A: Yes!

Rainwater collected from a metal or tile roof is considered safe for drinking after filtration through a carbon / sediment filter & UV treatment.  

Rainwater should not be used for potable use if collected from composite roofing due to the contaminants present in the roof material.

Rainwater collected from either metal, tile, composite, and more can be used for irrigation and livestock, but only metal & tile roofing material should be used for potable use.

A: It's possible, if the rainwater has been treated. This is called potable water. Some people actually prefer drinking rainwater because of the softness and taste.

If the intended use of a rainwater collection system is for drinking, it needs to be designed with filtration in mind.

A: That depends on how the rainwater harvesting system is designed and if it has a filtration system. With the right filtration, rain that's collected in a storage tank can be used for anything that you would use tap water for, including as drinking water.

Here's a quick list of how you can use harvested rainwater:

• Drinking
• Cooking
• Bathing/Showering
• Washing clothes
• Watering a lawn and plants
• Washing your vehicle

A: In terms of when, the sooner the better! The most common considerations for a rainwater harvesting system are:

• Intended use
• Tank placement
• Roof type
• Elevations
• Pump and filtration location
• Electrical needs
• Guttering requirements
• Plumbing configurations in the house (or existing plumbing if its already in place)

We can work with your architect and/or builder to ensure that the provisions for your rainwater system are in place.

A: Rainwater collection is a function of captured roof square footage & annual rainfall averages for your region.  

By using this formula, you can calculate how much rainfall you can capture based on your structure footprint:

(roof size ft²) x (0.6) x (inches of rainfall) = [Rainwater Captured] in gallons.

A general rule of thumb is for every 1,000 ft²  of roof capture, you will generate approx. 600 gal.

1. For a potable water supply, a metal, clay tile or cement tile roof is required. These are considered suitable roof materials for a catchment surface because they don't contain harmful toxins that can contaminate the rain water as it moves across the roof surface. For example, asphalt roofing wouldn't be an acceptable roof surface if you want to harvest rainwater for drinking.

However, keep in mind some cement and clay tile roofs may not be ideal if they leach minerals. Also, the roofing shouldn't be coated with another material.

If you are collecting rainwater for irrigation or non-potable use, any roof type could be acceptable.

A. At RainSaver Harvesting, we design our systems based on how much is used daily, monthly, or annually. The average person uses approx. 40 gallons of water per day or 1,200 gallons per month.

The idea for determining rainwater storage tank capacity is to store enough collected rainwater to last through a "dry season", which can be 4 - 6 months out of the year in Central Texas.  We design our rainwater collection system to allow for a minimum of 4 months of full - time usage without a rainfall event to to re-supply your rainwater storage tank.  In the years that we have been designing and installing rainwater harvesting systems, we have not had a rainwater storage tank empty upon reaching full capacity.  

Annual usage plays a factor in design and function as well.  Based on annual rainfall, a family of four using rainwater full-time would require a minimum square footage of roof = approx 3,000 sq. ft.  yielding an annual capture of 54,000 gallons if the region had an annual rainfall average of 30 inches/year.

1. There are a number of benefits for rainwater collection. First and foremost would be the excellent quality of rainwater. With no hardness and low concentration of dissolved minerals, it is the perfect water by many measures. Another key benefit when you collect rainwater is the peace of mind in having your own self-sustaining & independent water supply that is easily accessible to you and your family.

Lastly, when you harvest rainwater you're helping the environment. Water conservation through rainwater harvesting just makes good sense, but you'll also help reduce energy use. The more you harvest rainwater the less water the municipality has to treat and pump, which conserves energy.

A: RainSaver Harvesting uses Aqualine Storage Tanks.  

Aqualine storage tanks are made of galvanized G90 steel, almost 3x more thick than its competitors in the same market.

All Aqualine storage tanks are equipped with Bartlett Tank Liners made of polypropylene & lined with polyethylene NSF-61 food grade material.

Both tanks and liners are warrantied for 20 years.

A: Roof material must be either clay or metal for potable use.  Asphalt or composite roofing is suitable for non-potable irrigation or livestock use.

To collect rainwater a house must also have a gutter system in place to collect rainwater from the roof.  RainSaver Harvesting recommends and requires the installation of fine mesh gutter guards as a first defense against organics.

To generate the required head pressure, gutter eaves must have an elevation difference of 2 - 4 ft. from the bottom of the gutter eave to the top of the inlet pipe into the rainwater storage tank.

At RainSaver Harvesting, we install "dry" in-ground systems, requiring a first flush diverter system with a 1/4" weep hole allowing your system to drain after each rainfall event.  This serves two purposes, one being that the initial contaminants at the start of a rainfall event are washed out of the pipe with turbulent flow and two, your system will remain dry after a rainfall event, preventing freeze cracking & stagnation of water in pipes.

PVC pipe conveyance is used as the media to transport collected rainwater from your roof to the rainwater storage tank.  PVC can either be buried or strapped to a buildings foundation where slope requirements are met.

As rainwater reaches the storage tank, a fine mesh "leaf basket" is installed to prevent organics from entering the rainwater storage tank.

For potable use, rainwater must be filtered & purified with UV treatment.  Non-potable use does not require filtration or purification but we recommend a sediment filter for irrigation use.

Power requirements vary from system to system.

A: No.

RainSaver Harvesting designs your systems to be an independent water supply.  Rainwater collection systems in general should not be used for large scale irrigation, but can be used as supplemental dependent on your use per cycle.  Make sure you leave enough water in your rainwater tank to supply your consumption needs for a 4 - 6 month period.  

Existing municipal water tie-ins do not affect the efficiency of our rainwater collection system.  We can install the means to swap from rainwater to municipal water should the need arise.

Rainwater collection systems can be designed for supplemental use when existing well water or municipal water connections are present.

A: The first step we take to construct a rainwater collection system is to do a site visit. There are a lot of variables from the terrain to the location of the tank to factor when designing and installing a rainwater harvesting system. We also want to ensure rainwater tanks and other system components are integrated with existing structures while causing minimal damage to the environment.

Next comes the planning phase of the rainwater filtration and storage system. We'll come up with a design that meets the clients needs, which requires accurate usage estimates, intent of use, budget, etc... During this phase we'll figure out all of the components that are needed.

Finally we move on to the construction of the rainwater harvesting system. This typically includes the:

• Tank pad site work
• On-site tank construction
• Gutter downspout tie-in with 4" PVC pipe
• In-ground pipe conveyance
• Water system equipment installation

A: The harvested rainwater can be stored indefinitely under the right conditions, with a proper system setup and maintenance. We help property owners install rainwater harvesting systems that are capable of long-term storage so that clean water is available whenever it's needed. This is highly advantageous given that the Hill Country can experience dry weather.

A: Yes, a rainwater harvesting system reduces stormwater runoff. Instead of gallons of rainwater flowing through gutters and downspouts out into the yard or free flowing, you have control over exactly where the water flows and can optimize water usage.

Another ecological benefit is less runoff pollution. When you capture rainwater there's less rainwater runoff that can spread pollutants, pesticides and toxins.

A: Harvesting rainwater is considered water conservation regardless of how much is collected. Every drop that you capture is a drop of tap water that doesn't have to be used.

A: Not necessarily. However, you'll need to check the local codes and regulations. Typically, it's possible to have a potable rainwater harvesting system along with a well. If a well isn't possible, then you may need to have a municipal water supply. How much rain you have in a year does need to be considered if you're trying to be completely independent of municipal systems.

A: It can. If you have a large enough rainwater storage tank, enough rain and a well for backup you can be 100% off-tap. But if you're hooked up to the municipal water as your backup supply you may still have a monthly bill for the general account charges that are in addition to water usage.

A: The use of rainwater collection systems is often regulated to some degree by the local municipality. There could be regulations regarding the use of captured rainwater, the size of the tank, the design of the rainwater collection system, installing underground piping, how runoff is diverted, etc.

Some states have also created regulations for harvesting rainwater. In those states, rainwater is considered the property of the state. If you want to know if rainwater collection systems are regulated in your state use the Department of Energy's Rainwater Harvesting Tool. The tool can also give you an estimate for rainwater harvesting potential.

A: Aqualine Tanks are equipped with an overflow pipe.  Dependent on the ideal location on your property, the overflow pipe will extend down the height of your tank and slightly over the length of your pad to prevent erosion from rainwater collection upon filling your rainwater storage tank.  

Collecting rain might prove to be easy during some seasons or years, and soon the storage system is at maximum capacity. When the average annual rainfall is higher than normal and your tank is about to overflow there are several things that could happen depending on how the rain collection system is set up. The excess water could:

• Be diverted to a stormwater system
• Flow into the sewer system

If you think it could be an issue, discuss how overflow will be handled with the person who is designing the rainwater collection system. Some professionals feel that a little overflow in rainwater tanks is actually beneficial because it will help remove any floating particles and promote oxygenation.

A: The rainwater collected in your tank shouldn't freeze, however there are other issues to watch out for.

With a "dry" in-ground system, you wont have to worry about freezing/cracking pipe conveyance.  

The housing for all your rainwater equipment should be climate controlled to prevent small water lines and equipment parts from freeze cracking.

Something else to watch out for is ice dams on your roof area that can prevent rainwater from flowing into storage tanks.