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Rain Barrels & Cisterns - Home
Rain Barrels
Rain barrels are
low-cost, effective, and easily maintainable retention and detention
devices that are applicable to residential, commercial and industrial
sites to manage rooftop runoff.
Typical rain barrel
set-up for a residential property.
(Source:
U.S. EPA
Mid-Atlantic Region Green Landscaping)
For residential
applications a typical rain barrel design will include a hole at the top
to allow for flow from a downspout, a sealed lid, an overflow pipe and a
spigot at or near the bottom of the barrel. The spigot can be left
partially open to detain water or closed to fill the barrel. A
screen is often included to control mosquitoes and other insects. The water
can then be used for lawn and garden watering or other uses such as
supplemental domestic water supply. Rain barrels can be connected to
provide larger volumes of storage. Larger systems for commercial or
industrial use can include pumps and filtration devices.
Cisterns
Stormwater runoff cisterns are roof water management devices that
provide retention storage volume in above or underground storage
tanks. They are typically used for water supply. Cisterns are
generally larger than rain barrels, with some underground cisterns
having the capacity of
10,000
gallons. On-lot storage with later reuse of stormwater also
provides an opportunity for water conservation and the possibility
of reducing water utility costs.
Diagram of a
typical cistern.
(Source:
Texas Guide to Rainwater Harvesting)
Above ground cistern that captures the
rainwater off the roof of a greenhouse.
(Source:
Passive Solar Greenhouse)
Rain Water Harvesting
for landscape use
(Source:
The Texas Water Development Board)
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