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"  With spreading water shortages, you&amp;#039;d think a good heavy rain would be, well, heaven-sent. But there are now 25 million acres of impervious surfaces nationally--equivalent to a parking lot the size of Virginia--where rainfall runs off rather than soaking in. The rushing streamlets carry fertilizers, pesticides, eroded soil and organic material into storm sewers, and from there into waterways. Many cities (746 of them across the country) have old sewer systems that can overflow in heavy storms, contributing to local drinking water problems and to the giant dead zone that forms each summer in the Gulf of Mexico. But there&amp;#039;s also a boom in techniques to catch storm water or allow it to soak harmlessly into the ground. Cities are starting to subsidize the cost of rain barrels for residents, while sales of paving stones that let water seep through gaps nearly doubled in 2005, to 17.8 million sq. ft. Start stopping rainfall from running up your footprint with these quick tips: 1. Rain Barrel Containers to collect rainwater date back 2000 years--and are just as useful today. Directing your downspout to a rain barrel will not only reduce runoff, but also provide water for your lawn and garden. 2. Beyond Shingles Green roofs, incorporating vegetation, have begun to appear on single-family homes. Even those with sloped surfaces absorb about 45 percent of the rainfall in a 2-in. storm, and delay runoff of the rest for 45 minutes. 3. Acid Test Determine the pH levels of your soil with a kit from your garden center. Once you figure out which nutrients your soil actually needs, you can stop applying unneeded chemicals that wash away. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/lawn-garden/how-to/a2088/4221451/>