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Table of Contents
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.
Dams and other large water capturing projects may be banned as stopping or redirecting water may take away from others in the area.
Groundwater extraction such as wells may be banned because ground water levels have dropped dangerously low, and are causing potentially lethal ground subsidence.
Some water capturing methods may pose a hazard if they overflowed or broke, so proper site investigation and materials should be used.
North America
North America
You may also be interested in reading about:
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?
How safe is roof-water to drink?
Rainwater Research in Australia & New Zealand This research shares a lot of information about the basics of how beneficial increased use of collected rain water would help fulfill our water needs, and that as long as the suggested safety measures are followed "You are more likely to contract illness from drinking mains water compared to rainwater." then it explains the main sources of contamination and disease including lack of proper maintenance. "In South Australia, 42% of residents mostly drink rainwater in preference to mains water without any apparent effect on the incidence of gastrointestinal illness (Heyworth et al. 1998)."
Basics of Rain Barrels/Butts & Cisterns
Basics of Rain Barrels/Butts & Cisterns
Life Expectancy
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
Benefits
Drought Resilience
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
Practical Information & Guides
Public Lecture Series about Green Schoolyards includes information on how school yard s can double to work with storm water management - Green Schools America
Ocean Friendly Gardens Ocean-friendly gardening means reducing our impact starting with our own gardens or even farm land. This means rain won't wash off chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or animal waste, which harms streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and finally our oceans.
Rain Water Harvesting Techniques to Augment Ground Water This guides includes diagrams and photos.
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
Resources
General Information
General Information
Rain Barrels and Cisterns Described the practical features and functions of each, talks about material options, and includes helpful diagrams. Provided by the Low Impact Development (LID) Urban Design Tools Website
How-To Guides
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
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.
Greener LAND "This tool helps you decide which landscape interventions are best suited towards landscape restoration for the landscape you operate in. Start by selecting the characteristics of your landscape on your left."
Complimentary Solutions
Complimentary Solutions
Air/Fog Harvesting
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
Warka Tower
Ice Stupas
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
Rock Catchments
Earthworks
Earthworks
Key Lines
Key Lines
Swales
Swales
Rooftop Harvesting
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
Blue Roofs
Green 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
Hydropanels
Trees
Trees
Tree cover of around 30% was found to provide
Community Accessible & Ground Level
Community Accessible & Ground Level
Air Well (Condensers)
Air Well (Condensers)
SUDS
SUDS
Warka Towers
Warka Towers
Water Recycling
Water Recycling
Grey Water
Grey Water
Toilet to Tap Water Recycling
Toilet to Tap Water Recycling
Organizations
Organizations
International
International
WASH "curriculum has been developed and integrated in schools (Shikshaniketan, Residential Bridge Schools & Solar Bridge Schools) run by Barefoot College International. Every year, new activities and methods are included which makes learning interactive. Area covered include Water, Sanitation, Health, Hygiene and Environment."
NGO Supplying Company
NGO Supplying Company
Aqualonis "Each FogCollector is quick and easy to install while requiring no maintenance. The collectors are carbon-neutral as they are operated without energy. All materials are food-safe.
aqualonis FogCollectors produce high-quality drinking water (approved by WHO standards) and can provide water for agriculture and forestry.
Please note that we do not vend to private individuals. aqualonis FogCollectors are intended for the use of NGOs, public bodies and corporations."
Africa
Africa
Warka Water "Every drop counts" To date they have worked in Ethiopia and Cameroon.
WASH "curriculum has been developed and integrated in schools (Shikshaniketan, Residential Bridge Schools & Solar Bridge Schools) run by Barefoot College International. Every year, new activities and methods are included which makes learning interactive. Area covered include Water, Sanitation, Health, Hygiene and Environment."
Asia
Asia
India
India
Rainwater Project "So far, Rainwater Project has restored six historic water structures in Telangana — Kokapet Well, Goshala Well, Kondapur Well, Gachibowli, Baaram Bavi and Bansilalpet Well." "It also offers rainwater harvesting and water conservation consultancy services for individual homes, gated communities, farms, resorts, schools and other institutions." - Kalpana Ramesh: The architect leading restoration of Telangana’s historic stepwells
WASH "curriculum has been developed and integrated in schools (Shikshaniketan, Residential Bridge Schools & Solar Bridge Schools) run by Barefoot College International. Every year, new activities and methods are included which makes learning interactive. Area covered include Water, Sanitation, Health, Hygiene and Environment."
Europe
Europe
North America
North America
WASH "curriculum has been developed and integrated in schools (Shikshaniketan, Residential Bridge Schools & Solar Bridge Schools) run by Barefoot College International. Every year, new activities and methods are included which makes learning interactive. Area covered include Water, Sanitation, Health, Hygiene and Environment."
Mexico
Mexico
Isla Urbana "has designed an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable rainwater harvesting system that collects and cleans rainwater for households, schools, and health clinics.
The system is inexpensive, easy to install, and provides individual residences with about 40% of their annual water supply. If implemented on a large scale throughout Mexico City, this simple technology could provide 30% of the city’s water and help give a sustainable water source to the 12 million Mexicans who lack access to clean water."
USA
USA
American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA). Offers trainings and accreditation for rainwater installers. They also have a comprehensive list of rainwater resources here.
Grey Water Action "Greywater Action is a collaborative of educators who teach residents and tradespeople about affordable and simple household water systems that dramatically reduce water use and foster sustainable cultures of water."
Arizona
Watershed Management Group. (Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona). Offers classes, a “water harvesting coop”and more.
New Mexico
DigDeep "Water-storage barrels with pumps or household rainwater catchment solutions to reduce the reliance on single-use bottled drinking water in Chichiltah, NM, supported by community education around plastic pollution and sustainable alternatives to bottled water."
Virginia
Friends of the Rappahannock "All our efforts work together to achieve our mission to be the voice and active force for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River."
Oceana
Oceana
WASH "curriculum has been developed and integrated in schools (Shikshaniketan, Residential Bridge Schools & Solar Bridge Schools) run by Barefoot College International. Every year, new activities and methods are included which makes learning interactive. Area covered include Water, Sanitation, Health, Hygiene and Environment."
South America
South America
WASH "curriculum has been developed and integrated in schools (Shikshaniketan, Residential Bridge Schools & Solar Bridge Schools) run by Barefoot College International. Every year, new activities and methods are included which makes learning interactive. Area covered include Water, Sanitation, Health, Hygiene and Environment."
Maps
Maps
North America
North America
USA
USA
Stormwater Management and Restoration Tracking (SMART) Tool (Interactive) Tool tracks storm water management practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed which spans, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia
Grants & Funding
Grants & Funding
Oceana
Oceana
Australia
Australia
Western Australia
The Sustainability Grants Program (in the City of Cockburn) "offers funding for projects related to six sustainability themes. Open to small businesses, schools, not-for-profits, and collective households, successful applicants can receive up to $4,000 for their project."
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