There may be a negative connotation associated with rainy days, but the precipitation is vital for families devoted to water conservation.

The Jennings Environment Education Center hosted a tour on March 8 of two homes that excel in conservation efforts.

“The tour was to support and build awareness of water conservation practices in local homes,” said Becky Lubold, an education specialist with the center. “We want to get people to say 'if these people can do this, we can do too.'”

Bob and Berenice Madjaric showed off the greenhouse and water saving practices at their Thunder Mountain Lane property in Muddy Creek Township.

The 30-by-40-foot greenhouse allows the couple to grow fruits and vegetables year-round.

“We grow through winter,” said Bob Madjaric, adding the winter crops this year included kale, Swiss chard, carrots, potatoes, lettuce and spinach.

Their crops were able to make it through this year's bitter cold winter thanks in part to 150 tons of cement block buried below the greenhouse.

The air between the crushed blocks is heated during the day.

“At night that warm air rises into the greenhouse,” said Berenice Madjaric.

While temperatures outside dropped below zero on occasions, the temperature inside the greenhouse never got below the teens.

While the couple, who also have an outside garden near the greenhouse, have a strong focus on food, they also have gone through extensive lengths to save water.

Rainwater from the roofs of their home, as well as their barn and the greenhouse, is collected in a large cistern behind the greenhouse and is used to water the plants.

“The gutters can be diverted when needed,” Bob Madjaric said. “We try not to have any water wasted on our property.”

The water also runs to three ponds intended to help the wildlife. Hopes to protect wildlife was a main goal of the Madjarics when they moved into the home 18 years ago.

The first step of that is maintaining a water supply around the house that is atop a hill.

“When we bought the home, we found that on top of a hill the quality of water is excellent, but the quantity is low,” Berenice Madjaric said.

While the Madjaric home uses rainwater for its outdoor crops, the home of Todd and Shayne Garcia-Bish of Clearfield Township uses the water inside.

“All our water comes from the roof,” said Todd Garcia-Bish. “We also use a compost toilet, since a third of the water people use is flushed down the toilet.”

The Garcia-Bish residence collects rainwater off its steel roof and stores it in four 1,500 gallon cisterns in the basement.

The water is then purified by passing through filtering systems and under a UV light.

Todd Garcia-Bish said the family of four, which includes the couple's 8- and 11-year-old children, uses about 3,000 gallons per month.

He said the family has never run dry, although they have come close.

“We've gotten close,” he joked. “We certainly pay more attention to the rain than most people.”

The father said he is curious about how the water consumption will change in the next couple years.

“It will be interesting to see if we'll need more water when the kids become teenagers,” he said.

The couple hopes the water conservation efforts they have instilled in their son and daughter carry through those years.

“I think they take pride living in a way that conserves resources,” Todd Garcia-Bish said.

The family has been living off the water system since they built their home in 2009.

Todd Garcia-Bish said they chose to go with the rainwater collection system due to concerns about ground water in the area.

“When we moved and were building the house, we didn't know the local farmers at the time,” he said. “We didn't know if they were polluting the soil. It turns out they weren't.”

While the initial fear eased, the family still is thankful for the system.

“With all the fracking in the in area, we don't have to worry about our well going bad,” Todd Garcia-Bish said.

While both families have gone through extensive water conservation efforts, Berenice Madjaric said people don't have to do as much to make a difference.

“It doesn't have to be so elaborate,” she said, adding her home also saves water and energy by using efficient appliances.

The Madjarics said practicing good conservation methods cannot only help protect the environment, but also can help save money every month.

“We're very ecologically-minded,” Bob Madjaric said.

“But we're also very frugal,” joked his wife.