For every inch of rain, about 600 gallons of water can be collected from 1,000 sq.ft. of roof area. A typical home with 2000 sq.ft. of roof
area in Central Texas can yield up to 40,000 gallons a year, water that would otherwise run off and contribute to erosion.
Rainwater collected from roof surfaces is stored in cisterns and either pumped back into the house for indoor use, or can be used for
landscape irrigation. Generally, in rural areas the stored water is filtered, treated and used for all indoor purposes.
Services include:
* Turn key potable systems on new construction.
* Complete rain barn potable systems.
* Non-potable do-it-yourself systems.
* Potable do-it-yourself systems.
* Repair and redesign of pre-installed systems.
* System maintenance
* Parts and supplies
* Cistern cleaning
In towns where municipal water systems are available, harvested rainwater is used primarily for landscape irrigation, thus reducing
the overall demand for municipal water. Either way, RWH provides conservation of water supplies. For every inch of rain, about 600
gallons of water can be collected from 1,000 sq.ft. of roof area. A typical home with 2000 sq.ft. of roof area in Central Texas can yield
up to 40,000 gallons a year, water that would otherwise run off and contribute to erosion.
Rainwater is free of any chemicals and/or dissolved salts. Unlike well water, rainwater is naturally soft, and can be used for
household purposes without the need for a water softener. Rainwater is also ideal for those on low-sodium diets, since it contains no
salt. Plants respond to rainwater much better than they do to municipal water (which has several chemicals added to it during the
treatment and purification process).
If properly managed, the RWH system can provide up to 100 gallons of water per day for a typical home. The cost of a RWH system
depends on the size of the cistern used for storage. A RWH system for a home can cost anywhere from $5,000-$15,000, which
includes the guttering for leading the water to the cistern, costs for the cistern, pump and treatment system.
Senate Bill 2 has recently provided sales tax exemption for rainwater harvesting equipment and supplies, which will benefit those
who propose to build RWH systems in the future.
The Texas Water Development Board has produced the "Texas Guide to Rainwater Harvesting", a publication that is in great demand
not only within Texas, but nationally and internationally. The publication can be downloaded free of cost from either the TWDB
website, or from the the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) website
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Rainwater Collection Information
