Rain Barrels/Butts & Cisterns

According to a South African case study, "Small, local solutions can crack water crises"



The following sections explore a variety of ways, both ancient and new which have are helping people collect water even as our water cycle becomes increasingly disrupted.

Before you get started on any project, always be careful to check your local legal codes and policies. Some types of water harvesting are forbidden in certain places for a variety of reasons. 

North America


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Learn about which activities use the most water, to develope a plan on curring your own water footprint. In many cases consuming less will have a greater impact than harvesting water, though water collection may be your first step in your water conservation journey.

Toilets can use grey water, function without water, or be a source of water depending on the type you choose, and the infrastructure around it. 

How safe is roof-water to drink?

Basics of Rain Barrels/Butts & Cisterns 

Life Expectancy

20 years for plastic or other modern types. However there are in-ground cisterns that have survived since the ancient Graeco-Roman days.

Benefits

Drought Resilience

Safely stores rain or grey water for later use. This helps individuals and communities survive (or at least help their plants survive) longer without having to rely on other water sources which may already be at risk due to over extraction and climate change.

Con: An turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, or be contaminated with dead animals that can fall/get trapped inside. I've found dead frogs who might have hatched but not been able to get out. Dead leaves can build up, leaching tannins into the water.

Solution: Install fixtures that will help keep wildlife and leaves out of the system. Make sure to clean these to prevent plugging and backups. Empty and clean out the container periodically.

Fuel Types: Water Cycle + Gravity

Practical Information & Guides  

We have a huge file of notes on landscaping practices to help slow and sequester rainwater. Please check back here in the future, as we are planning to include a link to that information here, once it is available!

Resources

How-To Guides

How to Install a Rain Barrel in Under an Hour, for Less Than $200 This step by step guide encourages you to check your planned installation site before buying parts and getting started, so you can find out ahead of time if the area is unsuitable for any reason (for example slope, plants, pipes or other things). Uses US metrics.

How To Install A Water Butt Explains solutions to attractive vs functional design needs, including for small gardens. Uses standard metrics/Non-US. Includes tips for maximizing your water savings while watering plants.

How To Install Your Rain Barrel (PDF) simple diagrams and instructions for installing a barrel and what the important parts of the barrel are (in case you are making your own) from the Conservation Foundation

Landscaping Know-How

While this doesn't pertain to cisterns or water barrels directly, you may want to consider how to handle water overflow once your system has reached full capacity. Solutions such as swales may be appropriate to help divers overflow and water than lands on the land into specific places such as garden beds or crops.

Complimentary Solutions

Air/Fog Harvesting 

While this has been done somewhat sporadically throughout history, new methods using fabrics and poles, or machines to condense air are being explored with prototypes around the world.

Warka Tower

Ice Stupas

Traditional Stone Stupas were built from stone sometimes with a metal piece on top. 

Recently a new version was developed: "The ice stupa is created using no power or pumps, only physics: "the ingredients are a downstream, an upstream and a gradient," says Wangchuk.

The freezing air temperature does the rest, immediately crystallizing the water droplets into ice that falls right below, forming a cone.

Rock Catchments

Earthworks

Key Lines

Swales

Rooftop Harvesting 

This takes every drop of water that lands on a rooftop, directing it to a gutter which can collect it in rain barrels or cisterns for later use. Any overflow can be directed towards water harvesting landscape features such as water gardens, however these features should be at least 3.33 meters (10ft) from any structures and their foundations.

Blue Roofs 

Green Roofs 

"Green roofs are being increasingly used in urban areas where space constraints limit the use of other stormwater management practices." - EPA: Soak Rain Green Roofs 

Green roofs need to be installed on roofs pitched at no more than 30°. 

These can serve a number of purposes from increasing pollinator or veggie space, to reducing pollution and run off into our water ways. They can even help buildings stay slighter warmer in winter but are better at keeping things cooler in hotter months. According to this source "it is quite common to harvest water from green roofs in Germany and Switzerland." Thought some designs function as zero discharge sites, where "All water is reused within the development, either to irrigate intensive green roofs and landscape at ground level or is used to flush toilets throughout the development." 

Green roofs can absorb up to 70% of the water that lands on them. So if you want to harvest drinkable or reusable water, then these may not be the best choice. However they will still preform the other functions just fine, and are a great solution to helping reduce flooding or run off.

Hydropanels

Trees

Tree cover of around 30% was found to provide 

Community Accessible & Ground Level

Air Well (Condensers)

SUDS 

Warka Towers

Water Recycling 

Grey Water 

Toilet to Tap Water Recycling

Organizations

International

NGO Supplying Company

Africa

Asia

India

Europe

North America

Mexico

USA

Oceana

South America

Maps

North America

USA

Grants & Funding

Oceana

Australia

Western Australia