Costs of household water vary for all municipalities, so we want to share tips on how to save money with rainwater harvesting.

In Abbotsford, current costs are $1.32/m3 (264US Gallon) which may not seem like a lot, but let’s do some easy math:

The cost of living has increased across the board in recent months

The average household in Abbotsford (as of 2020) consists of 3.3 people per household. The average person uses 80 gallons of water per day; this would equal 264us gallons (1m3) per house per day. (Source: https://www.point2homes.com/).

These calculations would give us an average monthly water consumption of nearly 8,000 gallons per month (30 m3); equalling an average water cost of $39.60 per month per house.

This means that, per year, the average household cost of water will be $475.20! *This does NOT include the cost of sewer use which is over and above these costs.

Cost savings with rainwater harvesting

Rainwater harvesting helps in several ways: not only by offsetting household utility costs, but also helps with storm water management and flood relief. We have a separate blog specific for rainwater harvesting overall.

The 10-year average rainfall in Abbotsford is 1565mm (61.6”) per year. For every 1000sqft of collection area, 550 gallons can be collected for 1” of rainfall, depending on system efficiency.

With this estimation, we can expect to collect an average of 6000 US gallons per month. On heavier rainfall months, a larger storage tank can be used to help retain water for dryer months.

With a large enough area and collection tanks, these systems can be nearly self-sustaining and avoid municipal costs. This will not only save money every month but help control stormwater management systems, especially during times of high rainfall.

It’s key to note as well – rainwater can’t immediately be used for potable sources, but with minimal filtration, can be used as a primary source for the house.

At Clarion Tanks we are passionate about Rainwater Harvesting and have a full playlist on the topic over on our YouTube channel. You can watch that here.

 

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