Rainwater harvesting is the capture, diversion, and storage of rainwater for landscape irrigation and other uses
In Albuquerque, about 15 billion gallons of water a year are used for land-scape irrigation.
Rainwater harvesting can be incorporated into large-scale landscapes, such as parks, schools, commercial sites, parking lots, and apartment complexes, as well as small-scale residential landscapes
[images show basins next to house; they should be at least 3 m from any foundation] To avoid structural or pest problems, locate holding areas at least 10 feet from any structures.
Curb cutouts can channel street or parking lot water to planted areas.
Roof-washing systems should be designed so that at least 10 gallons of water are diverted to the system for every 1,000 square feet of collection area.
Look under "Tanks, " "Feed Dealers," "Septic Tanks," or "Swimming Pools" in the Yellow Pages to locate storage containers.
Gravity flows at .433 psi per foot of elevation
NM Rainfall in different cities
NM Evapotranspiration
runoff coefficients
Low water use plants include grasses such as Blue Grama and trees such as Desert Willow.
Medium water use plants include grasses such as Buffalograss and trees such as Modesto Ash.
High water use plants include grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass and trees such as Globe Willow.
Supply, demand, storage, calculation worksheets
5" wide gutters, galvanized or aluminum
slope 1/16th inch per foot, seamless 1/16th per 10 feet
front of gutter 1/2" lower than the back
downspouts 20-50 ft apart
1" of downspout per 100 ft of roof area
The Negev-The Challenge of a Desert, Second Edition, by Michael Evenari, Leslie Shanan, and Naphtali T a d m o r . Harvard Press, 1982.
"Water Harvesting Traditions in the Desert Southwest," by Joel Glansburg, in the Permaculture Drylands Journal, #30, pp. 25-27. Permaculture Institute, USA, Summer 1998.
"Water Conservation Through an Anasazi Gardening Technique," by Carleton S. White, David R. Dreesen, and Samual R. Loftin in the New Mexico Journal of Science, Volume 38, pp. 251-278. New Mexico Academy of Science, November 1998.
Ferrocement Water Tanks and Their Construction, by S.B. Watt. Intermediate Technology Publications, 1978.
"Constructing Quick and Inexpensive Water Cisterns for Zone One Use," by Dan Dorsey in the Permaculture Drylands Journal #24, pp. 8-10. Permaculture Institute, USA, December 1995.
American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association
P.O. Box 685283
Austin, TX 78768-5283
Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems
8604 F.M. 969
Austin, TX 78724
(512) 928-4786
Permaculture Institute, USA
Casa Las Barrancas Farm
P.O. Box 3702
Pojoaque, NM 87501