My post in the Nerdery directed this question over here, hoping to find someone who has actually put one these systems in practice. Is there anyone out there who has seen rainwater capture system supplying a whole house? The roof and gutter systme seems easy enough to design and build, but I was hoping for suggestions with types and sizes of cisterns, filtration systems, etc.

The article linked below is a good place to start your research.

I can tell you from experience that harvesting enough water from rainfall on a rooftop to supply a household is not practical ... unless you do not mind a yard full of storage tanks ... or a basement cistern about the same cubage as your house. And unless you are tough as a buzzard you will need a treatment system.

http://www.thehandstand.org/archive/january2003/articles/rainwater.htm

But, the idea has merit and I am considering installing an above ground storage tank to supplement outside watering.

If you consider the rustic approach of collecting, filtering and storing roof runoff water, the best source of information would be Extension Service bulletins from the 1930s.

Edit: The link above does not work for some reason so instead of that go to Google and type: Water Harvesting Hong Kong and scroll down to the topic The Handstand.

[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 8/21/2006 9:18a).]

Thanks for the site. We're hoping to supply a vacation home with household water, other than for drinking. We haven't decided on a type of cistern--the fact that the ground is rock makes a below-ground probablyl not practically.

We're also trying to decide on a filtration system. Any ideas of companies that install everything after the roof & gutter is in place?

Dillotat.

Google: Home Cisterns

From the number and type of articles I think you can find answers to all your questions.

Just some random thoughts for your consideration:
If you are thinking above-ground tank, the top can be no higher than the gutters.
Any filtration system would have to be located between the bottom of the gutter and the top of the cistern.
Old time filters for below ground cisterns consisted of a box at ground level with three compartments for gravel, course sand and charcoal for the water to flow through.
A full 8' tall above ground tank will have about 5 psi water pressure decreasing as the tank goes down. You need a pump unless you are a patient person ... and if you want a supply under constant pressure you need a pressure tank. (Just research how they handle this problem in a recreational vehicle.)
If your vacation home is near a lake or stream consider investing a couple hundred bucks in a 2" centrifugal pump to refill your cistern (maximum lift 32' above pickup point.)

Water conservation will become a watch word at your vacation home Oh, and also have the phone number handy for a local water delivery guy who can refill your tank when rains and family do not cooperate.

I've seen some articles for systems that have allow the first so many gallons to wash off the roof and gutters, and keep the big stuff from getting in the tank (leaves, sticks, etc).

But then, couldn't there be a line a bit off the bottom of the tank, running to a UV light, with a pump along the line to get some pressure to the house?

I'm probably trying to over-simplify this.

We're also going to try to dig a hole a the base of the small bluff, in the river bed, to see if we can't get water there, then put in a pump & a line & backfill over the pump. Actual river is too far from the base of the bluff to simply pump out of the river (floods=buy new pumps).

Hopefully, we can hit an underground river that way to have a 2nd means of getting water.

As for low flow fixtures, I wonder if I can just put a timer on the shower?!?!?

I'm really just looking for an easy way out--someone who's installed something like this already that I can get their tips.