Harvesting Rainwater is Easier Than You Might Think

Rainwater collection is much easier to do than I first thought. With only slight modifications to a gutter system on a house you can divert rain water from the gutter into large capacity containers that can store hundreds of gallons of non-potable water. This water can then be used to water gardens, flush toilets or filtered to make potable water. Each time it rains the water used is replenished and freshened.

Capture Systems are Easy to Build

With little more than adjusting your gutter’s downspout to pour into a rain barrel you can begin to capture rainwater.  Adding screens or filters to the downspout and a lid to the barrel will help keep debris out of the barrel.  There are more elaborate things you can buy to automate the process of rainwater capture that will help keep debris and creatures out of your supply.

The amount of water coming off of your roof system far more than you might think.  No matter the design or pitch of your roof the square footage of your home will determine how much rainwater is diverted into your gutter system.  The key is going to be the design of your gutter system.  Without a good gutter system harvesting rainwater will be difficult.

Harvesting rainwater does not have to be expensive.  Watch this video by southernprepper1 as he describes an inexpensive method of harvesting rainwater.

Rainwater Capture Systems Can Be Elaborate

There are several good videos available that teach rainwater collection.  This link takes you to a series of videos that provide detailed instructions how.  Watching these videos will teach you how to link multiple storage units together.  You will also learn about overflow systems to keep your barrels full.

As you saw in the video rainwater capture systems can store hundreds or thousands of gallons and be automated. Rotating your water supply by using it to water gardens will help keep the water fresh.   Using your rainwater regularly will also keep algae growth to a minimum.

Before beginning this project you need to look at your local regulations.  Local laws may restrict capturing of rainwater.

I do plan on duplicating this setup at our home.  In our neighborhood I am not allowed to have rain barrels outside the home.  I will set ours up in the garage and route our downspouts inside to fill them.  This is going to cost me more than an exterior system but it will be well worth the effort and expense.

You are going to need to purify the rainwater before you drink it. Please pay close attention to this detail.  Rainwater does contain impurities that you do not want to drink.  Read this post to learn more about water purification.