Are you keen on learning more about what you can do in the comfort of your home to conserve and replenish clean water in your neighborhood rivers and lakes?
Everyone loves rainfall, well, if not everyone, at least those who can watch the rain from their cozy spot. Rainfall is beneficial for both the human body and the environment as well.
For instance, precipitation is alkaline and relatively light. It can revitalize your thoughts instantly. Microscopic organisms in rainwater can create vitamin B12 as a biochemical consequence of their activity. Hence, drench yourself in the rain shower to absorb some B12.
And when it comes to the environmental benefits, it not only cleans the atmosphere but refills natural underground water resources, renders us an alternative source to flowing water, is gentler on our wallets, and many more!
Easy and economical methods to soak up the rain include rain gardens, rain barrels, dry wells, redirecting runoff, and permeable pavement.
Below you will come across eight benefits of soaking up the shower. If the concept of “Soaking up the rain” is not trendy at present, we don’t know what is! And remember, rainwater not harvested is wasted!
Table of Contents
1. Rain gardens replenish the underground water
Rain gardens are one of the concepts around soaking up the rain. It is a low-lying space in the ground that gathers rainwater from the rooftop, pavement, or roadway and enables it to seep into the earth.
Rain gardens, which are typically planted with reeds and floral perennials, can be a cost-effective and attractive solution to decrease rainwater runoff from your house.
Rain gardens can also cleanse contaminants from runoff while simultaneously providing food and housing for insects, birds, and other species.
Bioretention refers to more complicated rain gardens with drainage systems and altered soils. These soaking up the rain keep your area puddle-free and green and help restate the underground water.
2. Permeable pavements minimize building costs
By absorbing rainwater and melting snow, permeable pavements help reduce the runoff of rainwater and the melting snow by pulling them into the ground.
Pervious asphalt, porous concrete, intersecting pavers, and polyester grid pavers are examples of alternative resources that allow rain and melting snow to penetrate through the ground to the underneath layers of earth and sand.
Permeable pavements can help in the process of removal of contaminants that cause underground water pollution. Furthermore, it also helps lower runoff from rainfall and minor water-logged pavements.
By eliminating the requirement of some traditional drainage components, porous pavements can also minimize the necessity of road salt during harsh winters and save building costs for business and residential growth.
3. Absorb the flood with permeable concrete
Today, fast-draining concrete that can absorb up to 1,000 liters of water per minute per square meter is gaining an abundance of fame all around the globe.
Flash flooding is widespread in metropolitan centers due to excessive concrete spaces. Downpours can quickly overtake communities’ stormwater sewage systems because engineered surfaces, like asphalt, soak relatively more minor rainwater than earth.
Flooding is projected to become more of a concern as the globe continues to urbanize and the quantity of land surface covered in impermeable flooring grows.
Generally, a road surfacing layer comprises an adhesive and a mixture of coarse and tiny crushed stone. These small rocks or sand are not used in permeable concrete. As a result, the final product is absorbent enough to absorb rainwater and prevent flooding.
Thus, inventive concrete design can play a crucial role in most Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) designs, giving a realistic, sustainable solution to surface water floods. And, the most agreeable part is that it can be constructed rapidly and affordably.
4. Green roof to manage storm-water
A green roof, also identified as a vegetated roof or eco-roof, includes soil and vegetation on top of a standard roof. Green roofs are becoming increasingly prevalent as a cost-effective method for making towns more habitable and ecological.
These eco-roofs contain a sponge-like covering of plant components that collects water. Once it showers, they retain the rainwater and gently release everything through evaporation and vegetation consumption.
Green roofs can cut the level of rainwater that would otherwise flow down from an impermeable rooftop.
- In contrast to standard roofing, green roofs can reduce building power consumption and excessive noise while boosting the roof’s resilience and longevity.
- Green roofs are getting more successful in the city where space limits prevent alternative storm-water control techniques from being implemented.
- Controlling storm-water runoff by incorporating nature-based alternatives such as green roofs into the urban core can help the environment, population health, and community.
- Reducing the urban heat by lowering atmospheric air and surface heat.
- Improving facility efficiency by lowering heating and cooling utility demand.
- Minimizing pollution levels from heating, electricity production, and temperature-dependent surface-level ozone development.
- Promotes health advantages of lowering airborne particles pollutants in the atmosphere.
- And access to nature enhances personal well-being.
5. Reduce your utility bills while saving the water
Different names around the globe refer to rainwater collecting. Rainfall collecting, rainwater harvesting, and rainwater catchment are all a few examples.
Furthermore, several regions use words like roof-water gathering or rooftop water collection. Rooftop rainwater harvesting fulfills the requirements of drinking, household, livestock, modest irrigation, and groundwater replenishment.
Rainwater catchment systems vary in complexity, from simple systems requiring little expertise to computerized systems requiring advanced configuration and maintenance.
Because all the outflows from the property’s rooftop are interconnected by piping to an underground storage tank that holds the rainwater, the basic rainwater collecting arrangement is more of a minor plumbing job.
Rainwater is a clean and cost-free water source. It encourages self-sufficiency and water conservation.
Because rainwater is not chlorinated, it is excellent for gardens and other vegetation around the house. Furthermore, it can serve as a reliable source of water in an emergency.
6. Not just the earth, make your hair soak up the rain too!
Rainwater is thought to provide more health advantages than other types of water. Rainwater is “soft water” suitable for the hair because it does not dry it out as hard water (tap water and underground water).
It is also claimed to aid in the cleansing of your hair. Rainwater does comprise some pollutants, although they are not as toxic as those present in hard water.
If you want to try this strategy, gather the rainwater in pitchers or buckets and bring them indoors as soon as possible.
Flies and bugs will end up laying their eggs on the water surface. Filter the water through a separator to eliminate the debris.
According to a few YouTubers, Rainwater is why their hair care endeavor has been excellent. It is reported to have softened the waves and curls indefinitely, and the process of detangling hair has been made much quicker and mess-free.
7. Physically soaking the rain promotes hormonal balance
Soaking up the rain in buckets and pitchers! A hormonal irregularity can have a notable impact on your entire health. Many aspects of human health might be out of one’s disposal.
However, controllable factors can affect levels of hormones. Soaking in the rain is an excellent method to bring your hormones back to equilibrium.
It does so by eliminating stress and reestablishing the flow and production of hormones. It is thought that being immersed in rainfall or swimming in it causes the hormone to be released appropriately, resetting one’s biological clock.
Mood-enhancing hormones like endorphins and serotonin are removed when you bathe in the rain. These hormones reduce stress and make us feel good right away. Now, do we need a better reason to soak in the natural shower once in a while?
8. An all-time natural burn relief while saving water
And the easiest of all, with zero cost associated- hurry out and drown the heat with free rainwater! Countless people living in hot and dry climates experience heat rashes due to the oppressive heat.
It affects children rapidly as they are more exposed to the blistering radiation from the sun. Minor boils in the shape of lumps on the body emerge due to the temperature.
However, these heat rashes disappear once you get drenched in the rain. Soaking up the rain assists in equalizing the body’s natural temperature, which aids in the removal of heat rashes.
Therefore, if you are experiencing skin problems on a hot and humid day, it is very likely that you will receive a calming shower in the evening. Hence, after ten minutes of downpour, make sure you go outside and drench yourself entirely for a few minutes.
Remember to avoid the first rain of the month, as it may bring certain pollutants. The same goes with the first five to ten minutes of rainfall; better avoid it as well.
To Wrap Up
Rainwater harvesting’s possibilities are appealing and could even address a few climate-related concerns. To be free from water crises and droughts, the concept of “soaking up the rain” must be implanted in every region of the globe.
Considering all the benefits that come along with soaking up the rainfall, it is not a wonder that people all over the globe are going forth with rainwater harvesting using rooftop technologies.
And, covering your roof with vegetation will prevent stormwater and make you the most popular and eco-friendly resident in the neighborhood.
For additional aesthetics, add some exotic succulents to your roof garden. Water harvesting- a joyful experience!
(Last Updated on November 24, 2021 by Sadrish Dabadi)
