The Front Feature

The Front Feature: A new way to think about rain

By Jenna Millikan

October 17, 2023

Read the full article here

If you live in Bellingham, you’re no stranger to rain. For many, it means grabbing an umbrella on their way outside, but for Whatcom residents like John Heptonstall, it provides water to their homes.

When Heptonstall moved outside the city limits for water, he couldn’t use the water supply most residents use. He switched to harvesting rainwater out of necessity. Now, he uses it for all his household’s water needs, including drinking water.

Rainwater harvesting is collecting rainwater for personal and commercial use, although each state has its own regulations. It can be used for everything from watering plants to drinking water.

“It's really nice water,” Heptonstall said. “I can drink it straight from the faucet, it tastes great.”

Rainwater is an abundant resource in the Pacific Northwest. However, many people are unaware rain can be useful beyond making their shoes soggy.

“I think a lot of people, when we said we were doing rainwater now, were like, oh my god, does that work?” Heptonstall said. “It actually works really well but I think there's been a bit of fear or kind of unknown[s] around it.”