If you live in a drought prone area or have lived through a dry water-controlled summer, you have probably wished you had a way to store the winter or spring rainfall.
Rainwater is actually quite easy to harvest and store, and even in a city lot you can collect rainwater for landscaping and watering.
One or more rain barrels are the easiest and most affordable options for a city lot or house.
Many sizes and types are available commercially, with screens in place to filter out roof debris and overflow hoses.
Most rain barrels average about 60 gallons.
By setting a rain barrel under a downspout, you can collect the rain that hits your roof and use it when a dry spell sets in.
If you have more than one downspout, you can install a rain barrel under each one.
Make sure any rain barrel has two outlets.
One will be located near the top of the barrel, and should always be left open with a hose that will carry extra water away from the house so any overflow in a good rain has an outlet.
You can expand storage by connecting the overflow hose to a second rainbarrel, doubling the storage volume.
The other outlet should be located near the bottom of the barrel, with a hose attachment and a closable faucet.
This allows you easy access to use the water within the barrel, fed by gravity.
Quality rainbarrels will come with both attachments, but if yours lacks them, you can find the parts and simple faucets to install at any hardware or home supply store.
In order to keep the rainwater cleaner and free from contamination, you may want to install gutter screens or guards on the gutters that feed the rain barrel.
These will prevent roof debris from entering the downspouts and the rain water.
There are several types of systems available to keep debris from clogging the rain gutters and down spouts, so do your research.
If you live on a larger property, you may be able to store rainwater in much larger quantities in cisterns, either above ground or buried.
Many building supply stores stock cisterns ranging in size to several hundred or even thousands of gallons.
Something this large will have to be set on a firm footing that can support the water's weight and with a drain.
Generally all rainwater tanks and cistern designs should include a solid secure cover, a leaf and mosquito screen at the cistern entrance, a coarse inlet filter with a clean-out valve, an overflow pipe, a manhole or drain to facilitate cleaning, a way to extract the water, and a good drainage bed.
Check with local governments to find out if rainbarrels or cisterns are allowed.
There may be restrictions in place that prevent them.
Make sure any you do install have a secure yet removable covering so children, pets, birds or other animals can not get into them.
Remember that collected rainwater is not fit for drinking, but it is a good and natural way to water your gardens and lawns.
Rainwater is actually quite easy to harvest and store, and even in a city lot you can collect rainwater for landscaping and watering.
One or more rain barrels are the easiest and most affordable options for a city lot or house.
Many sizes and types are available commercially, with screens in place to filter out roof debris and overflow hoses.
Most rain barrels average about 60 gallons.
By setting a rain barrel under a downspout, you can collect the rain that hits your roof and use it when a dry spell sets in.
If you have more than one downspout, you can install a rain barrel under each one.
Make sure any rain barrel has two outlets.
One will be located near the top of the barrel, and should always be left open with a hose that will carry extra water away from the house so any overflow in a good rain has an outlet.
You can expand storage by connecting the overflow hose to a second rainbarrel, doubling the storage volume.
The other outlet should be located near the bottom of the barrel, with a hose attachment and a closable faucet.
This allows you easy access to use the water within the barrel, fed by gravity.
Quality rainbarrels will come with both attachments, but if yours lacks them, you can find the parts and simple faucets to install at any hardware or home supply store.
In order to keep the rainwater cleaner and free from contamination, you may want to install gutter screens or guards on the gutters that feed the rain barrel.
These will prevent roof debris from entering the downspouts and the rain water.
There are several types of systems available to keep debris from clogging the rain gutters and down spouts, so do your research.
If you live on a larger property, you may be able to store rainwater in much larger quantities in cisterns, either above ground or buried.
Many building supply stores stock cisterns ranging in size to several hundred or even thousands of gallons.
Something this large will have to be set on a firm footing that can support the water's weight and with a drain.
Generally all rainwater tanks and cistern designs should include a solid secure cover, a leaf and mosquito screen at the cistern entrance, a coarse inlet filter with a clean-out valve, an overflow pipe, a manhole or drain to facilitate cleaning, a way to extract the water, and a good drainage bed.
Check with local governments to find out if rainbarrels or cisterns are allowed.
There may be restrictions in place that prevent them.
Make sure any you do install have a secure yet removable covering so children, pets, birds or other animals can not get into them.
Remember that collected rainwater is not fit for drinking, but it is a good and natural way to water your gardens and lawns.