As our need for Fresh Water increases so does our need for Water Management and conservation

Rainwater harvesting systems are becoming increasingly popular in both rural and urban settings due to their efficiency and ability to provide individuals, families and communities with a sustainable and personal water supply.

Collecting and reusing rainwater can significantly reduce the draw from municipal systems and can provide a primary source of water for off-the-grid dwellings. It can also reduce or eliminate the use of treated drinking water for landscaping, toilet flushing & laundry washing. When treated properly, rainwater can also be use for potable water uses such as drinking, cooking and teeth-brushing.

An efficient Rainwater Harvesting system is comprised of three key components: Collection, Filtration and Storage. How you eventually use the harvested rainwater will determine the size and complexity of your finished system.

A simple rainwater harvesting system can consist of a rain barrel that collects roof runoff for simple outdoor irrigation such as watering your garden. More complex pumped systems involve large cisterns that store filtered and treated water collected from the roof. This water is then plumbed into the house, either as a replacement or supplement to the standard municipal water supply.

Every rainwater harvesting system is unique and the components that will best suit your situation will depend on variables such topography, location, budget and how you want to use the water (irrigation, potable, car wash, etc).


Sizing a catchment area:

The size of the catchment area or roof will determine how much rainwater that you can harvest. The area is based on the ""footprint"" of the roof, which can be calculated by finding the area of the building and adding the area of the roofs overhang.

Harvested Water (Gal) = Catchment Area (ft2) X Rainfall Depth (in.) X 0.623 Conversion Factor