Why every drop of water counts
Droughts, heatwaves, heavy rainfall: Our climate is changing - and faster than we all thought. Now we need clever solutions that work. At GRAF, we have a few ideas ...
You can capture any situation with numbers. With statistics, curves and lines, with values or percentages. But in the end, it's often images that stick in the mind. The Ahr disaster, for example. Or the forest fires in Greece, Spain or Portugal, which will now probably come every summer - and are likely to affect us more and more frequently here too. Images of burnt-out landscapes, of people who have lost their homes. Or of dust swirling up under tractor tires, rising above dried-up fields, letting us know that somewhere in this world more people will go hungry again. Especially as we all know by now that these droughts are no longer just extreme local events ...
Climate change has long since begun
Many of these press images are award-winning - because they are startling in their brutality and authenticity. And because they sensitize us to a truth that we unfortunately all too often suppress in everyday life: Climate change has long since begun. "Extreme is the new normal", says physicist, climate researcher and author Friederike Otto ("Wütendes Wetter"), referring to the fact that heavy rainfall events in Europe have recently tripled and heatwaves have even increased more than tenfold. And the trend is rising. For us in Central Europe, this means that water is becoming an increasingly rare commodity. That we should all be thinking about how we use it. And that clever, sustainable solutions are now more important than ever.
Rainwater harvesting & climate protection
As a result of heavy rainfall, more and more sewers reach their limits, resulting in local flooding. Any rainwater harvesting system that keeps the precipitation on your own property provides relief here. And of course there are also some personal motives. The environment is one thing, saving money is another. What many people don't realize is that you can also save money on top of the water costs by collecting rain. After all, local authorities charge rainwater fees for every square meter of land from which rainwater is drained into the sewer system. Owners who collect and effectively retain their water can often apply for an exemption or reduction in the charge. In addition to watering the garden, collected rainwater can also be perfectly used for flushing toilets and washing machines. If you put all these options into practice, you can save up to 50 percent of your daily drinking water consumption.
Our rainwater management solutions
Turning a blind eye - that has never been an option for GRAF. Which is also not the case: "We are certainly not smarter than the world's climate researchers," says our Managing Director, Otto P. Graf. Heat waves, heavy rain, storm surges: Nobody saw the speed at which these phenomena are increasing worldwide. "But we have long been certain that the topic of rainwater will become increasingly important over the years," assures the entrepreneur. And so we have been working on rainwater management solutions since the 1970s - with a spirit of discovery, expertise and our hearts in our hands. After all, it feels good to do good. And that's why we are particularly proud that our products, whether it's barrels and tanks for storing rainwater or infiltration elements, can make a significant contribution to making our planet a little better every day.
"The fact that we are also using more and more recycled plastics - largely from our own production - makes us even more satisfied," says our Managing Director. Those who use rainwater can do good in many ways. For example, watering your garden with it protects the water table at the same time. Just like plants and trees, our CO2 recyclers, which otherwise don't always get through the increasingly hot summers well (not to mention that many plants prefer rain to tap water). Rainwater harvesting also makes sense for flood protection. Heavy rainfall is a real threat to local sewer systems.
