Rainwater will be all they need

TAMPA - Going green is Anna Parsons' passion. She loves the idea so much she and her husband are building a home that will use rainwater instead of city water.

"My husband wants to save money and I want to save the planet, so luckily were in sync," she explained.

They're harvesting rainwater using a complex system. Under the flooring and along the beams are large tanks. They'll hold up to 5,000 gallons of rainwater.

"This house will essentially use next to zero city water," offered Brian Gregson with Rainwater Services, the brains behind the rainwater operation. "Maybe during a drought it might use a little city water, but it's calculated to use a month of water on this property."

Florida rarely goes a month without rain. At the Parsons' new home, rainwater will flow off the roof, down the sides, then be stored and purified for drinking and other household needs.

Green builder Darren Brinkley says many people aren't aware of the endless possibilities. "They get really excited -- Oh, wow, can we do that, can we really do that? -- And it's just amazing how much enthusiasm there is once people understand what they can do."

Recycling rain won't prevent drought, but systems like this can certainly ease the burden and help preserve a diminishing resource. The Parsons' home will be finished in May, just before the start of the summer rainy season.

The cost to install one of these rainwater systems can range from $1,000 to $20,000, depending on the size. What the Parsons have is a larger $20,000 system. There are currently no tax incentives for getting one of the systems, but the builders say you won't be restricted on your water use, and it's an environmental incentive on its own.

Once the house is finished, it will be certified 100-percent green, from the frame to the roof.

"My personal favorite part is I really love long showers, and I will no longer feel guilty when I take long showers because it will come from rainwater," Parsons added.