How to Collect Rainwater
The Leaf Eater Advanced™ Rain Head prevents debris from entering the Rain Harvesting system, improves water quality and reduces tank maintenance.
Collecting rainwater is an essential part of living off-grid, especially when digging a well isn’t a viable option. In Hawaii, for instance, the ground is composed mostly of hardened lava, making drilling expensive and/or impossible. However, Hawaii is lush, green, and wet. All that rainwater has to go somewhere. The Hawaiians have long been adept at collecting and utilizing free water from the sky.
We have city water where I live, but it is very expensive. Collecting rainwater has finally been made legal, and we can now collect up to two hundred gallons at a time.
Since rainwater is better than treated city water for watering plants, trees, and lawns, we’ve got a win-win situation!
Rainwater can also easily be used for flushing toilets, washing clothes, and showering. With a good filter system it can also be used for drinking.
Rainwater Rebates
Many states have rebates to take advantage of. Click here for a list.
Collecting Rainwater
Norwesco 1350 Gallon Above Ground Water Tank is available in Black and Dark Green to blend with the environment, provide additional protection from UV rays and reduce algae growth. Includes 16″ threaded lid, 1.5″ inlet and a 2″ drain with plug.
Rainwater can be collected in various ways. Normally it’s collected from roof runoff through a series of rain gutters, utilizing one of the many clever diverters available. These filter out large debris like leaves and sticks, preparing the water for the next steps.
Filtration is next: See the column on the right for filters.
Once the water has been filtered, it will flow into a tank for storage. Some of these are above-ground, some below.
Hawaiian Rainwater Catchment Experts
Everyone living on the big Island of Hawaii near the volcano has a water catchment system. Here is a video showing one man’s system.
Rain Gutters with Metal Roofing and Snow
Clean Mesh White Aluminum Gutter Guard
Rain gutters can be used with metal roofing in cold climates. We suggest 6” K-Style gutter made from .032” aluminum or better.
Use a leaf guard on the gutter to help the snow slide over the gutter instead of into the gutter. It is designed to help prevent leaf and debris buildup in K-style aluminum, steel, and plastic gutters. Its made from durable PVC and installs with ease by clipping onto the front lip of the gutter. Click on image for more information.
Clean mesh is effective gutter protection from pine needles, seed pods, and shingle grit. Clean mesh is the only product of its type with a convex screen design to readily shed debris. The product is also engineered with a rain-siphoning vortex louver system and stainless steel micro mesh. The unique combination draws rainwater in while keeping debris out.
Also, install heat tape to avoid ice buildup in the winter.
Rainwater Harvesting Resources
Turn water scarcity into water abundance! Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 1, 2nd Edition is the core of the complete three-volume guide on how to conceptualize, design, and implement sustainable water-harvesting systems for your home, landscape, and community. This 2nd edition was released June, 2013.
This book enables you to access your on-site resources (rainwater, greywater, topsoil, sun, plants, and more), gives you a diverse array of strategies to maximize their potential, and empowers you with guiding principles to create an integrated, multi-functional, and water-sustainable water-harvesting landscape plan specific to your site and needs. Clearly written with more than 40 photos and 115 illustrations, this volume helps bring your site to life, reduce your cost of living, endow yourself and your community with skills of self-reliance and cooperation, and create living air conditioners of vegetation growing beauty, food, and wildlife habitat. Stories of people who are successfully welcoming rain into their life and landscape will invite you to do the same!
We are an Authorized Affiliate of RainHarvest Systems
Here is my favorite YouTube® video about a rainwater collection system.
Here is another great YouTube® video from a guy who lives in southeast Arizona. He shows several collection methods used around his property as well as using the gray water to water his fruit trees after using the water for showers and laundry.
Tank Gauge Level Indicator; Monitoring Your rainwater Made Easy
Tank Gauge seals directly to the tank. Suitable for all existing and new tanks No batteries or wiring required Easy to read dial face with ‘Empty’ and ‘Full’ indicators.
Empty and Full indicators allow for a more meaningful measurement than a numbered dial (due to different rainwater tank widths and styles). Requires a standard 1.3″ hole saw. Low maintenance requirements. UV resistant Suitable for all vented tanks up to (100 inches in height). Able to be securely installed on a wide variety of tank shapes (dome-topped, flat, peaked).
Utilizes a reliable float system. This will allow you to set your own tanks empty and full positions and quickly see your tanks water level.