[Case Studies]
These case studies show how we’ve designed rainwater harvesting systems for properties facing different constraints: challenging topography, limited roof area, multiple buildings, fire protection requirements, and integration with existing infrastructure. Each project demonstrates specific solutions to problems you might be facing on your own property.
What You’ll Learn:
How we size systems for different roof areas and consumption needs
Solutions for difficult site conditions (elevation changes, long distances, existing structures)
Real collection volumes and storage capacities from completed projects
Integration approaches for properties with wells, municipal connections, or multiple buildings
These aren’t marketing showcases — they’re technical examples showing how we solve actual design and installation challenges.
Discuss Your Specific Property Challenges
[How to Use Case Studies]
These case studies are organized to help you find examples relevant to your property’s specific challenges:
Seek projects that tackle elevation changes, long distances, limited access, or tough terrain — demonstrating our adaptability to existing conditions.
Projects show multiple structures (house, barn, shop) feeding into shared storage, highlighting cost efficiency and complexity.
We size large-capacity systems for properties with high consumption needs and limited rainfall.
Some projects show rainwater systems integrating with existing wells and municipal connections.
[Featured Case Studies]
The Solution
The Solution
The Solution
The Solution
The Solution
Every property presents unique challenges — elevation changes, existing trees and landscaping, setback requirements, existing infrastructure. We haven’t installed a system yet that matched “textbook ideal” conditions. The design process is about working with real site conditions, not requiring perfect scenarios.
The properties that report highest satisfaction are those where we sized storage for realistic drought reserve (2-4 months consumption), not minimal capacity. Under-sized systems force constant water management and run dry during normal seasonal dry periods. Over-sized systems waste money on capacity that never gets used. The right sizing requires honest calculation, not optimistic assumptions.
Properties limited by single-building roof area often become viable when we add secondary collection from barns, shops, garages, or other structures. Every additional roof square footage adds ~0.62 gallons per inch of rainfall — that accumulates significantly over a year.
Systems designed as rainwater-only (no backup) require very conservative sizing and force strict water management during drought. Systems with well or municipal backup can be sized more aggressively and provide easier operation. Most satisfied customers have backup available (even if rarely used) rather than betting entirely on rainwater in every possible scenario.
Systems designed as rainwater-only (no backup) require very conservative sizing and force strict water management during drought. Systems with well or municipal backup can be sized more aggressively and provide easier operation. Most satisfied customers have backup available (even if rarely used) rather than betting entirely on rainwater in every possible scenario.
Case studies demonstrate successful installations, but they don’t show you:
We've evaluated properties with excellent well water, affordable municipal connection, or limited roof collection. Not all properties benefit from rainwater harvesting.
These projects show final systems, but not the weeks of assessments, calculations, and design evaluations that preceded installation. The thinking process is as important as the final design.
Case studies show installation, but not years of operation. Maintenance, seasonal water management, and drought adaptations aren't visible in project photos.
Published case studies rarely include complete cost breakdowns or discussion of decisions driven by budget constraints vs. technical optimization.
This is why case studies are useful for understanding what’s possible, but your property evaluation needs to be specific to your situation not based on “this worked there, so it’ll work here” assumptions.
No — these are private properties, and we don’t provide tours without property owner permission (which is rarely granted). Case studies show design approaches and technical solutions, but site visits aren’t part of our process. We can provide references from past clients upon request during the proposal phase.
We install tanks a small as 10,000 gallons and as large as 300,000 gallons. We can install tanks above and below ground as well as inside the concrete foundation of a house/structure.
A typical 30,000-gallon tank that is 7’ 2” high requires a 33 ft. diameter sand pad or 28 ft. concrete pad. If a 30,000-gallon tank is desired but space is limited, the diameter of the tank can decrease while height increases, but this adds additional cost due to tank engineering specifications.
Standing Seam Metal, Corrugated Metal, Asphalt / Bitumen / Composition Shingle, Concrete or Clay Tile, Solar Panels, Slate tile, painted tile. Materials to avoid for potable rainwater use: Cedar Shake, Copper, Lead, Biocides (check to see if levels are low enough not to cause harm to plants and other vegetation) When in doubt, collect a water sample and send it to a lab to know what chemicals (if any) are present in your water. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) provides a list of approved roof coatings.
[Case Studies]
These case studies show solutions to specific problems on specific properties. Your property has its own unique conditions, constraints, and requirements. We’d rather assess your actual situation than have you make decisions based on what worked somewhere else under different circumstances.
