Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond by Brad Lancaster

“Begin harvesting water where it is simple, easy, and inexpensive - in your landscape.

Follow a more sustainable hierarchy of water management where:

• Rainwater and localized runoff, our on-site water resources, are the primary water source for our landscapes and gardens.

• Greywater is the secondary water source for our landscapes. Greywater is household "wastewater" that drains from sinks, clothes washers, showers, bathtubs, reverse-osmosis water filters, and the condensate from air conditioners.

• Municipal water or groundwater from private wells is strictly a supplementary source for landscapes and only in times of need such as a drought. This is water pumped onto, or pumped up to, our site.”

--  Brad Lancaster, "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond"

30% to 50% of the drinking water consumed by the average American or Australian household is used to irrigate landscapes.