RAIN RECLAMATIONSTATION
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The Authority on Rainwater Harvesting

Every roof is a water source.

Free water lands on your home every time it rains. We show you exactly how to legally collect it, store it, and put it to work, backed by state statutes and tested equipment, not guesswork.

See What Your Roof Collects Check Your State
Sourced from state statutes & EPA data Legal in all 50 states
Shop Shop Rain BarrelsIndependently selected 50 to 65 gal systems Calculate Rainwater CalculatorHow much can your roof collect? Legal State Rainwater LawsAll 50 states, statute-sourced Guide Beginner’s GuideFrom first barrel to filtered tap
Rainwater · By The Numbers
0/50
States where collection is legal
0gal
Per inch of rain on a 1,000 sq ft roof
0gal
Tap water one barrel saves per summer (EPA)
0-stage
Filtration path from barrel to drinking water

What Is Rainwater Harvesting?

The simplest idea in water conservation.

Rainwater harvesting is the practice of catching and storing the rain that already lands on your roof, instead of letting it run into a storm drain. It’s legal almost everywhere, inexpensive to start, and one of the few home upgrades that pays you back every time it rains.

We built this site to be the single most reliable source on how to do it right, state law, equipment, and filtration, all in one place, every claim cited.

Read the beginner’s guide
Rainwater from a downspout filling a rain barrel in a garden

Why It Matters

The math on rainwater has never looked better

More than half the continental US is in drought. Every gallon you catch is a gallon you don’t pull from the tap, or lose to the next watering restriction.

Drought pressure is rising

Over half the continental US is in drought as of mid-2026, near the worst footprint since 2012.

Outdoor use adds up

Roughly 30% of household water goes outdoors, up to 60% in dry Western climates.

One barrel, real savings

The EPA estimates a single rain barrel saves about 1,300 gallons of tap water each summer.

Legal nearly everywhere

Collection is legal in all 50 states, with only a handful of volume caps worth knowing about.

Know Before You Collect

Legal in all 50 states. A few worth double-checking.

Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington apply caps or permit rules for larger systems. Every other state places no restrictions on a standard rain barrel, and several actively encourage collection with tax credits and rebates.

Sourced, not summarized

Every state entry cites the actual statute or agency it came from, Colorado HB 16-1005, Texas SB 769, and so on.

Check Your State
Legal, no restrictions Cap or permit for large systems

Run Your Numbers

How much water is your roof already shedding?

One inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof is about 600 gallons. Slide your roof size and local rainfall into our calculator and see the real number.

623 gal

collected per inch of rain on every 1,000 sq ft of roof, at 100% efficiency.

38"

average annual rainfall for a US home, over 20,000 gallons a year on a typical roof.

1 to 2

barrels is all most homes need to cover a vegetable garden through summer.

Open the Rainwater Calculator

How It Works

From sky to sink in five steps

The same basic system whether you’re keeping tomatoes alive or filtering all the way down to drinking water.

Rainfall

Rain lands across your entire roof surface.

Roof & Gutter

Gutters funnel it to a single downspout.

Barrel Storage

A diverter routes water into a sealed barrel.

Filtration

Optional staged filtering for cleaner water.

Garden or Tap

Use it outdoors, or filter further for the tap.

Recommended Systems

The barrels we’d put under our own gutters

We carry the Good Ideas Rain Wizard and Impressions lines because they passed our testing criteria, not because anyone paid for placement.

Best First Setup
Rain Wizard 50 with Diverter Kit
Rain Barrel + Diverter

Rain Wizard 50 with Diverter Kit

The 50-gallon barrel bundled with a diverter, so a first-time buyer gets a complete downspout setup in one order.

50 galEasy install
Why this oneIt’s the setup we point most new collectors toward, nothing extra to buy, nothing to figure out.
$209.00View
Most Capacity
Rain Wizard 65 Gallon Rain Barrel
Rain Barrel

Rain Wizard 65

A larger-capacity barrel for bigger roofs, or households that want to stretch stored water further between refills.

65 galBig roofs
Why this oneIf your roof sheds more than a 50 can hold in one storm, size up once instead of buying twice.
$299.00View
Editor’s Pick
Impressions Riverwalk 50 Gallon Rain Barrel
Decorative Rain Barrel

Impressions Riverwalk 50

Styled like a planter rather than a utility barrel, built for front yards and anywhere the barrel needs to blend in.

50 galCurb appeal
Why this oneThe one to choose when an HOA-friendly look matters as much as the water.
$189.00View
Compare all six models side by side

Learn First

Guides written to be trusted, not to rank.

Every guide cites its sources, state statutes, the EPA, USGS, university extensions. If we can’t source a claim, we don’t publish it.

Why Rainwater Matters in 2026
Drought, water bills, and your garden, 6 min read From Rain Barrel to Tap
How to filter rainwater for drinking, safely, 7 min read 55 Gallons or 65?
Sizing a barrel to your roof and rainfall, 4 min read
Browse All Guides
Clean collected rainwater

Why Trust Us

Built like a research project, run like a promise.

The internet is full of contradictory answers about rainwater. We exist so you never have to sort through them again.

Statute-sourced legal data

Every state entry links to the law or agency it came from. When a law changes, the page changes.

Independent testing criteria

Products are judged on material quality, real capacity, ease of install, and manufacturer track record.

No paid rankings

No manufacturer can pay for placement, a rating, or a “best pick” label. Ever.

Built by actual collectors

We run these systems at home, from first barrel to staged filtration, before we write about them.

Read Our Editorial Policy

Ready When You Are

Start catching the next storm.

A single 50-gallon barrel with a diverter is enough to cut your summer water bill and keep a garden alive through a restriction.

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Expert Reviewed Independent Testing Criteria Government & University Sources No Paid Rankings