Of the 58,000+ communities with public water systems, the summer of 2007 saw many of them telling their citizens that they must use less potable water for irrigation because the water is needed for drinking. In addition, many streams, creeks and rivers are being scheduled for costly restoration projects because storm surges have collapsed banks and destroyed aquatic life. These damaged waterways in turn have flowed into our reservoirs and are compromising the quality of our drinking water sources.

As the level of concern increases, the need for solutions becomes more of a focus. Offers for rain barrels and rain storage systems are becoming more common when rainwater is ‘Googled’® on the Internet, but these products don’t provide enough of a solution by themselves. Even for the experienced gardener, there are too many questions left unanswered about methods to reuse rainwater. This book provides a detailed set of instructions for the design, installation and maintenance of a garden that collects rainwater.