After a cold Missouri winter, it was time to get the rain catchment system back online for spring. I kept everything disconnected and drained during the colder months to prevent cracked pipes and busted fittings from freezing water. That approach has saved me some costly repairs.

This year the setup has changed a bit. I added an IBC tank last fall to increase capacity. Over the weekend, I reorganized the plumbing to tie the tank and the barrels together. The new layout uses a shared manifold, which helps equalize the water levels across all tanks. I installed shutoff valves at key points to give me better control over the system.

Each tank is elevated on pallets or blocks to improve gravity-fed flow and keep things level. A small water pump connected at the outlet gives me the pressure needed to run a hose across the yard. The pump is wired to a small battery, which is charged by a solar panel mounted on the roof. This setup keeps the system off-grid and low-maintenance.

I plan to use the water for our garden, and my kids will be able to use it to play and cool off in the summer. It meets both needs without pulling from the main water supply.