10 Ways to Harvest Rainwater

Collecting rainwater is an amazing way to save water and money, and it’s also incredibly beneficial for your plants and garden. Rainwater is a soft water (meaning it doesn’t have any chemicals hard water has), that can be beneficial in many ways. Not only are you saving water from the reservoirs (and money for the water bill!), but it’s also amazing for the environment. Over time, water can become contaminated, mismanaged, or polluted. With climate change becoming increasingly worse, it’s important to know the benefits of harvesting rainwater and how to do so.

Collecting your own rainwater can decrease the demand for water from your local reservoir, allow for storage in times of need, reduce erosion, flooding, and save energy. In fact, 600 gallons of water can be gathered from only 1 inch of rain. The City of Houston Public Works is offering a limited-time offer of reduced pricing (45% off!) on a rain barrel.

A great way to conserve 💧 is by using a rain barrel. The #HouPublicWorks Fall Rain Barrel Sale is underway! Get your discounted rain barrel for $77 (retail price $139). You can also order a compost bin for $62.
Order online:https://t.co/n7XN8SoJMw #WaterWednesday #HouWater pic.twitter.com/UHiBsS9UQP

— City of Houston (@HoustonTX) August 22, 2022

So how can you collect your own rainwater? Check out these 10 ways:

• Rain barrel: Rain barrels are a great way to collect rainwater and store it for later use. A rain barrel is like a big bucket that’s just collecting rainfall. Whatever size you prefer, some choose to get a lid to prevent other specimens from entering. You can find affordable ones online and connect it directly to your gutter so the water can drain right in! Some people choose to get ones with spouts for easy access to the collected water. With a rain barrel, you can find yourself collecting up to 55 gallons of water depending on the size you get!
• Garbage can: If you don’t want to go online or in-store to spend money and time looking for the right rain barrel for you, you can make your own rain barrel with just a trash can! Just the right size for adequate collection size, you can have a rain catching system that isn’t so eye-catching and blends right in. Check out this easy 5-step instruction set on how to turn your garbage can into the perfect rain harvester!
• PVC pipe attachment: Great for watering a garden, this is a sturdy, easy rain catcher that you can do yourself. In 11 easy steps, you can find yourself with a rain barrel for less than $100. What is great about these instructions is that the author also details mistakes she made when creating her rain barrels, so you don’t make the same mistakes.

• Water tank: If you have a large, flat area and are looking for a way to harvest water, consider building a water tank. These can be built so large, you can hold up to thousands of liters. Both underground and outside options, they can be built with plastic or concrete. A water tank is an efficient way to store water that will last you through the dry season and beyond!
• Rain garden: If you have enough land space outside, consider making a rain garden. A small, sunken piece of land with local soil and plants can help clean contaminated water that then trickles into the ground. With water from your gutters and rainfall falling into the garden pool, you are keeping the groundwater system healthy. Check out this great step by step on how to make your own rain garden.
• Bladder tank: If you are looking for a rain-catching system that isn’t so obvious outside of your house, consider a bladder tank. While this option isn’t one you can do yourself, it can be found online for a price that fits your budget. These can be stored in a hidden place below your house and act as a big Ziploc to hold rainwater. The bladder tank is basically a giant bag made of strong material that will hold water on top of your roof or near the gutters. This way, when it rains, all of that water doesn’t go straight into the ground and instead fills up the bladder tank.

• Rain saucer: This is a quick and easy do-it-yourself method to harvest rainwater. As the fastest way to store rainwater, you’re going to wish you did this sooner. Imagine the saucers like giant funnels that are just letting the rain slip into a reservoir to gather! If you’re interested in making your own rain saucer set up, this is a great set of instructions to follow.
• Rain chain: Originating from Japan, a rain chain is a common way to collect and store rainwater. Hanging outdoors with a barrel, pot, or virtually whatever you want to store the collected rainwater in, the water runs from the chain into the storage unit. Not only are they awesome ways to store water, but they’re also beautiful to look at. Here is how to make your own rain chain.
• Green roof: Green roofs are, like in the name, ways to store rainwater on either flat or slightly angled roofs. As a waterproofing system, a vegetative layer is placed on top to not only look aesthetically pleasing, but also use 70-90% of the rainwater that falls on them. By reducing runoff, these can help prevent flooding as well.
• Ponds: Creating a little pond is also another aesthetically pleasing method of water harvesting. By creating a hole in the ground around 3 meters deep, you can easily collect any runoff rainwater. Popular in national parks and farms, this is a great way to harvest water. Learn how to make your own pond to hold rainwater here.