Slow it. Spread it. Sink it! An Okanagan Homeowner’s Guide to Using Rain as a Resource is an easy-to-use guidebook that helps you capture and re-use water that falls on your property.
Click here to download the updated Slow it. Spread it. Sink it!
(17MB Second Edition PDF)
There are many reasons for collecting and using rainwater. First, the water that comes out of our taps has been cleaned and treated at great cost to your water provider – and you, the taxpayer. Using treated water on our gardens, and for other non-consumptive purposes, is not money well-spent. As more and more communities adopt the use of water meters, and we start paying for the amount of water we use, saving water will mean saving money.
Climate change studies suggest that, in addition to the potential for drought, the Okanagan will also experience periods of extreme rains. Heavy rains can cause damage, washing debris into our storm sewers, affecting water quality, which in turn can affect the fish, the wildlife, and the people who rely on these waters.
It makes sense then, to collect the water that falls on our properties. The goal is to: Slow it down instead of speeding it through pipes and into the lakes; Spread it out across the properties instead of funneling it into storm sewers, and; Sink it back into the ground, recharging our groundwater supplies, and naturally filtering it before the water finds its way back into our streams and lakes.