The Price of the Waterhouse



Here's the history and our experience to date with the rain-water system. Note that our house already had gutters installed when we
began this project. 
 
This has been largely a do-it-yourself system, with some assistance provided initially from "Rainwater Over Texas". Being a mechanical 
engineer, I couldn't resist the urge to tinker with the design as I went. I believe the ultimate product is better than the original, but 
expenses were somewhat higher than expected due to the design changes. Fortunately, my wife intervened at some point and got the 
thing under control. 
 
We began researching equipment in June 2000. By November, we had selected a tank vendor. We did some minor site-work, including 
pad preparation in late November. In mid-December, the vendor delivered the tank. We built an 8X8 ft shed to house the pumps and other 
equipment late December (cheaper than buying a skid mounted one). Pumps and piping, electrical (wire, controls, breaker panels, etc.) 
were ordered in early January. 
 
The first section of the system to be installed was the collection piping for approx 1/2 of the house, the surge tank, the transfer pump, and 
piping to the storage tank. Later, the circulation piping to the tank was added. The piping from the storage tank to the house was installed 
next. This work was finished over a series of weekends ending in Late February. Due to the wet spring, the storage tank began filling 
quickly, and was about 1/2 full by Mid-March. After the remainder of the collection piping was tied into the system, the tank filled 
completely. Some additional controls and piping were added to assist with overflow. More controls were added to allow selection of 
rainwater or well water for the supply to the house, and a UV system to disinfect drinking water. Some moderate landscaping was done to 
hide much of the piping. Additional landscaping was completed the following spring. For the most part, the system is rather stealthy -- i.e.,
it is not easily noticable in the landscaping. 
Approximate Costs. (not including tinkering)
 

Storage Tank	$ 4,500.00
Surge Tank	550.00
Delivery and Setup	500.00
Circulation System and Ozone Injector	1,250.00
Tank Cleaner	400.00
Shed	800.00
UV Purifier	700.00
Piping	1,200.00
Pumps	950.00
Controls, valves, wiring, etc.	600.00
Total for parts and equipment	$ 11,450.00

UPDATE: Since ours was installed, we have helped others research and install their systems. The costs above were from suppliers of

rainwater collection systems, and consequently had some markup. If you're willing to research the items yourself, you can save about 25-40% on 
many items. If you consider that the water in the storage tanks is much like having water in a swimming pool, it becomes obvious that most of the
filtration and pumping technologies used in the pool industry should work great. Pumps, filters, cleaners, etc. are readily available. For 
example, the circulation system and ozone injector for a 50,000 gallon size pool is more than adequate for 10,000--20,000 gallons of stored 
rainwater. A recent check on line showed that an ozone generator could be ordered from a Shanghai supplier for about $200.00 (including shipping 
to your door).  An appropriate tank cleaner could be obtained for about $250.00.