Large, plastic rain barrels are now available at home and garden stores. The barrel looks much like a garbage can, but has a hole in the top where a roof downspout can fit snugly. A valve near the bottom allows you to fill a watering can or connect a hose. The barrel is not unsightly, and a four-foot shrub could easily shield it from view. Water is collected from the roof, filtered and stored in a container made of concrete, metal, wood, fiberglass or plastic.
Water travels from the cistern upon demand by either gravity feed or pump action.
Whenever possible, use bricks, gravel, turf block, mulch, pervious concrete or other porous materials for sidewalks, driveways or patios. These materials allow rainwater to seep into the ground, helping to filter pollutants and reducing the amount of runoff from your yard. In some cases they may even cost less to install than typical paving materials. It requires occasional replenishing. Cypress mulch not recommended because harvest depletes wetlands.