Agricultural Supplies: How to Get the Best Deal

A rainwater tank can be a good choice for your property, if you have a large garden or farm or raise livestock; you can use the rainwater to water your crops or cattle rather than wasting fresh water for these uses. Rainwater is also good to use in case of a brushfire on the property, or can also be used as drinking water if you have a strong filtration system in the home. When you are ready to have a rainwater tank installed, note a few details you don't want to overlook so you know you get all the parts needed and ensure the tank works properly for your needs.

Getting a pump

Very often a rainwater tank can be placed partially underground so that the opening to the tank is flush with the ground, and the tank will collect rainwater naturally. However, if you want to hide the tank behind a garage or other outbuilding, or otherwise place it at a higher elevation on your property, you may need a pump to actually pump the rainwater to it. This pump is placed near the rainwater tank and may have hoses or pipes that are connected to the bottom end of the downspouts of the home, to capture maximum amounts of water in the tank.

Soaker hoses

If you want to use the rainwater collected in the tank for watering your lawn or garden, you might invest in soaker hoses that connect to the tank with faucets, and then snake around that area of your property. You may need a good filter to go with these hoses; this will capture leaves and other debris that may get caught in the tank and which could clog those hoses. Without soaker hoses, you will need to pump the rainwater into another tank or watering device in order to properly water your lawn or garden area.

Filter for the water

If you're watering your lawn with rainwater, you may not need to filter that water before use. However, if you're watering a garden or farm, or using the water for livestock, you may want to invest in a basic filter. Rainwater can capture pollutants from the sky as it's being collected in barrels, and irritants like smoke, airborne chemicals, and other hazards from nearby production facilities or warehouses can also get caught in those water droplets. While they may not affect your strong and healthy turf, these contaminants might affect the health of your crops and livestock, so a filtering system can be a good choice for gardens and farms.