Rainwater Harvesting System

To determine your water requirements and needs consider the following:

1. Landscape Irrigation

• Drip Irrigation System gallons used per cycle
• Sprinkler Irrigation System gallons used per cycle
• Combination of both Drip and Sprinkler

2. Planting Types

• Vegetable Garden – most water demanding
• Turf – to be watered with a sprinkler system
  • Drought tolerant turf
  • High water demanding turf
• Shrubs
  • Drought tolerant shrubs
  • High water demanding shrubs
• Perennials
  • Drought tolerant perennials
  • High water demanding perennials
    • Annuals
• Other Water Uses
  • Washing cars
  • Pressure washing home or driveway
  • Topping of pond, pool, hot tub
  • Flushing toilets – check county codes
  • Other

1. Determine how much water you use during the summer as this is the highest usage time of the year (review county bills).

2. Take your average water used during Summer months and subtract the average water used during the winter. This will give you the approximate amount of water used on your landscape during the summer. Your goal is to collect this amount of rainwater to irrigate your landscape.

Drawing/Designing Your System on blank template

1. Mark your crawl space supports & walls or deck supports & walls.

• Mark Heating and AC units

2. Mark overhead pipes, AC ducts, water/sewer pipes, gas pipes and any others that cross the pillow location.

• Full pillow height must be 6 inched below any pipe obstruction.

3. Access to and around pillow – must be able to access all fittings when the pillow is full.

4. Filter access – from filter located outside to pillow fill port

• Will access be thru the crawl space vent or directly thru the foundation?
• The bottom of the filter must be placed above the height of the full pillow (it is a gravity fill system)

5. Filter overflow

• Will it be directed into an established drainage system or into the garden?

6. Pillow Overflow

• Will the overflow hose be directed out the crawl space vent, directly thru the foundation, into a crawl space drain system, or connected to a sump pump system?
• Gravity drains the water out of the overflow so the overflow pipe must be at or below the full pillow height

7. Electricity – standard pump is 7amps and 115 volts,  6 foot cord

• Locate available outlet
• Determine if extension cord is needed ( 12 gauge)
• Add electrical outlet if necessary

8. Pillow Fitting Locations – Best if fill and Pump ports are located on opposite sides of pillow.

• Overflow drain must be located on center top of pillow
• Fill Port – 3” female thread
  • Position on side of pillow in crawl space installation

Pump Port – 2” female thread

• Position on side of pillow towards the bottom

A good guideline is to be able to fill up half of your pillow from one inch of rain.

Evaluate the number, location and efficiency of your downspouts

Downspout 1

• Is there access to the pillow from downspout?
• Would a filter be acceptable at this location?
• Would gravity feed the pillow from the filter (bottom valve of the filter must be above height of full pillow)?
• Over flow (can it be directed into a present drainage system or redirected into the garden and away from the house)
• Calculate the gallons of water directed to this downspout from one inch of rain

Horizontal length x width of roof area (estimate if multiple downspouts)
The multiply the roof area by .625 to determine the gallons per inch of rain that will be directed to this downspout

Continue with this evaluation for each of the downspouts to determine which are the best to use to maximize your collection volume.

Standard Kit Pump

• 1/2 horsepower / 7 amp pump
• 25 psi / 10 gallons per minute
• 115 volt (typical home electrical outlet)
• Works with remote control

1. Use for standard hose connections
2. Drip Irrigation (recommend additional drip filter)
3. Soaker Hose Irrigation

Sprinkler Irrigation Pump

1.5 horsepower / variable amps / variable volts (115 / 230)
Direct wire with Irrigation clock / relay switch

1. Connect to standard irrigation system
2. Use for standard hose connection
3. Drip Irrigation (recommend additional filter plus pressure reducer)
4. Soaker hose (recommend pressure reducer)

Pressure Tank and Pump Unit

The unit specifications vary based on your needs
Automatically regulates water pressure to move through the system

1. Toilet flushing and clothes washing
2. Connect to standard irrigation system
3. Use for standard hose connection
4. Drip Irrigation (recommend additional filter plus pressure reducer)
5. Soaker hose (recommend pressure reducer)