which the plants in the garden and on the balconies asked for an extra portion of water.
And even if the so-called sheep's cold could soon ensure cooler weather again, it is worth making provisions for the hot summer days: If you can collect rainwater inexpensively during showers, you do not have to water the dry beds with water from the tap on sunny days - the domestic one Meter reading rises a little more slowly.
Collecting rainwater: tons for smaller quantities, cisterns for larger consumption
There are various options for collecting and storing rainwater: In addition to the classic rain barrel, a cistern can also be used for larger amounts of precipitation. Michael Henze from the Federal Association of Gardening, Landscaping and Sports Field Construction in Bad Honnef explains to the dpa: “There are cisterns in different sizes. They start with a capacity of 1000 to 1500 liters ”- 1500 liters would be enough to irrigate 100 square meters. The large water reservoirs are usually built underground, and the excess water can also be used in the household, for example: According to calculations by the Federal Association for Industrial and Rainwater (fbr), rainwater can make up up to 50 percent of the amount of water required in the household.
For working with smaller quantities, a rain barrel is sufficient, for example, standing by the house to collect the water from the rain gutter.
Garden expert Henze recommends: “It is important to put a lid on the rain barrels so that no animals fall into them or a lot of leaves get into them.
Mosquito larvae also like to settle in rain barrels ”.
A so-called rain thief in the downpipe of the rain gutter ensures that the water can flow away elsewhere, for example into the sewer system, when the rain barrel is full.
If you equip your bin with a tap and pump system, you can also connect a garden hose and comfortably irrigate more distant parts of the garden.
Using rainwater in the household: These areas are taboo
When planning a larger cistern, the "size of the area to be irrigated, the amount of local precipitation, the size of the roof area, the number of people living in the house and the duration of irrigation or the planned use of the water in the house" should be taken into account, according to Andreas Braun from the Central Heating Association Sanitary climate compared to the dpa. A rainwater harvesting system is then used for household use of the rainwater from the cistern: "The rain from the roof surface is directed through a filter via the downpipes and then flows into the cistern," explains Braun.
The basic rule is: Anyone who uses rainwater in the household over the long term needs a second pipe system. Because even if the rainwater is cleaned well, it does not reach the quality standard that is set for drinking water from the tap - a clear separation is therefore necessary. "Water that comes into contact with the human body must meet the high standards of the Drinking Water Ordinance," explains Andreas Braun. Showering, bathing or cooking with rainwater is accordingly taboo; a color label on the pipes and extraction points for the rainwater must make it clear that it is not drinking water. However, the water can very well be used for cleaning, washing or flushing the toilet - and of course for watering the garden.
(eu / dpa)
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