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Student Raintank Installation at UCSC Village Garden
Once you have all of your tools, materials, and a plan of where everything will be going it's time to install your rain tank.
1.Level and compact ground if necessary
1.Level and compact ground if necessary
Use a level to make sure the ground is level to avoid any tipping.
2. Build Frame
2. Build Frame
Use 2x6s to build frame for tank. Attached galvanized steel wire gopher mesh to the bottom of the frame to prevent gophers from digging up though the base. Fill with base rock and tamp down.
3. Attach the leaf catcher under the downspout
3. Attach the leaf catcher under the downspout
Gutter runoff can be redirected via PVC to the leaf catcher such as shown on the left or the downspout can be modified to pour directly into the leaf catcher as shown on the right.
4. Attach the first flush to leaf catcher with T-Joint
4. Attach the first flush to leaf catcher with T-Joint
First flush systems can be bought pre-made such as the photo shown on the left or created using PVC and a PVC cleanout plug. This second option is shown on the right in our demonstration site at the UCSC Village Garden.
5. Drill the inlet hole and put in bulk head fitting
5. Drill the inlet hole and put in bulk head fitting
Use the hole saw drill attachment like you would with any drill bit. Make sure the end of the bulk head fitting that is wide and unattachable is placed on the inside the tank. A mallet might be helpful to hit the fitting tightly into the drilled hole. A pipe wrench can also be helpful to tighten the fitting.
6. Cut and place PVC and PVC elbows from the T Joint to the inlet bulk head fitting
6. Cut and place PVC and PVC elbows from the T Joint to the inlet bulk head fitting
Make sure the pipe has a downward slope to allow water to flow into the tank. Straight down also works. This part will require planning and creativity and can be different for each site. In the photo to the right the piping is placed on a support beam since the tank was multiple feet away from the building.
7. Drill the outlet hole at the bottom
7. Drill the outlet hole at the bottom
Put in the bulk head fitting and female to make headed PVC valve. There are different choices for getting the water out of the tank. Here we are demonstarting a simple valve that can be turned on to fill a water can or hooked up to a hose or drip line.
8. Drill the hole for overflow, put in bulk head fitting and direct overflow with PVC
8. Drill the hole for overflow, put in bulk head fitting and direct overflow with PVC
Your overflow should be as wide as your inlet flow. To the right are some examples of what a redirected overflow might look like. Do not direct the flow not onto the ground directly under the tank if it is a soil/gravel like material so as not to erode the ground under the tank.
9. Glue all PVC pieces together and screw on Pipe Straps
9. Glue all PVC pieces together and screw on Pipe Straps
You don't need any PVC primer for a system that is only draining water and doesn't exert much water pressure.
10. Signage and Safety
10. Signage and Safety
Secure Tank lid and label tank with Non-Potable Water signs.
11. (optional) Dig a swale to redirect overflow for plants
11. (optional) Dig a swale to redirect overflow for plants
A rain garden or a bio-swale are excellent choices for the overflow!
12. Let the tank fill and use your harvest rain water!
12. Let the tank fill and use your harvest rain water!
Congratulations! You have now installed your rain tank, sit back and wait for the rain to pour and the tank to fill. Once the rainy season starts there are a few maintenance tasks to be aware of. Navigate to the Maintenance tab for more on this.
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