3 Simple Rainwater Catchment Systems

by Texas Homesteader ~

Rainwater harvesting is a sustainable practice that can benefit the environment and your budget. Harness nature’s free gift at your home using these very simple tips.

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Benefits of Harvesting Rainwater

There are many benefits of harvesting pure natural rainwater:

Save money on utilities

Grow healthier plants

Reduce runoff

Prevent soil erosion

Hot Weather Garden Watering Challenges

The southern heat & humidity during a typical summer can create gardening challenges. And in NE Texas it’s not unusual to suffer several weeks in a row with no rain at all.

It can feel like an expensive losing battle to keep your garden watered under such conditions.

But I never pay for treated water to water my gardens. They’re all irrigated using only harvested rainwater – even during the hot & dry summer months.

How To Keep Garden Water Requirements Low

My vegetable garden measures about 40′ x 20′ and growing our food in it takes lots of water. But I don’t use commercially-treated water pumped miles to reach our home just to be dropped onto the ground. I keep my garden productive using only captured rainwater.

First of all I’m careful to make sure my plants are mulched heavily to conserve water & protect against heat. Sometimes I use Living Mulch such as a squash or pumpkin vine, similar to a 3-Sister’s Garden.

And sometimes I use old hay, dried grass clippings or even deteriorated straw. But whatever method I use, I make sure to keep that soil covered.

And I use Repurposed Coffee Cans to direct precious water only at the plant’s roots where it’s needed and allow it to slowly soak into the ground.

That means most years – even in drought – I’m able to keep the garden going using the 3 simple rainwater catchment systems we have in place.

NOTE: Here in NE Texas it’s perfectly legal and oftentimes encouraged to capture & use rainwater.

But although I don’t think it’s illegal anywhere in the United States to collect rainwater from your home, from what I understand there are some areas/states that have various restrictions. So be sure to check with your local government & make sure what’s allowed before you proceed with any rainwater catchment system.

(see this Energy.Gov map for more information or check with your local water authorities)

Underground Cement Cistern Captures Rainwater

A 20-ft deep cement cistern was already here when we built our house. So we decided to put it to good use! Rainwater from our home’s roof is sent through one of the downspouts and an underground pipe into the cistern.

To retrieve the water RancherMan hooked up a small *shallow-well jet pump. That gives me decent pressure for the water coming out of the deep cistern.

I run a water hose from there to my garden & use a spray nozzle to direct the water precisely where I need it.

Inexpensive 55-Gallon Rain Barrel

To water the large galvanized troughs I planted with pretty edibles at our Porch Addition I use rainwater from one of the above-ground rain catchment containers we keep nearby.

One of our rainwater catchment systems is just an inexpensive 55-gallon food-safe barrel. We painted it black to keep algae from forming.

The barrel has an inlet for a downspout and a spigot for a water hose. We set it up on cinder blocks for gravity-feed ease.

I placed a 30-gallon tub next to it to catch the overflow for even more rainwater when the barrel is full. (I dip a watering can into it).

Plus we picked up another rain barrel for cheap at a garage sale. We set our new rain barrel on cinder blocks at another downspout.

RancherMan says it holds 55 gallons, plus I’ve also placed another 30-gallon open-top tub next to it to catch the overflow here as well.

(Although the photo shoes the overflow tub uncovered so you can see the volume of water it holds, I have a cover that I put on this bucket when it’s full to eliminate mosquitoes.)

When that large tub’s empty I uncover it again before a rain and it fills up in no time just from the overflow from the rain barrel.

Galvanized Trough Rainwater Catchment

The final rainwater catchment is a 100 gallon water trough connected to yet another downspout.

We even installed a *Downspout Diverter so when the trough is full the rainwater is diverted to its regular path away from our home.

Since this one’s open-top I added minnows from our pond using an inexpensive *minnow trap. They do a fine job of keeping mosquito larva away. You could also use feeder goldfish – they’re inexpensive and pretty.

In the rare occasion that all harvested rainwater runs out I’ll often use previously-wasted gray water from the kitchen sink.

That keeps potted plants & container gardens watered until it rains again and my rainwater catchments are filled once more.

Letting Garden Go During Long-Term Drought

When a strong drought hits & I run out of water in my rainwater catchments, I let the garden rest for the remainder of the season.

I’ve already preserved the bounty and often will replant for a fall garden anyway. So that gives me something to look forward to.

Typically Rain Barrels Provide Plenty Of Irrigation Water

But typically the 3 rainwater catchment systems we have in place provide all the outdoor irrigation water we need all year long. During the spring they fill & I have water for a long time, even during drought. And any little 1/2″ rain fills them up again!

None of the systems are fancy or expensive, but they all work great to keep our gardens watered with free, untreated all-natural rainwater!

~TxH~

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7 thoughts on “Harvesting Rainwater: A Sustainable Solution For Any Home”

candace ford at

Hello,
Out here in western Oregon we don’t have too much trouble with water. Ours comes via a gravity feed set up. The source is across the creek on a hillside that belongs to someone else. When my father built the house he was able to get water rights from the native American lady who owned the property then. We’ve never run dry and I never worried about how much water I was using until the birdman who lives with me set us up with a water purification system. Now I’m quite a bit more careful. One shower faucet in the house drips kind of randomly. I keep a bucket under that tap and when it’s full I use it to flush the toilet. I also leave it in the tub while I wait for the water to get up to temperature. I also have some buckets sitting out side to simply catch rain water (not much of that right now). I can either use it to flush or water some of my potted plants that live out on the deck. All that being said this has been a horrible forest fire season in Oregon. Global warming – it’s happening and fires are creating havoc in many places around the globe. I’m always happy to read about you and other people living lightly on planet earth. Meanwhile, the darling little screech owls are doing well. We sit out in the evening and watch the parents bringing them food. Life doesn’t get much better than that. Stay safe, Candace

Reply ↓
1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  I love your water conservation efforts Candace! And your sweet screech owls? Just, wow. I know you’re in bliss there! Stay safe from the wildfires. ~TxH~
  
  Reply ↓
ColleenB.-Tx. at

Been doing some reading up on this subject of putting fish in stock tanks; feeder goldfish or minnows.
Also read that if you put a clean concrete block in the water the goldfish will have babies as they have a place to hide. fish; Concrete block, baby fish condo — sounds like a plan

Reply ↓
1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  I love that idea Colleen! ~TxH~
  
  Reply ↓
ColleenB.-Tx. at

Thanks Tammy. Hubby was going to build a cover to put over the tank
and even bought the materials for it but told him that I wanted to put fish
in the tank. He just laughed at me and thought I was nuts, so of
course I had to come to you to prove him wrong, that yes, a person can put gold
fish in an outside water tank. He said that he would be willing to
try it.. 🙂
Enjoy your day and keep cool
Colleen

Reply ↓
ColleenB.-Tx. at

you having goldfish in your stock tank; how do they stay alive in the cold freezing winter months and wondered just how many goldfish you have in your tank? Do you use a heater to keep the water from freezing?

Reply ↓
1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Ya know Colleen, from what I understand these goldfish can take the cold and survive just fine. Plus the odds of the entire tank freezing solid are virtually non existent. But even if there’s ice on top (from what I understand) they can survive just fine. We haven’t had them long – only about 2 months – so we’ve not overwintered them yet. I’ll let you know how it goes! ~TxH~
  
  Reply ↓

~Texas Homesteader~

Working To Provide For Ourselves On Our Texas Homestead

Harvesting Rainwater: A Sustainable Solution For Any Home