Water
Collecting rain is easy. Storing it safely, moving it where it is needed, and knowing what is actually in it are the parts that take equipment.
5 guides in this topic
Best Rain Barrels , 50 vs 65 vs 180 Gallons Compared
A 50-gallon rain barrel fills in one good rainstorm. Here is how to pick the right size and configuration for your garden, plus the only linked-barrel system worth building.
Read the guideFirst Flush Diverters
A first flush diverter dumps the dirtiest water off your roof before it reaches the tank. Sizing from the Texas manual, why they freeze and crack, and the line they do not cross.
Read the guideWater Storage Tanks
Water weighs 8.34 pounds a gallon, so a 500 gallon tank is over two tons on whatever you set it on. Potable versus non-potable, UV and algae, and why we send you off Amazon for this.
Read the guideWell Pumps
Suction has a hard physical limit at about 25 feet, and that single fact sorts jet pumps from submersibles. Pressure tanks, short cycling, and why we will not size your pump.
Read the guideWell Water Testing
Private wells are not regulated, so testing is on you. Here is what the EPA says to test every year, which contaminants need a certified lab, and what a home strip cannot tell you.
Read the guide