Harvesting rainwater with a rain
catchment system or rain barrel is an excellent option if you want to conserve
water here in the Clayoquot Sound. Catchment systems typically work by collecting
rainwater runoff from roofs by channeling it through gutters down into cisterns
or barrels, which can be located either above or below ground. Below is a diagram outlining a common system in use.
A catchment system can be incredibly simple, with water entering from a gutter downspout and then exiting via a garden hose when you turn the spigot at the bottom of the barrel. This water is useful for everything from watering plants and washing your car to cleaning your catch after a day of fishing. Larger
cistern systems gather water in the same fashion, but use an electric pump and often
a pressure tank to deliver water into the home for things like flushing toilets
and sometimes even washing laundry. Most of these systems are easy to set up, can
be relatively inexpensive to install, and require little maintenance
over time. Homes and businesses using water catchment systems on the
coast generally retain municipal water services as a backup source of
water that can be switched over to in times when rain is scarce. It is
important to note that water collected this way is considered
unpotable, and buildings using it must have two separate plumbing
systems: one for treated drinking water and another for catchment water to be used for toilets, laundry, garden water, and many other things.
Water Catchment Systems in Tofino
Qwii-qwiq-sap Standing Tree to Standing Home Project
Water Catchment Systems in Tofino
General Manager Mike Jacobsen giving an overview of the
water catchment system in use at Tofino's Shelter Restaurant.
Tofino residents Conor MacKenzie and John Gilmour
discussing a residential rainwater system they recently built.
Resident Bob Purdy talks about the water
catchment system installed in his Chesterman's Beach home.
Co-managed by Tla-o-qui-aht, Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, YuutuɁitɁaht and
Toquaht First Nations, together with Ecotrust Canada and the Clayoquot
Forest Communities Program, Qwii-qwiq-sap focuses
on building the conservation economy by empowering communities to
define and create their own circles of wealth. Through the thoughtful
integration of forest management, community design, value-added
production, alternative technology development, construction and
training, the initiative demonstrates how we can achieve the ideal of
getting direct local benefits from regional resource extraction and
use and build homes that are both culturally and regionally appropriate. One of the most important aspects of the program is that it work to ensure that new homes are designed to reflect local First Nations cultural values.
Tla-o-qui-aht Councillor Terry Dorward-Seitcher talks
about alternative ways to build homes and utilizing rain water catchment.
Click here for the Ecotrust Canada Standing Tree to Standing Home website.
Click here for the Ecotrust Canada Standing Tree to Standing Home website.
If you're
curious to learn more about all the options available for the catchment and use
of rainwater, call the Ordinary Corner Nursery in Tofino at 250.725.4450, or
stop by to see a complete rain barrel setup at 619 Tibbs Place (just off Abraham
Drive).
Click here for a local installers of water catchment systems.
Click here for a local installers of water catchment systems.
To read more online, check out these rain catchment links.
