Recently Tyler and I purchased a used, 12,000 gallon water collection tank from a guy in Claremore. Our original plans were to buy a new 2,000 gallon tank to help supplement some of our outdoor water needs, but when the larger tank showed up on craigslist for the same price, we could not pass it up. The 35ft tank will be buried behind the house, and will collect the rain to be used inside and outside the house.

Here is a picture of our new tank, it will require just a little rehab work before we can use it. There is a hole we need to patch, and the inside had to be cleaned and scrubbed.

Here is a picture of the inside of the tank before Tyler cleaned it:

And here it is after:

Our roof, given 1 inch of rain will yield 1,108 gallons of water. So with our area’s precipitation average at about 46 inches per year, we should be able to collect enough water to make our purchase worth it. Some benefits of rain water harvesting would include:

-Rainwater is a relatively clean and free source of water

-It is environmentally responsible

-It promotes self-sufficiency and helps conserve water

-It is better for landscape plants due to its lack of Chlorine

-It reduces stormwater runoff

-It can provide an excellent back-up source of water for emergencies (like a Zombie Apocalypse perhaps)

Here is a diagram to show how rain water harvesting works:

When it rains the water from the roof will flow through the downspouts into a filter screen and into the tank underground. An electric pump will then send the rain water from the tank to a valve box. This valve will automatically switch from rainwater to city water when the tank gets to a preset level. The water will go through a final system of filters before use.