If you live in a water scarse area and you have a garden, you probably already save rainwater runoff for use when the dry season arrives. It makes sense to do this because for the cost of a tank, you can collect free rainwater from the roof and then don’t have to pay to keep the flowers blooming when the sun shines.

As we begin to feel the increased effects of climate change, we begin to see changing weather patterns and for many people this means more periods of drought and also periods of heavier rain. Hosepipe bans are more likely in the future during those dry periods. Being able to collect rainwater during the wet days gives us a way of keeping our cherished plants healthy during those extended dry times.

Laudato Si’ encourages us to see “[f]resh drinking water [as] an issue of primary importance” (Laudato Si’ 28) and address water wastage from “an educational and cultural” perspective “since there is little awareness of the seriousness of such behaviour within a context of great inequality” (Laudato Si’ 30). It seems appropriate, therefore, to avoid watering our plants with fresh drinking water where possible.

The storage of rainwater on site does need to be done sensibly and safely and an excellent guide for this can be found here (with thanks to the UK RHS).