On the one hand, water that is saved in a rain barrel and then used on the garden is keeping more water from local rivers and streams than just letting it run off while it is raining. Rain and gutter run-off does not penetrate grass lawn very well, and especially when it is raining, any extra will flow off the yard and into the storm drain, ditch, or local stream. If you hold it until you need it for watering (i.e. when the ground is dry), it will be taken up into the plants, which will then breathe it out into the air. On the other hand, I think that the Colorado gardener has more right to the rain that falls on their own roof than the Arizona residents who want pools or the California yard-owners with green lawn mandates in the desert. Possession is nine tenth of the law. Finders keepers.

Hello lehua, Silly me I assumed people would understand that I want to use this water for the garden plants. The roof is approximately 12 feet above ground. Underground cistern is out of question because there's concrete foundation around the house and the house is surrounded by concrete fence/wall which also has concrete foundation, which leaves little non foundation space between the house and the fence, and also there's 4 rainwater pipes so this would involve a lot of work and expenses. I am not doing this to save the money, we get 20,000 gallons of free water per month, so I wanted to do it for the sake of the environment, freshwater is scarce in UAE, and desalinization is an expensive way to get it. We do have a pump that pumps underground water, but that water is salty so we only use it to water native plants such as our date palm and the shade trees we have in the front of the front fence. I was wondering if there's some kind of non-electric device that would let the water flow into a container near every drain (like I said there's 4 of them). I am asking for simple device/way because my husband would not cooperate (he's already complaining that my gardening is expensive).

We keep a bucket in the shower to collect water that comes out before the hot water. In the summer I keep a tub of warm soapy water and one of clean rinse water in each sink. The rinse water comes from the water gained while waiting for hot water. These are dumped outside at various times of the day. But only when it's really dry outside or if I have time. If you keep a slop bucket for used wash water (think of what you lose just rinsing garden veggies) also add any drinks that family members haven't finished. It all adds up. You can use the water that is dripping from your air conditioner through a dripline to water your plants. Bathwater can be used, assuming you weren't filthy, for the first wash of handwashables, or for washing the car or floor. Then it can be used to flush toilets. Add ammonia to the water for washing the floors, then throw the dirty water on the grass or garden--makes a terrific fertilizer. Someone posted about keeping a 50 gallon garbage can with wheels in her garage. He/she ran a hose from the washer to the can (probably through a slightly opened back door) and wheeled the washer water to where she needed it. You could (for pennies) add a spigot on the bottom of the can and run a soaker hose to your grass and not have to wheel it anywhere. I'd like to recycle my canning water, but that's a bit hard of you are doing load after load. Rainbarrels can be made for very little. Food grade barrels are offered for free from carbonated beverage bottling companies. Add a spigot on the bottom and a hole at the top for the drainpipes. I have 150 gallons of water after each small rain from ours. I have heard of people disengaging the drain under their sinks and letting them run to 5 gallon buckets kept under the sink which they took outside.

I know this is complete overkill, but I promised: Wiki Rainwater Tank Overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_tank Australian Guide for Rainwater Systems: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs73.html WaterSmart How To Configure Domestic Rainwater Tanks : www.gosford.nsw.gov.au/environment/education/documents/fact-sheets-2/4_rainwater_tanks.pdf Environmental Health Directorate Rainwater Pamphlet: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/envirohealth/water/docs/Country_Rainwater_Collection.pdf Environmental Health Directorate Urban Rainwater Collection Pamphlet: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/envirohealth/water/docs/Urban_Rainwater_Collection.pdf 80 Page Guidance on Use of Rainwater Tanks: http://enhealth.nphp.gov.au/council/pubs/pdf/rainwater_tanks.pdf NSW Health Department's Tank Maintenance Guidelines: http://www.rainharvesting.com.au/FileLibrary/nsw_health_dept_tank_guidelines_apr2004.pdf Rainwater Glossary : http://www.rainwaterglossary.com/content/view/12/26/ 10 Steps to Rain Harvesting Sustainable Water : http://www.rainharvesting.com.au/FileLibrary/10_steps_to_rh_sustainable_water_11.8.05.pdf Sydney Waters guide to buying a rainwater tank : http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/FactSheets/RainwaterTanksBuying.pdf#Page=1 Sydney WaterÂs guide to installing a rainwater tank : http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/FactSheets/RainwaterTanksInstallation.pdf#Page=1 Virginia Rainwater Harvesting Manual 2007 : http://www.cabellbrandcenter.org/Virginia%20Rainwater%20Harvesting%20Manual.pdf Water Quality in Kentucky: Cisterns for Kentucky : http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ip/ip4/ip4.htm Home Use of Graywater, Rainwater Conserves Water--and May Save Money : http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/arroyo/071rain.html Rain Water System Design Report : http://www.watgreen.uwaterloo.ca/projects/library/760/final.html U.S. Average Annual Precipitation Maps : http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/precip.html What is your water footprint? : http://h2oconserve.org/home.php?pd=index Harvesting Rainwater with Rain Barrels, an Old Idea with a New Following (need to remove some links) : http://rainbarrelguide.com/ GreenBuilder Harvested Rainwater Guidelines : http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/RainwaterGuide1.html Flow in Gutters & Downpipes : http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/rn/rwh/ugp_still_2001/ugp014_still.pdf The Optimum Sizing of Gutters for Domestic Roofwater Harvesting : http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/wp/wp56/wp56.pdf RHRG RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DESIGNING RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM TANKS : http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/reviewed/rwh/eu/a6.pdf Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Design & Insect Breeding: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/reviewed/rwh/eu/c4.pdf Reducing Mixing Effects In Water Storage Tanks : http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/rn/rwh/ugp_manson_2000/ugp002_manson.pdf Harvesting, Storing, and Treating Rainwater for Domestic Indoor Use : http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/files/gi-366.pdf_4231966.pdf Rainwater Harvesting and the Plumbing Codes : http://www.plumbingengineer.com/march_07/rainwater.php Rainwater Harvesting Potential and Guidelines for Texas : http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/iwt/rainwater/docs/RainwaterCommitteeFinalReport.pdf A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting at Commercial Facilities in Arlington County, Virginia : http://dukespace.lib.duke.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/10161/512/1/MP_wdh11_a_200805.pdf A Spouse's Guide to Building the Perfect Rain Barrel System : http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/adams/audrey/water_barrel.htm Rainwater Harvesting - Pumps or Pressure Tanks : http://www.harvesth2o.com/pumps_or_tanks.shtml Rainwater Tanks Revisited: new opportunities for urban water cycle management Preface: http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/preface.pdf Chapter 1 Introduction: http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter1.pdf Chapter 2 The Figtree Place Experiment : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter2.pdf Chapter 3 The Maryville House Experiment : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter3.pdf Chapter 4 Rainwater Tank, Water Quality and Public Health Issues : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter4.pdf Chapter 5 Institutional Resistance to the Use of Rainwater Tanks : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter5.pdf Chapter 6 An Allotment Water Balance Model : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter6.pdf Chapter 7 The Impact of the Use of Rainwater Tanks in Subdivisions : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter7.pdf Chapter 8 A Regional Water Demand Model : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter8.pdf Chapter 9 Analysis of the Water Supply Headworks Systems for the Lower Hunter and Central Coast Regions: http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter9.pdf Chapter 10 A Community Based Investment Model to Assess the Economic Benefits of Rainwater Tanks : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter10.pdf Chapter 11 Summary and Conclusions : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Conclusions.pdf References : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/References.pdf Video Resources Rainwater Harvesting: Residential & Commercial Applications : https://admin.acrobat.com/_a781915736/p19747194/ This Old House's Roger Cook - how to install rainwater collection : http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid988221510/bclid979509284/bctid979466702 Steve Fisher's Rainwater Collection Part 1 - Walkthrough : http://www.vimeo.com/1303028 Part 2 - The Roof : http://www.vimeo.com/1309914 Part 3 - Pre-Storage Filtration and Plumbing : http://www.vimeo.com/1310414 Part 4 - Post-Cistern Sanitation and Pumping : http://www.vimeo.com/1289985 Innovative Rainwater Harvesting - http://www.skillsone.com.au/Industry/3/Metals-Engineering/Video/557/0/Innovative-Rainwater-Harvesting/