Q: How much water can I expect to collect in my cistern?
If the water will be running off your roof via gutters, you can harvest more than half of the home’s square footage in gallons of water for every inch of rain that falls. For example, the roof of a 2,000 square foot house can yield more than 1,000 gallons of water for every inch of rainfall. For a house this size, our average annual rainfall of 30 inches could produce up to 30,000 gallons of captured rainwater.
Q: Can I drink my rainwater?
Rainwater is naturally soft and delicious, but should be filtered to make it microbiologically and chemically safe. Several options are available, including UV light, ozone, chlorine, or something as simple as putting it through a stainless steel Berkey water filter (available at www.pleasanthillgrain.com). When thinking potable, research well and remember that whether your system is self-done or professionally installed, you are the water maintenance “company.”
Q: Will I have enough rainwater to water my lawn?
We generally do not recommend our cisterns for lawn watering in central Texas. We find that the massive water requirements of a lawn are incompatible with our annual rainfall. Water from a cistern can certainly be used to supplement lawn watering, but cannot be depended upon exclusively to keep an expanse of thirsty St. Augustine lush and green. We do have many customers who are more than satisfied with their cisterns for watering gardens and landscapes.
Q: Where’s the best place to put my cistern?
The best place for your cistern is close to where the water will be used. If the cistern cannot be placed close to the primary area of use, however, a small pump can be used to transfer water to more distant areas of the garden or home. All of our cisterns can be used with either pressure equipment or gravity’s flow, depending on your needs.
Q: Do I need something under my cistern?
The cistern should be placed on a stable, flat pad, such as a concrete slab, bricks, or treated wood. Water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon, so when your cistern is full it will be heavy.
