How to collect rainwater for garden irrigation?
A 1,000 sq ft roof sheds roughly 600 gallons per inch of rain. Capturing even a fraction of that can supply a vegetable garden through dry spells.
- Build passive earthworks — swales and berms to capture rain in the soil4
Instead of storing water in tanks, swales capture rainwater where it falls and sink it directly into the ground. A swale is a shallow trench dug on contour (level along its length) with a raised berm on the downhill side. Water collects in the trench and slowly infiltrates, recharging the soil…
📌 diy📌 free📌 traditional2/28/2026, 2:23:00 PM
🛠️ Shovel, A-frame level or line level, mulch material (wood chips or leaves)
- Install a professional underground cistern system4
For serious water independence, a buried polyethylene or concrete cistern stores 1,000-10,000 gallons underground, out of sight and frost-protected. A pump delivers water on demand at household pressure.
📌 commercial📌 professional service2/28/2026, 2:22:49 PM
🛠️ None
- IBC tote gravity-fed drip irrigation system5
A 275-gallon IBC tote provides 5x the capacity of a rain barrel and connects directly to drip irrigation lines. Elevated on a platform, gravity alone delivers water to garden beds without a pump.
📌 diy📌 low cost2/28/2026, 2:22:40 PM
🛠️ 275-gallon IBC tote, cinder blocks or lumber platform, garden hose adapter, 1/2-inch drip tubing, drip emitters, PVC pipe for overflow
- Simple rain barrel from a downspout — under $305
A single 55-gallon drum connected to a downspout collects enough water from one rainstorm to irrigate a small garden for a week. This is the cheapest and fastest entry point into rainwater harvesting.
📌 diy📌 low cost2/28/2026, 2:22:28 PM
🛠️ 55-gallon food-grade drum, brass hose bib, jigsaw or hole saw, window screen, cinder blocks, garden hose