PORTLAND - Why flush perfectly good drinking water down the toilet when you can save rainwater from your roof for the same purpose?
Made no sense to Pat Lando. He crafted a cistern system for his home that cut his water bill in half. The tank holds 1,700 gallons of water, which is filtered for particles and gets a UV treatment.
"It's a good ethic to live lightly on the land," he said, "and it's just appropriate, using our resources appropriately."
Wendy Cohan has low-flow shower heads, appliances and toilets. She too saves rainwater, but for lawn irrigation. Moving the operation indoors makes sense to her.
"It's a great idea," she said, "It adds cost initially, but i think there's a pay back over time."
Indoor systems can run $5,000 to $15,000. This might seem like a lot, but Portland water bills may go up 11 percent this coming year.
