For any readers that were planning to go to the Oshara Village Flea Market tomorrow, the 30th of May, to purchase our rain barrels, we apologize for any inconvenience but the fundraiser we had planned for will not be taking place. There is still a possibility that the fundraiser will be held on a later date. Despite there being no fundraiser tomorrow, we are still available with a large supply of barrels and other water harvesting systems, and can arrange for a delivery or pickup.
Water harvesting systems have grown tremendously in popularity in Santa Fe and other areas in Northern New Mexico. Driving around Santa Fe during the day, one can see the tremendous amount of water harvesting systems in the homes of many of the city’s residents. Terra cotta rain barrels compliment the stucco colored houses throughout the city, and large tanks can be hard to miss standing firmly in the yard of some homes, many having a capacity of up to 4000 gallons! Both rain barrels and tanks/cisterns are good ways to harvest water in the high desert that we live in. However, for those that are wanting to have even less dependence on city water water, harvesting systems using tanks and cisterns are recommended. These large water harvesting systems can be incredibly efficient and sustainable. Some of them collect only rain water, which is directed into the tank or cistern with tubes coming from the canales. Other water harvesting systems collect gray water from the household, which gets recycled back into the earth when plants are watered.
The number of ways to design an effective water harvesting system is very large, and more creative ways are coming to be as sustainable living is more recognized for its importance in our lives. However, no matter what particular method a person employs to collect water, it will always contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle. Rather than using the limited supply of water that comes shooting out of our faucets, water harvesting systems allow us to consciously harvest the water that comes as rain. By collecting the rain, we can replenish it back into the earth, and in so doing allow for less of a dependence on outside resources for survival. As we continue to live more sustainable lifestyles we will have a more positive effect on the earth that we live on, and be able to replenish some of the resources that we have used up out of ignorance.
May we all live more sustainable lives!