Water scarcity is becoming a challenge in arid and semi-arid climates across the world. You may live in an area that experienced drought at some point in your life and wondered what you can do to make every drop go further.

That’s the case in Mekon Delta in Vietnam, where the average rainfall is 50 inches per year. Climate change, saltwater intrusion, water scarcity and pollution make it challenging to access safe drinking water.

A non-profit company installed a rainwater harvesting system to help a school in a remote locale combat the challenge. In addition to harvesting rainwater, it filters it and supplies the school with drinking water.

The initial concept of the system collected water on a rooftop and, using gravity, the water drained through a filter into a container with a tap for consumption. Over time the system has become more complex, using sensors to run the system automatically and all the system to switch between a utility source and stored rainwater.

Unfortunately, in some cases there are legal barriers to preventing the use of a system like this due to water rights. In these instances, rainwater is considered a shared resource, so capturing it could potentially impact downstream users who hold water rights.

Some utilities offer stormwater credits to property owners who implement rainwater harvesting systems, while other utilities might offer rebates, tax credits or other incentives to encourage the practice.

We encourage you to check with your local utility for the rules and/or rewards in your community.

* - Photo by Gravity Water