There are so many problems in the world; often we do whatever we can just to get by. If we want to combat these issues, it is often done in a big way. We hold huge fundraisers to raise money for the starving children in Africa or the victims of such tragedies like hurricane Katrina or the fires in California.

The media is a promoter of giving back in this type of way, with shows like extreme home makeover. There is such power in the efforts of American people. And while it is quite remarkable what a difference they can make, sometimes we seem to neglect the small things that can make a huge change. Consider what we could do better to help with the resources of our society, water in particular. We in no way have an excess amount of it. In fact, we are most likely in a drought at all times. And, although we can’t hold a fundraiser to raise money for more water, there are other things we can do to help.

Have you ever heard of a cistern? It’s a large container made of concrete that stores large amounts of water. It is basically a higher quality rain barrel that will hold more water. A cistern will allow you to catch rain that falls from your roof during the rainy season. Then, you can use this to water your plants and you could even use it for drinking if you need to.

That would come in handy if an emergency were to happen. Although this practice of using cisterns to catch rainwater may sound somewhat primitive to you, it is actually still in practice in many areas of the world today. Imagine the benefits that would come from being able to use the water from rainy season during the dry summer season. You would need to rely less on the water company and you would be more efficient with arguably the Earth’s greatest resource.

Furthermore, you will be surprised with how much water you will collect. The average person collects 600 galls for every 1-inch of rain (estimate based on a 1,000 square feet of roof area). If it overflows, that is ok. You can always hook it up to another barrel if need be.

Lastly, a few things to keep in mind in when it comes to a cistern:

Good luck with the cistern! Enjoy contributing to the environment.

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