What If We All Collect and Use Rainwater?
Different provinces in the Philippines are currently experiencing the ill effects of a storm for the Nth time. Floods and landslides are typical news content that many have become desensitized to unless they are directly affected. The country is hit by around 20 typhoons a year, five of which are destructive. I’m tired of band-aid solutions.
I grew up with my grandparents. Their house’s toilets and laundry area have two faucets, one from deep well water and another from rainwater. I’m not sure whether it was my frugal grandfather’s or eco-warrior aunt’s idea. As a child, I made sure I used the rainwater faucet for flushing out of obedience to their instructions. As an adult, my appreciation of their wisdom deepened.
As the rain poured hard yesterday and reports about floods came, I thought, what if we use rain collection systems on a larger scale?
It Might Help in Flood Reduction
A number of studies showed that extensive installation of rainwater harvesting tanks could help in reducing the frequency and peak of stormwater floods. These studies were conducted in different urban areas around the globe including England, France, China, Brazil, and Italy.
One particular study conducted in a flood-prone residential area in Sicily, Italy found that…
