Rainwater Harvesting for Beginners

The storm passes, the downspout runs for ten minutes, and a rope of clean-looking water flows across the driveway and into the street while the vegetable bed ten feet away waits for the hose. Collecting that water looks simple, until you start asking the real questions: how much can my roof actually catch, what do I do when the barrel overflows, is it legal where I live, and is any of it safe to drink? Rainwater Harvesting for Beginners is the practical, start-to-finish guide that answers them in plain English. It covers roof rainwater only, from your first rain barrel to an above-ground tank and a buried cistern, with simple written diagrams, real arithmetic you can do with a tape measure, and clear lines drawn between what a careful beginner can build and what belongs to a licensed plumber or electrician. It is not a yard-drainage manual, a well guide or a whole-house survival plan; it stays on the water that falls on your roof and what you do with it. Inside, you'll learn: How to measure your roof and use a simple formula to estimate how much rain it can collect, and how much water your garden and home actually need How to choose between a single barrel, linked barrels, an above-ground tank and an underground cistern How to prepare gutters, screens, downspout diverters and a first-flush device, and how to build your first rain barrel system step by step How to route overflow, add a larger tank, and decide whether you need a pump How to water a garden with soaker lines and gravity-fed or pumped drip, and what is involved in using stored rain for toilets and laundry How to keep stored water clean, prevent mosquitoes and algae, and winterize and maintain a system on a schedule Why drinking rainwater requires proper treatment, and the standard emergency steps of settling, filtering and disinfecting How to find your state and local rules, and compare budget, mid-range and full-system plans with honest costs Practical, encouraging and careful about safety and local law, this book gives you the steps to start small, build with confidence and know where to double-check before you spend a dollar.

Imad Muratspahic is an independent author of practical how-to guides, technical handbooks, history and fiction. The books aim to be clear, honest and useful from the first page.