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Water collection and storage is nothing new. Humans have been harvesting rainwater for centuries⌠millennia, actually.
In fact, many of the Philippinesâprovide great models for rainwater harvesting systems.
Learning methods for harvesting rainwater could ultimately prove to be the key to future life on earth. Frighteningly, less than 1% of the worldâs water can be used by humans for drinking, and the planet has been working with roughly the same amount of fresh water for millions of years.
But as the global population increases, so does the demand for water. Unfortunately, many of the natural water systems weâve historically relied on for drinking waterâ aquifers, creeks, lakes, and fresh water is a really big deal, no matter where you live. But  modified food production, and industrial waste, municipalities must use a slurry of chemicals to make water potable again.
Luckily, Mother Nature supplies us with plenty of fresh water right at home. This handy guide will teach you what rainwater harvesting is, how it benefits the environment, various water catchment methods, and how to make a DIY rainwater harvesting system of your own.
READ MORE: to Save Water: 15 Water Conservation Methods
TABLE OF CONTENTS
is Harvesting?Â
of Harvesting
Water Harvesting Benefits the Environment
Harvesting Methods
to Make a TankÂ
a Filter
Harvesting System
Machu Picchu Terraces image by skeeze from Pixabay
Is Harvesting?
harvesting is the simple act of collecting and storing rainwater when the getting is good so it can be used in times of drought.
With ancient times.
Even people who donât need drinking water often use rainwater collection tanks to water their gardens. This is particularly true in regions where droughts or dry seasons are common, and access to municipal water is limited, unreliable, or expensive.
There are many different methods for rainwater harvesting: Every rooftop, hard surface, or sloped landscape provides the potential to capture and store rain rather than merely let it drain away.
Since we have to have shelters and READ MORE: 60 Going Green Tips You Can Use Every DayÂ
Bret & Maryâs Water Catchment & Harvesting System
of Harvesting
While collecting rainwater is often seen as an environmental act, there are quite a few advantages of rainwater harvesting on a personal level:
Harvesting rainwater can reduce water bills significantly by supplying free water for READ MORE: is Permaculture Gardening?
ârain barrel kitâ by bunnicula is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Water Harvesting Benefits the Environment
collection systems can also do a lot to help the ecosystem and community in which we live. With a system of our own, we can start making a local and global difference right at home. Here are five examples of how harvesting water benefits the environment:
Rain harvesting reduces stormwater runoff, which means less of our fresh water is going into drainage/sewage treatment systems. That means less wildlife habitat
, drinking water, and bathing water. READ MORE:Â The Real Erin Brockovich Fights Water Pollution
Bret & Maryâs Harvesting System from a runoff drain pipe
Harvesting Methods
There are several different methods of harvesting rainwater. Some involve tanks or cisterns that hold the water for easy access, while others hold the water until it soaks into the earth.
Some models for the home are designed to be small-scale, holding as little as one 40- to 55-gallon drum at a time. More involved rain catchment systems, such as you might find on a rainwater gardens, that spread it and hold it until the earth is better able to absorb it.
This also eliminates the need to irrigate with municipal water. Rather than draining all that valuable rain away, water catchments keep some of it for the plants to enjoy. To help with replenishing groundwater, some people lead hard surface runoff to a recharge pit.
With acreage comes even more potential for rainwater harvesting. Earthworks can take advantage of natural drainage paths by disrupting them, spreading the water over sloped landscapes with swales that are attached to dams that hold water in bulk.
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Bret & Maryâs Harvesting System with overflow drain
to Make a Tank
The common urban/suburban water catchment system collects rainwater from the roof and stores it in an attached tank, either above or below the ground.
One inch of rain on a 2000 square foot roof supplies over 1200 gallons of water, or around 13 bathtubsâ worth The average rainfall for the contiguous United States is over 30 inches a year, which is more than 36,000 gallons per roof! All of that water has to be held somewhere.
A rooftop rain harvesting system generally involves a tank ranging anywhere from 40 to hundreds of gallons. Sometimes these tanks are built underground our of concrete, which requires serious excavation and installation cost. On the positive side, they can be very large.
Above-ground metal tanks are less expensive and difficult to install, but they do tend to rust over time. Bladder tanks, like gigantic bags, are commonly used in tight spots, such as under a deck.
But food grade barrels, which are widely available and inexpensive. The rain barrels pictured in this post used to hold roasted red peppers and olives.
These are often connected in order to provide more rainwater storage space. Or they can be installed individually beneath each downspout to provide access to water in several locations. Similar, larger capacity systems can be built with repurposed IBC totes as well.
There are only a few steps to install a rain harvesting barrelâ
A hose or pipe, the same size or larger than the gutter outlet, should connect the gutter to the top of the barrel. This involves cutting a small hole in the top of the barrel and making a rainwater filter for debris (which weâll talk about in the next section).
The barrel should be set on a platform, lifting it up off the ground. We recommend using concrete blocks, stacking two to three pairs on top of each other.
A spigot should be connected to the side near the bottom of the barrel, so that all of the water inside can be accessed.
An overflow outlet, the same size as or slightly larger than the gutter outlet, should be put on the side near the top of the barrel. This outlet can involve a hose that leads the excess water to somewhere like a rain garden or recharge pit.
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ânyc-travails-1080772â by jwilly is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
a Filter
Depending on the degree to which you hope to collect rainwater, there are different methods for rainwater harvesting. Similarly, the way in which we want to use the waterâ whether it be for irrigation, cleaning, or drinkingâ will determine the degree to which we filter the water.
For simple outdoor watering use, a rainwater filter made from everyday plumbing parts and around-the-house types of materials will suffice for collecting debris. A four-inch rubber boot or even an old plant pot can be plumbed to sit comfortably atop a rain barrel, with the gutter flow leading to it.
Inside the boot or pot, you can fit a piece of recycled hosiery or a paint sprayer filter to keep out any large debris that might be washed off the roof, such as leaves, twigs, or bugs. As long as the  filter is cleaned regularly, collected rainwater will flow easily without it getting clogged up.Â
ever, if drinking the water is the ultimately goal, then some additional filtering is necessary. Though rainwater is very clean, having gone through the natural water cycle and debris filter, it does pick up unsavory stuff on the route from roof to tank.
Making water potable for drinking requires an extra purification system. For emergency situations, itâs good to have a basic water purifier such as a build a simple one with repurposed buckets. For a household water source, itâs better to bring in professionals.
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âwater tank pics 2â by jwilly is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Harvesting System
Any rooftop rainwater harvesting project has the same basic components: a roof to catch, guttering to collect, hoses to distribute, filters to clean, storage tanks to hold, and outlets to access rainwater.
Itâs what happens beyond those outlets that determines the complexity of the rainwater harvesting system. Regardless of how complex weâd like to get with it, most of us have the capacity to harvest some rainwater.
A barrel-style rainwater collection system may be rudimentary, but the water would be perfectly fine for our lawn and garden use. If further purified a little at time by boiling, it can even become potable in a pinch. For a total cost of $50 to $60, this water-saving wonder can fulfill a lot of needs.Â
More complex rainwater harvesting systemsâ including underground cisterns, pumps, and purificationâ are completely possible, but require professionals to install and permits to use them.
But for those striving to CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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