It is highly recommended for those wanting the full scoop. Although it may go without saying, at Dancing Rabbit we're always looking for ways to be more sustainable and self sufficient. One of the ways we've determined we can do this is by developing rainwater catchment systems. The water from these systems, if managed correctly, can be used for drinking, bathing and cooking as well as for garden irrigation. As with much of what we're doing, this causes a lot of dilemmas and often necessitates compromise.
Rainwater catchment is no exception, especially when it comes to the storage tank itself.
Redwood is a proven building material for water tanks but is a diminishing resource and not local to our bioregion. This, of course, is a petroleum product and carries with it certain health concerns when used for storing drinking water. Pretty gnarly manufacturing processes. The options are many but none seem to totally satisfy concerns for sustainability and environmental impact. Another issue to think about is tank location.