Rainwater harvesting is simply the collecting and storing of rainwater. Before there were public water utilities, many households collected rainwater. Rainwater harvesting is becoming popular again for environmental and economic reasons. Texas is a drought prone state and many people are concerned about water scarcity. Also, many people enjoy the savings on their water bills.

Lawn and garden watering make up 30 to 50% of total household water use. By collecting rainwater from just 10% of the residential roof area in Texas, we could conserve over 32 billion gallons of water annually.

You can easily start collecting rainwater with a rain barrel, or you can install a more complex system.

Hook a soaker hose to your rain barrel to water plants that are close together such as ornamentals in beds, clumped flowers, or ground cover.

Rainwater is better for plants than chemically treated water.

Rainwater harvesting can help reduce flow to storm water drains and reduce stream pollution.

Maintain your rain barrel to keep it free from clogs and debris. To keep mosquitoes out, ensure your screen is well sealed. Use a mosquito dunk to kill any mosquito larvae that appear.