Rain Barrels (premanufactured)

These are typically too undersized to be considered a true cistern, but they can get you started.

Rain Barrels Iowa, LLC
www.rainbarrelsiowa.com

Aaron’s Rain Barrels
www.ne-design.net

RainBarrel USA
www.rainbarrelusa.com

Portland Rainbarrel Co.
www.portlandrainbarrels.com

Rain Water Solutions, Inc.
www.rainwatersolutions.com

Resource Conservation Technology Inc.
www.conservationtechnology.com

Recycled olive barrel rain barrels
www.waterritesys.com

Tijeras Rain Barrels
Custom rainbarrels in capacities from 50 to 360 gallons, in 34 colors.
www.tijerasrainbarrels.com

Bisbee and Sierra Vista, Arizona

Andrew Nelson – Bisbee
(520) 432-3143

Oasis Water Harvesting
www.oasisrainwaterharvesting.com

Rainbarrels (home-made)

Do a web search on: “How to make your own rain barrel” for instructions.

For a source of used food-grade barrels try:
- Feed stores
- Soda and juice bottling companies (Tucson-area residents, see below)
- Bakeries and tortilla factories

Tucson:

Kalil Bottling Company
Contact Patrick Duncan at the number below if you are interested in Kalil’s new and used plastic and metal 55-gallon drums, which can be converted into rainbarrels, composters, etc. Patrick has had personal success in converting the barrels for harvesting rainwater and has details on the process to share. New barrels are available but the used ones may also be considered safe for rain and compost uses. Current pricing (June 2011) starts at $13 per barrel. Deals for bulk orders may be worked out through contacting Patrick. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 2 pm. Location: 931 S Highland Ave, Tucson. Loading assistance is available, however, delivery is not available.
(520) 624-1788 x147

Distributors of Various Tank Types (& other water harvesting items)

Wet Earth – Australia
This company supplies irrigation, water tank and water pump products around Australia. Check out the water tanks range for Sydney including the slim and bladder rainwater tanks.
www.wetearth.com.au

BRAE Rainwater Technologies
Along with many types of tanks, they sell full kits with rainheads, pumps, pipes, filters, etc.
www.braewater.com

Rain Tank Depotwww.raintankdepot.com

Slim Tanks (for tight spaces and smaller lots)

Rainwater HOG (USA)
www.RainwaterHOG.com
These plastic 51-gallon tanks measure 71″ x 20″ x 9 1/2″ and can be mounted horizontally (groundHOG) or vertically (waterHOG) in small or tight spaces such as along fences or between floor joists.

Rainwater HOG (Australia)
www.waterhog.com.au
These plastic 180-liter tanks are 500 mm x 220 mm x 1800 mm and can be mounted horizontally (groundHOG) or vertically (waterHOG) in small or tight spaces such as along fences or between floor joists.

Bushman Tanks – USA
This Australian company is entering the American market. Check out their plastic slim tanks for urban applications. They have a small footprint and can double as cistern walls or cistern fences along property lines.
www.bushmanusa.com

Bushman Tanks – Australia
Check out their plastic slim tanks for urban applications. They have a small footprint and can double as cistern walls or cistern fences along property lines.
www.bushmantanks.com

Pioneer Tanks – USA
Check out their slim, sexy, and sturdy corrugated metal WATERHARVEST tanks now on sale on a limited basis.
www.pwtusa.com

BlueScope Water – Australia
This Australian company’s Slimline and Waterpoint Classic Tanks are sexy and great for urban applications – especially small yards.
www.bluescopewater.com

Slimline Rainwater Tanks – Australia
Corrugated stainless steel tanks.
www.slimlinetanks.com.au

Waterwall Rainwater Storage Sytems – Australia
These slim plastic tanks come in 317 and 660 gallon (1200 and 2500 liter) capacities, but you can connect a number of them together for greater cumulative storage capacity. They are designed to double as free-standing fences or to be installed against a wall or building. www.waterwall.com.au

Plastic Tanks

If placed above ground be sure tank is UV-resistant for durability, and light-proof so algae will not grow in tank. Select tanks for potable water storage.

American Tank Company
www.watertanks.com

Tank Town
www.rainwatercollection.com

Resource Conservation Technology Inc.
www.rainwatertechnology.com

Fralo Plastech
Plastic tanks for below-ground application.
www.fralo.net

Norwesco
Beware of Norwesco rotation-molded tanks for below-ground installation that require you to keep 20% of the tank filled with water at all times to prevent collapse of tank.
www.norwesco.com

Snyder
www.snydernet.com

Loomis Tanks
www.LoomisTank.com

Rotonics
www.rotonics.com

Bushman Tanks – USA
This Australian company is entering the American market. Check out their slim tanks for urban applications. They have a small footprint and can double as cistern walls or cistern fences along property lines.
www.bushmanusa.com

Bushman Tanks – Australia
Check out their slim tanks for urban applications. They have a small footprint and can double as cistern walls or cistern fences along property lines.
www.bushmantanks.com

RainwaterHOG
These plastic 180-liter (47-gallon) tanks are 500 mm x 220 mm x 1800 mm and can be mounted horizontally (groundHOG) or vertically (waterHOG) in small or tight spaces such as along fences or between floor joists.
www.RainwaterHOG.com

New Mexico

New Mexico Water Tanks
They sell potable water-grade 1.5lb/gallon HDLPE black plastic tanks for above-ground applications. These are thicker and stronger than 1.0lb/gallon black plastic tanks.
www.nmwatertanks.com

WaterMart of New Mexicowww.watermart.us

Arizona

Dewey
Loomis Tanks
www.loomistank.com/rainwater-collection-harvesting.shtml
(866) 636-0046

Prescott
Skywater, LLC
www.skywaterarizona.com

Tucson
Southern Arizona Rain Gutters
Plastic Bushman tanks, etc.
www.southernarizonaraingutters.com

Loomis Tanks
www.loomistank.com/rainwater-collection-harvesting.shtml
(866) 883-8265

Fiberglass Tanks

If the tank is to be placed above-ground be sure it has a UV-resistant coating for durability, and it is light-proof so algae will not grow in tank. Select tanks for potable water storage.

Tank Town
www.rainwatercollection.com

XERXES Fiberglass Underground Tanks
www.proformcorp.com

Tucson
Glas-Tec Inc.
(520) 746-9155

Wood Tanks

Timbertanks America
1,600- to 97,000-gallon tanks
www.timbertanks.com

Forest and Lumber Cooperage, Ltd
3,000-, 6,500-, and 9,000-gallon tanks
www.forestlumber.com/cistern.php

Pre-manufactured Metal Tanks

Pioneer Tanks – USA
Check out their slim, sexy, and sturdy 250 to 1,000-gallon capacity corrugated metal WATERHARVEST tanks now on sale on a limited basis.
www.pwtusa.com

BH Tanks Inc – USA
This Blue Scope Water company offers tanks from 10,000 to 65,000 gallons for residential use and for commercial applications offers tanks up to 700,000 gallons.
www.bhtank.com

BlueScope Water – Australia
This Australian company’s Slimline and Waterpoint Classic Tanks are sexy and great for urban applications – especially small yards. But they are not yet available in the U.S. Contact them – and Pioneer Tanks (their U.S. arm) and request they distribute in the U.S. as soon as possible!
www.bluescopewater.com

American Tank Company
www.watertanks.com

CorGal Water Storage Tanks
www.corgaltanks.com
www.specallproducts.com

Texas Metal Cisterns
www.texasmetalcisterns.com

Northern New Mexico

Williams Windmills
www.williamswindmill.com

Modular Metal Tanks (shipped to, then fabricated on site)

Pioneer Tanks
GALAXY metal tanks with polymer liner ranging in size from 5,000 to 700,000-gallon capacity.
www.pwtusa.com

Corgal Water Storage Tanks
600- to 500,000-gallon capacity
www.corgaltanks.com
www.specallproducts.com

Steel Culverts (to make your own culvert cisterns)

Instructions to build your own culvert cistern available in Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands, Volume 3, and here at the Southern Arizona Rain Gutters website. NOTE: See AMES Blue Max for a sealer option on the interior of the culvert cistern.

Look up “culverts” in your phone book yellow pages.

Arizona Culvert of Casa Grande
This company makes culverts in 6″ increments, from 1′ to 12′ diameter, and any length (nearest foot).  Price for 42″-60″ culverts is in the range of $30-$50/foot.  I recommend you build culvert cisterns no smaller in diameter than 4′. I find the smaller diameters are harder to construct, and don’t offer enough storage capacity. Delivery to Tucson is $250 for 1 or several culverts; if you can wait until they are making other deliveries to Tucson, you can save 50% or more on the delivery charge.
(520) 426-6000

Fabricators of Metal Lids (for culvert cisterns)

Advantage Air Mechanical
These folks in Tucson, Arizona, make high quality, structural lids. Inspection ports with covers are an option.
www.advantageairmechanical.com/sheetmetalproduction.php

A good design can be fabricated by local sheet metal shops.

Tucson
Quick Custom Metals
Can build 4 foot, 1.5-inch diameter lids from 24 gauge metal, and 5 foot, 2-inch diameter lids from 20-22 gauge metal. Ask for galvanized or galvalume metal. 4-foot diameter lids cost about $90 each. 5-foot diameter lids cost about $150 each.
(520) 888-7313

AIRCO Products
Ask for Chapo. He can build 3 foot, 1.5 inch diameter lids for about $35 each from 24 gauge sheet metal.
(520) 326-1441

Precast Ferrocement Septic Tanks (made for cistern use)

Instructions on customizing new ferrocement septic tanks to act as cisterns for non-potable water are provided in Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands, Volume 3.

Look up “septic tank manufacturers” in your phone book yellow pages.

Tucson
Arizona Precast Septic Concepts LLC
5550 S Beverly Ave
(520) 663-3459
1,000; 1,250; 1,500-gallon above ground tanks. Below ground tanks from 1,000 to 5,700-gallons

Mitt’s Precast
(520) 883-5298

Bladder Tanks

Eco Sac Water Storage
The eco sac® is an Australian flexible rainwater bladder storage system that hides away under decks or floors making it more discrete than traditional water tanks. The bladders are made from a beige-coloured PVC material which enables potable water storage to Australian standards. This means that the water captured can be used safely to fill swimming pools and fish ponds without fear of contamination from the bladder. The bladders sit in a strong galvanized steel frame supported by industrial strength geo-tech fabric which gives added protection.
www.ecosac.com.au