Rainwater harvesting in Florida with a tote

The parts of a catch

1. A gutter and a downspout that carry the roof water.
2. A first-flush diverter or a simple leaf screen.
3. A screened inlet on the tote cap.
4. A tote on a level, firm base, in shade if you can.
5. An overflow that carries extra water away from the foundation.
6. A valve at the bottom to draw the water.

Most failures come from the overflow. A tote that fills in a downpour with nowhere for the extra water to go will pour it against the house.

Which grade

Rain for plants does not need a food-grade bottle. A rinsed or reconditioned tote is the usual choice, and it should have held something harmless. Avoid bottles that held herbicide, pesticide or fuel. Flush it before first use, and put a screen on every opening.

The stand

A tote of rain weighs about 2,300 pounds. Build the base from compacted gravel with a paver pad, or use a slab. Raise it a foot or two if you want gravity feed to a hose, but build the stand for the load or do not raise it at all. A wooden platform that was not designed for a ton and a quarter will fail the first wet season.

Using the water

Draw water from the valve with a hose or a bucket, never by dipping. Use it on ornamentals, trees and lawns. For edible plants, follow UF/IFAS guidance about contact with the leaves and fruit. Empty the tote before it has stood for months in the heat.

Maintenance through the year

Clean the gutters before the wet season starts, check the screens in June, empty and rinse the first flush device after heavy storms, and drain the tote at the end of the season if you are leaving town. Inspect the base for settling after the first big fill. Write the dates on the cage or in your phone so the jobs do not rely on memory.

Building it step by step

Start at the roof edge. Clear the gutter of oak leaves, palm fronds and sand, then check the fall: a gutter should drop about a quarter inch every ten feet toward the downspout. Fit a leaf guard, then a downspout diverter with a flap that sends the first gallons of each storm to the lawn. Below the diverter, cut the downspout where the tote cap sits, aim it into a basket strainer that rests on the cap, and use flexible pipe so the connection can be lifted for cleaning. Level the pad with crushed rock, set pavers on a screed of coarse sand, and check the pad with a four-foot level in both directions before the tote goes on it. Put the tote on the pad empty, fill the first third by hose to check for settling, then open the valve and drain it to prove the flow. Last, run the overflow: a two-inch pipe from a bulkhead near the top, led away at least ten feet from the slab and any septic drainfield.

Troubleshooting a new catch

If the tote fills slowly, the downspout is probably clogged or the diverter flap is stuck open. If water stands under the tote, the pad has settled; drain it, lift it and rebuild the base. If mosquitoes appear, look for a gap at the strainer rim or the overflow end. If the water smells, it has stood too long with leaf litter; drain, scrub and refill. If the tote leans, drain it first, never try to straighten a full one. Write the date of each fix on the cage.

A weekly check that takes ten minutes

Once a week in the wet months, lift the strainer and rinse it, look inside the cap for larvae, press a hand against the cage to feel for movement, and look at the pad for sinking at one corner. Open the valve for a moment to prove it still runs and reseat the cap. Look at the overflow end for ants, roots or sediment. Check the gutter above for a sagging joint. After a heavy week, check the water for color and smell before you put it on food plants. If a mosquito net or screen has torn, replace it that day. Write the date and anything odd on the cage with a marker, so the next person knows the history.

What a tote will not do for you

A single tote will not water a lawn through the dry months, will not make rain safe to drink, and will not fill in a drizzle. It will cover a garden bed, wash a truck, fill a mop bucket and flush a toilet in an outage. Set that expectation first and you will be pleased with the result instead of disappointed by it.

Rules to check before you build

Look at your HOA covenants, your city's rules on stands and visible tanks, and your water district's guidance on cross connections. Most places allow a small, covered, screened tote at the side of a house. A short call to the building department settles the question before you spend anything.