These TechNotes are intended to provide general information for the consideration of design strategies. BRIEF DESCRIPTION Many U.S. Army and Department of Defense (DoD) installations are located in water-stressed locations. Rainwater harvesting is an excellent means of supplementing water for use on site if the process is permitted by state and/or local laws. Using rainwater, where appropriate, conserves potable water consumption. Rainwater harvesting describes processes in which precipitation that falls on a site is diverted, captured, and stored for use on-site, as opposed to allowing it to run off, evaporate, or infiltrate into the soil. Depending on its intended use, the captured precipitation may require treatment. In a broad sense, rainwater harvesting can also include capture from surface water runoff; however, in the U.S., runoff is subject to surface water regulations. This document will confine discussion of rainwater harvesting to roof-top capture.
