Rainwater Harvesting
 In 2004, the Islands Trust Fund decided to solve a water
problem at our house on the Ruby
Alton Nature Reserve on Salt Spring Island by installing
a rainwater harvesting system.
We decided that our system provided a good opportunity to
educate the public about rainwater harvesting, the impact
of climate change on island water resources, and how a rainwater
system works. Our system has been designed to demonstrate
different types of technology and good practices.
We also launched an outreach program during the summer of
2005 that provided practical information to islanders regarding
conserving and collecting rainwater and the impact of climate
change on island water resources. We spoke directly to more
than one thousand people through tours at the demonstration
site and our educational display at the Salt Spring Island
Saturday markets and Fall Fair. Many other people were made
aware of the issue and the project through our new rainwater
harvesting brochure, and radio and print media coverage.
Why Harvest Rainwater?
Both groundwater and freshwater quality and quantity problems
are becoming ever more common and urgent on the Gulf Islands.
The overuse of fractured bedrock aquifers in several Gulf
Island communities has already contributed to instances of
saltwater intrusion, an increasing number of abandoned wells,
and measurable declines in water quality over the summer months.
The susceptibility of these aquifers to overuse and contamination
can be expected to increase.
Most climate models indicate warmer and wetter winters and
hotter drier summers in the future for southwestern British
Columbia. Hot dry summers mean that there will be less water
available. Groundwater not be recharged as often and more
water will be lost to evapotranspiration, likely resulting
in lower water tables. Warmer, wetter winters will likely
mean less snow and stronger, more intense rain that will increase
the amount of rainwater lost to run-off, possibly resulting
in increased damage to streams and rivers.
Increased use of rainwater catchment systems may also help
protect the southern Gulf Islands’ nationally rare Coastal
Douglas-fir ecosystems by trapping water that would otherwise
flow over the islands’ surface to the sea and instead
send into groundwater through septic and gardening systems.
Low groundwater levels can result in increased stress to
plant and animal species that are dependent on that water
supply. In urban areas, rainwater catchment can also play
an important role in effective management of stormwater to
lessen surface runoff and erosion, promote infiltration and
aquifer recharge, and protect water quality and the habitat
of local waterways.
Rainwater catchment generally promotes self-sufficiency and
fosters an appreciation for water as a resource. Rainwater
quality almost always exceeds that of ground or surface water.
It does not come into contact with soil or rocks where it
can dissolve minerals and salts, nor does it come into contact
with many of the pollutants that are often discharged into
local surface waters or contaminate ground water supplies.
Increasingly on the Gulf Islands, residents are using water
softening systems and reverse osmosis to treat hard water
and contaminated water. These systems lead to increased water
consumption in a region that needs to conserve all the water
it can. Utilization of rainwater would eliminate the need
for these systems.
Project Plans
The following plans illustrate the rainwater harvesting system
installed at the Ruby Alton Nature Reserve.
Bob Burgess of the Rainwater
Connection of Thetis Island with the support of sub-contractors,
designed and installed the entire outdoor system. Bob designed
the system to demonstrate a range of available technologies
and good practices for both household and garden uses.
Publications and Educational Materials
Useful Links
Project Funders
This project was generously funded by:
Thanks also to Natural Resouces Canada for use of images
for our brochure. Slegg Lumber, Mouat’s Trading and
Windsor Plywood on Salt Spring Island all donated products
for the landscaping portion of the rainwater harvesting system.
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