Want to collect rainwater? Want to know the best approach? Right equipment to use? Want to know all the possibilities? If so, you need to print out a copy of the Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting [PDF]: the definitive guide to rainwater collection.
I found it the other day and was amazed at the knowledge contained in this free publication. For instance, I’d not considered how a first-flush diverter could be built to route the initial dirty, debris-filled rainwater from my holding tank. Or which roofing materials work best for rainwater collection and which ones should be avoided. Or how I could one day turn rainwater into potable water. Or how high a storage tank would have to be to provide 40psi of pressure (90 feet!). This guide is chock-full of nuggets like these.
There are those who play at rainwater collection and then there are the pros. If you want to be a pro, you need the Texas Manual of Rainwater Harvesting!
Now we just need to lobby the NC legislature to allow us to actually use recycled water, since I believe it’s currently illegal to use it for most things. 🙁
Actually, those restrictions were lifted a few months ago. You are now legally permitted to water with dishwater and the like.