The entire planet is covered with water. However, not all of it is suitable for drinking and water shortage has become a real, everyday challenge. Harvesting the little water received from rain can help many people to the solve the immediate problem. Joe Mooney, an advocate for becoming more self-reliant and learning through DIY projects, runs a 11 500 gallon rainwater harvesting system in Arizona Sonoran desert.
Mooney grew up in both rural and urban areas around the US and has become an homesteader by passion, using a simple system of corrugated roof, gutters, buried pipes and gigantic cisterns to create a water collection system. Mooney says his family live off 90 per cent rainwater, all collected from their roof. To achieve this Mooney uses a system known as the "wet pipe system" where the buried pipes remain full with water. When it rains the pipe pushes the water through into the tanks that are placed lower than the house gutters.
This allows Mooney to collect every drop possible. As well as helping the environment, rainwater is free and is a guaranteed source of water. A truly exemplary project.
