Rainwater Harvesting Services

Rainwater Harvesting

 

Rainwater catchment systems are more than glorified rain barrels; they can be sophisticated and complex systems. We specialize in custom, individualized rainwater harvesting systems. Let us navigate the complexities and hurdles of regulations, system sizing, and climate considerations.

Rainwater for Irrigation

Rainwater harvesting is either active or passive. Active rainwater harvesting involves the use of gutters, cisterns, and related equipment. In passive rain harvesting, your soil is the storage medium for the rain via features like swales and basins ("planting the rain").

It is unsustainable that 40-70% of potable water is used to irrigate outdoors. Irrigating with rainwater allows you to conserve municipal water and saves you money on your water bill (or well pump). It's also good for your plants, which prefer the naturally soft, chlorine-free rainwater source that they evolved with.

Rainwater for Whole House/ Off-Grid

Are you building a new house in an area where you have no access to municipal water? Before you drill an expensive well and take a chance on the quantity of water you could get... consider going off grid with a rainwater harvesting system.  

Think we don't get enough rain in NM? Think again...

We design and install rainwater harvesting systems that can supply your whole household with potable water. We size your system to provide adequate water even through low rainfall periods. Active rainwater harvesting systems prolong the benefits of rainfall by extending the timeframe when rainwater can be put to use. Even in very arid climates there is sufficient harvestable rain to meet a wide range of water needs. We also combine rainwater harvesting with conservation steps and greywater reuse to minimize your water footprint and provide a quality, secure water supply. But we can’t make it rain, so you still have the option to fill your cistern with hauled water. 

Rainwater to Supplement a Well 

If you currently have a well that you are concerned about going dry, consider adding a rainwater harvesting system as another potable water source. We can create a hybrid system for you that will allow use of both well water and rainwater in your household.  


DISCOVER MORE  

Our Services

How can we help you?

Our Process

What are the steps for a Cactus Rain project?

Cost 

How much does a complete rainwater harvesting system typically cost?

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FAQ

How can we help you?

 

Design & Consulting

We provide design and consulting services for rainwater harvesting systems on residential and small commercial projects. 

A rainwater collection system can be used to supply water for irrigation, indoor, and potable uses.

  • Irrigation
  • Potable supply
  • Stormwater retention

We provide customized rainwater harvesting systems that are optimized for your collection area and give you the most convenient method of using the rainwater to maximize your savings and reduce your environmental footprint.

  • Active (cisterns)
  • Passive (planting the rain)

Installation

Modern rainwater catchment systems are more than just rain barrels. They can be sophisticated and complex systems. 

Once you get into the parts and pieces of the system, our experience will help you create an efficient, safe, aesthetically fitting, code compliant, and “as maintenance-free as possible” system.

We provide a full suite of services for rainwater harvesting systems, depending on your goals and phase of development.  

We can design and install systems throughout New Mexico, but our focus is in the central area which includes Santa Fe to Albuquerque, East Mountains, and Bernalillo. 


Service & Maintenance

We offer a range of maintenance, inspection, and testing services that complement our installed systems or help you diagnose issues with your existing rainwater harvesting systems.

  • System Assessment 
  • Annual Maintenance Contracts
  • Upgrades and Repairs
  • Water Testing 

Products

Conserve water. Add luxury, beauty, and function. 

Cactus Rain has partnered with suppliers of top-quality water tanks, filters, water pumps, water treatment products, and more. 

We use the best technology and quality materials available, including the most sustainable products we can source.

 

Our Process

get started
Contact & Initial Discussion

After you contact us, we will ask a bit more about your project to make sure our services are a good fit.  During the phone consultation, we will be able to discuss:

  • Your goals and objectives
  • Intended use of rainwater/greywater
  • Potential volume of water
  • Timeline
  • Budget/ costs
  • Next steps
  • and much more...

Initial consult is free 

Get Started

design
On-Site Consultation

...Then we visit your project!

Our initial consultation and basic analysis services can include:

  • Site assessment
  • Soil typing
  • Basic water testing
  • Indoor water use audit + Water efficiency improvements
  • Rainwater harvesting report
  • Greywater potential report
  • Irrigation sizing report
  • Property-specific considerations and recommendations
  • Multiple design and equipment options, including estimated costs
  • Plant List
  • Local rebates and incentives

We have a passion for educating people about the systems we design. Our on-site consultation is essentially a personalized educational and design session where we work through all of the various options for your optimized and cost-effective system. It takes time and research to do this, so we do charge a fee for the on-site consultation. 

or a Remote Consultation

If you are located far from our office in the East Mountains of New Mexico, or if you are just exploring options right now, you can email us your house plans, site pictures, etc., and we will create a "getting started" design guide for you.

  • Rainwater harvesting sizing report
  • Greywater potential report
  • Irrigation sizing report
  • Multiple design and equipment options
design
Detailed Design

If the system design is right for you, then we will send you a contract for the complete design and/or install work. The resulting design can be implemented on your own, or project managed by Cactus Rain using our licensed partners.

Complete, ready-to build, custom design documentation can include:

  • design plans + specifications,
  • site plans,
  • parts list,
  • cut sheets,
  • cost estimates,
  • permit applications
  • other as needed 
build
Install

Install stage can include installing above and/or below-ground cisterns, conveyance piping, plumbing and electrical connections, pumps, floats, switches, valves, filters, etc. 


Labor can be completed by your own contractor, landscaper, plumber, electrician - or project managed end-to-end by Cactus Rain, using our licensed partners.


Start Up

System components inspection + startup

Operation & Maintenance Manual 

Water quality testing (as needed)

save!
Start Saving Water!

How much does a complete Rainwater Harvesting System typically cost? 

There are many different variables - house design, roof design, personal aesthetics, existing obstacles, local ordinances, etc - and different ways - dry vs. wet systems, gravity supply vs. pressurized supply, above or below ground tanks - to design an active rainwater harvesting system. 

Here are some indicative price ranges of different system types and sizes. These price ranges apply to residential projects only. 

Metal tanks and below-ground tanks tend to cost more, but can be more aesthetically pleasing. Some New Mexico jurisdictions mandate below-ground tanks.

Irrigation Systems


<$1,500

  • Rain barrels and DIY systems
  • Barrel sizes from 40 to 1,000 gallons
    • Mostly polyethylene tank choices


$2,000 to $7,000

  • Cisterns ranging from 500 gallons to 2,500 gallons
    • Typical cistern materials: Polyethylene and Galvanized Metal
  • Single downspout connection 
  • Overflow pipe with overflow flap
  • Water level indicator

$5,000 to $10,000

  • Small To Large Irrigation (Non-Pressurized) & Small Irrigation (Pressurized) 
  • Cisterns ranging from 1,000 gallons to 3,000 gallons
    • Typical cistern materials: Polyethylene and Galvanized Metal
  • Basic components, including water level indicator
  • Pump system options available


$10,000 to $20,000

  • Large Irrigation (Pressurized)
  • Cisterns ranging from 2,500 gallons to 5,000 gallons
    • Typical cistern materials: Polyethylene, Galvanized Metal, and Corrugated Metal Liner Tanks
  • Dry and Wet System conveyance collection methods
  • Basic components, including water level indicator
  • Pump system options available


Irrigation + Potable Systems


$20,000 to $35,000

  • Large Irrigation (Pressurized) & Small Potable Systems 
  • Cisterns ranging from 5,000 gallons to 8,000 gallons
    • Typical cistern materials: Polyethylene, Galvanized Metal, Fiberglass, and Corrugated Metal Liner Tanks
    • Above or below-ground options
  • Variety of pump system options available
  • Connection to onsite irrigation system or to pressurized hose bibb
  • Connection to house to use for potable purposes (filtration and disinfection system required)

$40,000 +

  • Large Potable Systems 
  • Typical cistern sizes: 10,000 gallons +
    • Typical cistern materials: Fiberglass and Corrugated Metal Liner Tanks
    • Above or below-ground options
  • Variety of pump system options available
  • Connection to onsite irrigation system or to pressurized hose bibb
  • Connection to house to use for potable purposes (filtration and disinfection system required)





Contact us to design and estimate your rainwater harvesting system

Rainwater FAQ

Think again! Many people in New Mexico live entirely off rainwater year-round.
Cactus Rain will help you use less water, harvest what is available, and use it more than once. 

Short answer... Generally, you can collect 0.6 gallons per 1 square foot of roof per 1 inch of rain. That means a 2,000 square foot roof will capture 1,200 gallons of rainwater from just 1 inch of rain. 


The longer answer is... it depends. 

Your roof type, slope, the temperature, and the size of the rain event can all affect the volume you can collect.

Depending on your goals, you may want to capture as much as you can, or only as much as you need. 


Contact us to size and design your rainwater harvesting system

In a "dry" rainwater system, the water goes from gutters and downspouts into a tank without standing in the piping. In a wet system, water travels via an underground conveyance to the collection tank.

  • Gutters (pitched roof) or Canales (flat roof)
  • Downspouts
  • Filters
  • Barrels/ Tanks/ Cisterns
    • Light guard (to prevent algae)
    • Fittings, often 1", 1.5", or 2"
    • Level Gauge
  • Pump (optional, depending on application)

Some upgrades to a barrel under a downspout:

  • mesh filter or leaf eater to keep debris out
  • light filter to prevent algae growth
  • overflow outlet to a passive rain garden
  • a pump to bring water inside, water the garden, or fill up other tanks

We take a holistic and integrated approach to designing effective rainwater harvesting systems in which passive and active water harvesting elements are designed and placed relative to other site elements to meet multiple needs, provide multiple benefits, and increase overall site sustainability and resiliency.



The cleanest part of the water is just below the surface. There might be debris floating on top, and there is definitely sediment in the bottom of the tank.

How much you filter water depends on the application. At a minimum you want to keep "gunk" out of your tank, and prevent critters or kids from getting in... but for irrigation only, you don't need to worry about treating water to potable standards. You also want to avoid creating a mosquito breeding tank!

  • Pre-tank filter mesh keeps debris, leaves, etc. out of the tank. Filter mesh can be installed on gutters, on downspouts, at the top of tank, or all of the above. Filter mesh options are cheap, and a must have to keep stuff out of the tank! A Leaf Eater is an inexpensive option to put on downspouts.
  • In tank options such as floating intake filters get the cleanest water  to keep debris out of the pump), sized to the GPM of the pump
  • After tank 
    • in-line filter to keep fine debris out of an above-ground pump
    • disinfect for in-home uses


YES!
The most common sanitation treatment for rainwater systems in Ultra-violet (UV) light treatment. Reverse Osmosis, Ozone treatment, and a few others are less common than UV for whole-house treatment.

You can fill a bucket or send water downhill using a hose without a pump, because gravity gives you a bit of pressure.

If you need to lift water above the tank, deliver it on level via an irrigation system, or send it to household fixtures, it needs added pressure. That's where the pump comes in. 

Your choice of pump will be driven primarily by how much flow you need.

  • Booster pump
  • A Variable Frequency Drive (VFD), also known as a constant pressure pump, will spin the motor up to meet the demand of the water usage and reduce the motor speed as needed. VFDs will give consistent, higher pressure, and flow rates up to 32 gpm.  A quality option like the DAB ESYBOX DIVER will cost $2,000-$3,000, though some are less - more like $900 range when made of plastic parts rather than stainless steel. 
  • Single speed, submersible, on-demand type pumps are less expensive, around $1,000 for a high quality option like the DAB 2-45/90. These are not variable speed, so we might add an expansion tank to limit the number of starts and stops. They can deliver 10-12 gpm.

For the extra cost, VFDs have several advantages, including energy savings, longer life, and higher flow rates.

    • Uses a minimum amount of energy -  VFD pumps only run the motor at the speed that is needed to meet the demand for water.
    • Reduces motor starting current - allows the motor to gradually ramp up to meet the actual flow and pressure demand within the range of the pump's performance capabilities.
    • Provides a degree of motor protection
    • Cuts the wear and tear on the motor
    • Simplifies the design of the flow control system
    • Provides extensive diagnostics
    • Reduces the required maintenance


Hard to say... it depends on how clean or dirty the water is. If you notice a drop in pressure on the discharge, time to check the carbon filter/ cartridge. Most people change them at least once a year, but actual mileage may vary :)


Very common, but not essential. 

A first flush diverter is designed to capture the "first flush" of rainwater that runs off your roof, which often contains the most contaminants and pollutants. In theory, this keeps the water in your tank cleaner. In reality, research shows that it does not improve the water quality coming out of a rainwater harvesting system.

Downsides of first flush diverters - 

  • You capture less water! Wasting water - every drop counts here.
  • Need to be maintained regularly, otherwise they get clogged and go septic, which would be detrimental to the system!
  • Prone to freezing
  • Added cost

At Cactus Rain LLC, we review best practices and advocate for the simplest, lowest maintenance systems that actually work.

Actually important - a simple mesh filter to remove debris!

A biofilm layer 

We don't clean tanks unless something has gone very wrong. 

The biofilm on the inside of the tank and sludge layer at the bottom of the tank are a healthy - indeed critical - part of the rainwater harvesting ecosystem. These  act like a bioremediation to bioaccumulate all kinds of yuckies and toxins, even things like lead! (Nature-based solutions) - 

So, we leave it!

One large tank, optimized based on supply and demand metrics.

  • Assembling lots of little tanks can cost as much or more as one big one, once you get all the plumbing and fittings.
  • Bioremediation works better in larger tanks.
  • Bad stuff tends to grow in the pipes that connect the lots of little tanks.



  • Undersizing storage - or else not having a passive raingarden for overflow.
  • Not collecting the whole roof area - why not?
  • Not protecting from freezing
  • Creating a mosquito breeding ground (use mesh screen!)
  • Not keeping the design as simple as possible - don't put storage far away from catchment