RECYCLING THE RAIN - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

RECYCLING THE RAIN

SANTA BARBARA CO. - Overall California is facing a water shortage, and homeowners are using rain water harvesting to conserve.

Rather than let it run down the drain, more and more homeowners are collecting rain for future use.

Oscar Carmona teaches sustainable landscaping classes through the Santa Barbara City College.  He believes the idea of harvesting rain water is gaining popularity, for good reason.

"It's important because its a very limited resource, and its not going to get any less so, so  it behooves everyone to be more practical and more resourceful with the amounts that they're using."

A rain water harvesting system can be as simple and inexpensive as a big plastic bin.

"A 30-40 gallon trash can, hooking it up to the rain gutters and having that downspout flow in or filter into the trash can, you can use a watering can,  dip that into the receptacle, and water your garden or your landscape that way," says Carmona.

It can also be more complex and include a filtration system, which can cost between five and 15 hundred dollars.

"People use drip systems that flow out of the receptacles so that the water is plumbed."

As Carmona explains, whichever method you choose, water won't be the only thing you'll conserve. 

"The savings are going to be more prevalent as we move into the future, could be five to ten dollars, to depending on if you have a large house,  could be hundreds of dollars, so it can make a big difference for some people."