Building With Awareness
Install a buried rainwater cistern
for your green home
Construction Tour 8 of 14 
|
A buried 1,500 gallon tank is used as a rainwater cistern. The rainwater from the roof is used for flushing the toilet, the cold water for the washing machine, and for some gardening. Installation is relatively straightforward and can be observed in the Building With Awareness DVD video. A backhoe was used to dig the hole, the tank was pushed into position, plumbed, and covered with dirt. A 24 volt DC pump is used (since this home is powered with photovoltaics) to pressurize the water. Even in a relatively dry area that receives less than 8" of precipitation a year (such as in Albuquerque, New Mexico), it is worth collecting rainwater to supplement the conventional drinking water supply. About 600 gallons will be collected for every inch of rain that lands on 1,000 square feet of roof area.
|
Building With Awareness
|