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Water Collection for Beginners: Simple Home Systems

By Amy DeVries

Short answer: The easiest way to start water collection is to set a few sturdy containers outside to catch rain, then use it on your plants within a few days. When you're ready for a system that fills itself, put one rain barrel under one downspout on a sturdy, level stand, and send the overflow away from your house. Each step has its own page below.

Watercolor illustration of a small backyard water system with a rain barrel on a wooden stand under a downspout, an overflow hose leading to a garden bed, and a watering can by the spigotA simple water system grows one step at a time: a barrel, a stand, a way in, and a place for the extra to go.

Water collection was one of the first systems we set up when I started homesteading on a quarter acre inside the Baltimore Beltway. It started with plain rain barrels under the downspouts. Today we collect rain in 200-gallon tanks under the metal roof of a shed near the garden and animals.

The tanks didn't come first, and they didn't need to. Everything we use now grew out of lessons those first barrels taught us, including a few we learned the soggy way.

Water collection isn't an all-or-nothing project. This page is your map: start with the smallest system that works, then add pieces as your space, budget, and bandwidth allow. You don't have to read every page before you begin.

The smallest system that works

You don't need tanks, pumps, or a big budget to start. A complete beginner system has just five pieces:

  1. A rain barrel with a screened lid, a spigot, and an overflow port. Most hold 50 to 55 gallons.
  2. A sturdy, level stand that can hold a full barrel.
  3. A downspout connection, either cut short over the lid or with a diverter.
  4. An overflow route that sends extra water away from your house.
  5. A watering can or jugs to carry water to the garden.

That's it. Set it up once, and it collects water every time it rains. For a step-by-step walkthrough of choosing, placing, and setting up each piece, see How to Set Up a Rain Barrel.

Not ready for a barrel? Start even smaller. Set a few sturdy tubs or buckets out before a rain, or catch the cold water while your shower warms up. Use it on your plants within a few days, before mosquitoes find it. If you're renting or your rules are unclear, this is a great place to begin.

Diagram showing rainwater moving from the roof gutter down the downspout, through a first flush diverter, into the rain barrel, out the overflow away from the house, and from the spigot into a watering canEvery part of a rain barrel system, from roof to garden. Each step has its own page below.

Setup and parts

These pages go deeper on each part of the system. Start with the basic version, and upgrade a piece when it solves a problem you actually have.

Rain barrel stand design

A full 55-gallon barrel weighs around 460 pounds, so the stand matters more than the barrel. A sturdy, level stand keeps it from tipping. It also lifts the spigot high enough for a watering can and adds a little water pressure. Compare simple stand designs and what each one can safely hold. See Rain Barrel Stand Design.

Downspout diverter options

Our first barrels sat under open downspouts. In a heavy downpour, the water shot right past the barrel and into the yard. A diverter sends water into the barrel through a hose, and many send it back down the downspout once the barrel is full. If you see overshoot like ours, a diverter is a good first upgrade. To figure out which type fits your downspout, see Downspout Diverter Options.

First flush diverter basics

The first rain after a dry spell carries the most dirt, pollen, and debris off the roof. A first flush diverter catches that water before it reaches your barrel. We use one on our tanks now, and it needs regular cleaning to keep working. It's optional for a first barrel. See First Flush Diverter Basics.

Overflow routing

A full barrel has to send extra water somewhere, and next to your foundation is the worst place for it. A hose from the overflow port can carry water to a garden bed, a second barrel, or a drain. Near our house, a buried overflow hose runs to a gravel French drain. Plan the route before the first big storm. See Rain Barrel Overflow Routing.

Using the water

Collecting rain is only half the job. The other half is getting it to your plants without hauling heavy cans all summer.

Gravity drip irrigation

We filled old gallon milk jugs at the spigot and set them around the garden, then turned some into slow drippers for individual beds. Our yard slopes, and our gutters drained to the low end. The lower beds were easy to reach by hose, but we carried jugs up to the higher ones. If you can, set your barrel uphill from what it waters and let gravity do the work. See Gravity Drip Irrigation from Rain Barrels.

Rain barrel water is for the garden or rinsing tools and boots, not for drinking. Untreated rainwater picks up whatever debris and microscopic critters are on your roof and gutters.

Water Collection Maintenance

A rain barrel runs itself most of the year. It needs a few minutes of attention each season, and these three pages cover the problems beginners run into most.

Mosquito-proofing

Still water with an open top is an invitation for mosquitoes. A screened, sealed lid keeps them out, and so does fixing small gaps around the inlet and overflow. See Mosquito-Proof Rain Barrel.

Preventing algae

Algae needs sunlight and food. An opaque, dark barrel blocks the light, and a screen or first flush diverter keeps out most of the debris that feeds it. See Preventing Algae in Rain Barrels.

Winterizing

Ice can warp plastic and crack fittings, and you won't find the leaks until spring. Before freezing weather, empty the barrel, remove the spigot, and reconnect your downspout. See Winterizing Rain Barrels.

Watercolor illustration of an empty rain barrel on its wooden stand for winter, with the spigot set to the open position and the downspout reconnected, beside frosty garden bedsA few minutes of fall care keeps your barrel ready for spring rain.

Not sure water collection is the right place to start? My free 2-page guide, Which Urban Homestead System Should You Start First?, helps you pick the system that fits your space and your time.

Having trouble? Start here

If something already isn't working, find your problem below and jump straight to the fix.

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Amy DeVries helps beginner urban homesteaders learn by doing. A lifelong gardener, she has grown food in spaces that expanded to 16 raised beds, patio containers, dwarf fruit and nut trees, and gravity-fed rainwater systems. She shares practical lessons shaped by real experience. Amy homeschools her children and teaches the same hands-on skills that guide her work.

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