Rainwater Harvesting Handbook
The Complete Guide to Designing, Maintaining, and Thriving with Your Home Rainwater System
by Leonard Prosky
non-fiction
The complete, no-nonsense guide to designing, maintaining, and getting the most from your home rainwater harvesting system.
About this book
You've installed a rain barrel or a full cistern system—now what? Or you're planning one and want to avoid costly mistakes. Rainwater harvesting is a powerful way to achieve water independence, save money, and weather droughts, but the journey is full of practical questions: What components do I really need? How do I keep the water safe? Why does my pump keep failing? Where can I find unbiased answers that don't come from a manufacturer or a random forum? This handbook is your comprehensive, vendor-neutral reference, filled with real-world stories, practical checklists, and tested solutions.
From sizing your system to selecting the right pump, filter, and UV unit, this book walks you through every decision with clarity. You'll learn how to assess your water needs, design a system that matches your rainfall and roof, and choose components that will last. You'll master the art of water quality management—from first-flush diverters to regular testing—ensuring your family's safety. And you'll develop a maintenance routine that prevents costly failures and keeps your system running year after year. Each chapter includes real-life examples of what goes wrong and how to fix it, based on decades of hands-on experience.
With ongoing droughts, rising water rates, and a growing desire for self-sufficiency, rainwater harvesting is no longer a fringe idea—it's a smart investment for your home, your wallet, and the planet. This book gives you the knowledge to make that investment pay off, whether you're starting from scratch, upgrading an existing system, or troubleshooting a problem. You'll also find practical advice on integrating your system with your garden, livestock, or small-scale agriculture, making it valuable for rural property owners and homesteaders.
Companion books for this audience: The Rainwater Harvesting Troubleshooter: 101 Common Problems and How to Fix Them • The Rainwater Garden: How to Use Harvested Water to Grow a Lush Landscape • Rainwater Harvesting for Small Farms: A Guide to Agricultural Water Security.
Reader Reviews
Carol Thomas
★★★★★The book has some genuinely useful advice, especially the chapter on why you're harvesting and the honest talk about maintenance. But I felt it dragged in places—the opening story about the first barrel was relatable, but then it got a bit too technical for a casual reader like me. I was hoping for more troubleshooting tips, but it leans more toward design. Still, if you're serious about a system, it's a decent reference.
Jacob Johnson
★★★★★I've had a rain barrel for a few years and made some of the same mistakes the author describes—clogged downspouts, murky water. This book gave me a clear path to upgrade properly, especially the sections on pumps and water quality. My only gripe is that some chapters feel a bit repetitive, like the author repeats the same 'know your needs' mantra. But overall, it's packed with real-world examples and checklists that are actually useful.
Eric Martin
★★★★★As someone planning a full cistern system, I found this incredibly helpful. The author's experience shows—I loved the opening about that first disappointing barrel, and the way he breaks down system sizing and component selection is spot-on. I docked a star because I wish there were more diagrams or photos; sometimes the text-only explanations are hard to follow. But the vendor-neutral perspective is refreshing, and the maintenance routines alone are worth the price.