Jessica Patterson, with Patterson Water Systems, covers the basics of collecting and managing rainwater.

1. Basic Installation
Water is the life-blood of our bodies, our economy, our
nation and our well being.
- Stephen Johnson, EPA Administrator

2.  Reduces run-off, erosion, and contamination of surface
water
 Reduces demand on the existing water supply
 Increases awareness of water use – leading to
higher efficiency
 Free of salts and other minerals that harm root growth
& plumbing in homes
 Increased plant growth due to presence of Nitrogen
gathered from the atmosphere
 Near neutral pH
 Been known to improve pesticide performance

3. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Rainfall (in)
Rainfall (in)

4. Measure the foot print of
the collection area:
IE. Square footage of your
bottom floor
Potential Rainfall calculation:
Sq ft collection area x Rainfall (in) x .623
Example:
1,000 sq ft x 1 in x .623 = 623 gallons of rainwater
Rainfall in Amarillo
Yearly Average: 19.71 in
2010–26.54in 2013- 15.20 in
2011- 7.00 in 2014- 19.61 in
2012- 12.33in 2015- 30.2 in
Based on these Numbers a 1,000 sq ft catchment area
in Amarillo could have caught:
2010 - 16,534 gallons 2013 - 9,469 gallons
2011- 4,361 gallons 2014 – 12,217 gallons
2012- 7,681 gallons 2015- 18,814 gallons

5. Landscaping
 According to the American Water Works Association,
54% of residential water use is used outdoors for
landscaping.
 Amarillo: Average of 95 gallons per person per day
 Basic Filtration for large particles

6. In-Home Use
 According to the American Water Works Association,
46% of residential water use is used in the home
(Amarillo: 80.5 gal/person/day)

7. Wildlife
In our area either of these
two systems can provide
1 drop/sec -24hours/day -
365 days per year

8. Livestock & Domestic Animals

9. Fire Protection – Requirement in some communities
McDonald Observatory in
Fort Davis, TX. Uses
rainwater runoff for fire
protection.

10.  Metal is Best
 No to Wood because of Tannins
 Other Materials absorb varying amounts of water,
decreasing collection efficiency

11.  When Hanging Gutters make sure the back edge of the
gutter is secured underneath the drip edge of the roof
 Cut downspout to size with metal snips or remove
downspout and add flexible downspout or rain chain
 Edges are sharp!!!

15.  Gutter Inserts
 1st Flush - 1 gal/100 sq ft
 Vortex Filters
 It is cheaper to filter water
before it enters the tank
than it is to try and clean
it up afterwards

16.  Simple is Best!
Wet Conveyance Dry Conveyance

17.  Tanks
 Barrels
 Cisterns
 Underground Systems
 Recycled Materials
 EPA cleaning guidelines
 Tanks need solid base
 Water weighs 8 lbs/gallon
 In the shade if possible
 Tanks need to be opaque

18. MUST be the
same size or
bigger than
your inlet

20.  Gravity flow is easiest
 Will run drip lines and Soaker hoses

21.  Emergency – Use camping filter
 Tank – Potable
 Sterilization
 Chlorine
 UV

23.  How do they work?
 Use chemical, biological, and physical properties of
soils, plants, and microbes to remove pollutants from
storm water
 Settling
 Chemical reactions in the soil
 Plant Uptake
 Biological degradation in root zones
 Keep the water on the garden to increase absorption

24.  Select a site
 No closer than 10 ft to a building to prevent foundation
issues
 Call 811 BEFORE you dig
 Not over septic tanks or leach fields
 Check for tree roots and that existing landscape can
handle extra water
 Watch were water naturally wants to go
 Overflow will need to run away from building
 Make sure that all water flow is controlled
 4 inch difference between overflow and all other edges of
Rain garden
 May need to Burm edges

25.  Define edges of garden w/Non Toxic Paint
 Dig
 Depth is up to you! - 6-8 inches deep is advised
 Make sure slope of edges is not so steep that if someone feel
in they could not get out.
 If drainage is poor = add compost & lessen depth
 A thick layer of gravel at the bottom will help also
 Fill with mulch = reduce evaporation and mosquitoes!
The Idea is to create a
Living Sponge of soil,
plants, root mass, and
mulch, not to create a
permanent bog.

32. Contact us if we can help you in any way!
jesspatt2002@yahoo.com