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Water from sky to soil

Catching rain on a roof, slowing it across a slope, banking it underground.

Water
  1. 01
    A rooftop with gutters and downspouts draining into a water tank, with measurement annotations
    Water№ 0704 min

    Roof Catchment Calculation: Know Your Numbers

    How to calculate rainwater yield from your roof area, accounting for runoff coefficients, losses, and annual rainfall to size your harvesting system correctly.

  2. 02
    A rainwater collection barrel connected to a roof gutter system
    Water№ 3844 min

    Rainwater Harvesting Basics

    Catch the rain off your roof, hold it in a tank, and water your garden through the dry months. Here's how.

  3. 03
    A PVC first-flush diverter installed on a downspout with a clear inspection chamber
    Water№ 1663 min

    First-Flush Diverters: Clean Water from the Start

    How first-flush diverters work to remove dust, bird droppings, pollen, and debris from the initial roof runoff before it enters your rainwater tank.

  4. 04
    Water samples in test bottles beside a field testing kit and record sheet
    Water№ 5136 min

    Water Quality Testing: Knowing What You Actually Have

    What to test for in rainwater, wells, and surface water, how often, and the treatment steps that match each class of contaminant.

  5. 05
    Several water tanks of different sizes lined up beside a shed, connected by pipes
    Water№ 4854 min

    Tank Sizing: How Much Storage Do You Need?

    Match roof supply to garden and household demand with a monthly water budget that reveals the real storage volume you need.

  6. 06
    A water tank on a raised platform in the shade of a large tree with gravity-fed pipes running downhill
    Water№ 4844 min

    Water Tank Placement: Shade, Elevation, and Gravity

    Where to put a water tank so shade keeps it cool, elevation gives free pressure, and overflow feeds the landscape instead of eroding it.

  7. 07
    A contour swale on a hillside with trees planted along the berm
    Water№ 4744 min

    Swales on Contour: Passive Water Harvesting

    Design and build contour swales that catch runoff, recharge groundwater, and turn dry hillsides into productive land.

  8. 08
    A series of small rock check dams across a gully with vegetation establishing behind them
    Water№ 0783 min

    Check Dams: Slowing Water, Building Land

    How small rock, log, or earth barriers placed across drainage lines slow erosion, capture sediment, infiltrate water, and gradually rebuild degraded gullies.

  9. 09
    A large farm dam with vegetated margins, shallow shelves for aquatic plants, and a central deep zone reflecting the sky
    Water№ 3655 min

    Ponds and Dams: Landscape-Scale Water Storage

    How to site, build, and shape ponds and dams that store irrigation water, host wildlife, buffer microclimate, and defend against fire.

  10. 10
    A cross-section of dark, humus-rich soil with visible root networks and moisture glistening on aggregates
    Water№ 4483 min

    Soil Is Your Biggest Water Tank

    How organic matter turns soil into a massive water reservoir, and the practical moves that increase your water-holding capacity.

  11. 11
    A percolation tank holding monsoon runoff so it can soak down into the aquifer
    Water№ 0185 min

    Aquifer Recharge: Putting Water Back Underground

    Managed recharge from check dams to infiltration basins, why underground storage beats surface storage, and how to avoid recharging pollution.

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