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Publication Review

Title: Rainwater Harvesting: Supply from the Sky
Author: City of Albuquerque, 1999
File: Free Pamphlet, PDF 1.39 MB, 23 pages
Audience: Written for homeowners and renters.

Review
Guide to rainwater harvesting principles and strategies. For landscape watering and not drinking water. Intended for residents of New Mexico, but much of the information is applicable for other areas. Be advised, due to water rights in some states, rainwater harvesting may be illegal. Check with your local authority before contemplating a rainwater harvesting system for your home.

Issues covered include:

• Introduction
• Rainwater harvesting system components
• Simple systems, design and construction
• Complex systems, design and construction
• Maintenance
• Average rainfall in New Mexican towns
• Runoff coefficients
• Average evapotranspiration for selected areas in New Mexico
• Plant water use coefficients
• Supply and demand worksheets
• Guidelines for rain gutters and downspouts
• How to build a rainbarrel
  

Detail drawings include:

• Diagram of harvesting basins on a slope
• Parking lot drainage into lawn concave areas, diagram
• Diagrams of simple systems
• Crescent-shaped landscape holding areas
• Landscape holding areas
• Gablon in a stream bed
• Permeable paving blocks with grass
• Diagrams of complex systems
• Roofwasher system
• Underground storage
• Calculating supply diagram
• Gutter and gutter filter diagrams
• Detail for building your own rain barrel system

Related Links
Water Conserve
Water conservation portal and search engine.

Water Use it Wisely
Information about saving water inside and outside your home. Included family water audit worksheet and links to water conservation programs in each State.

Water Information Program
A public information program sponsored by water districts in Southern Colorado

EPA's Water Efficiency Webpage
Covers general information about water conservation, free downloadable publications and links

Watersaver.org
Denver Water's water conservation website. Good general information no matter where you live.