Essential Rainwater Harvesting: A Guide to Home-Scale System Design (Sustainable Building Essentials)

Design a rainwater harvesting system for any home in any climate.





Water is a crucial resource increasingly under stress. Yet rainfall,

even in arid climates, can make up a sizable portion of any home,

acreage, or farm’s water requirements if harvested and utilized with

care. The key is appropriate planning and high-quality site- and

climate-specific design.





Essential Rainwater Harvesting

is a comprehensive manual for designing, building, and maintaining water

harvesting systems for the warm and cold climates of the world.

Presenting design considerations and approaches for the most common

household rainwater supply scenarios – primary, supplemental, and

off-grid supply – this step-by-step approach covers:

• Considerations for full-property water security



• Demand planning and conservation strategies



• Supply calculations and design implications for extreme rainfall and drought



• Materials selection and water quality



• System and site assessment



• Sizing and design of gutters, conveyance, tanks, and pumps



• Pre-filtration, filtration, and disinfection options



• System maintenance and upkeep

This practical resource provides DIYers, trades, and rainwater

practitioners with the essential tools, methods, and technical know-how

to design, build, and maintain rainwater harvesting systems anywhere.





Rob Avis, P.Eng and Michelle Avis,

P.Eng own and operate Adaptive Habitat, a leading edge property design

firm for resilient homes, acreages, and farms and Verge Permaculture, a

globally recognized award-winning education business. They have over 20

years of combined experience in project management, ecological design,

and sustainable technologies, which they share at vergepermaculture.ca

from their suburban house and yard that they’ve transformed into a model

of cold climate urban permaculture in Calgary, Alberta.