--- title: 5 Components Every Rainwater Harvesting System Must Include description: Setting up a rainwater harvesting system can seem complicated. To make it simple, we have identified 5 components you must have to get started. image: http://blog.enduraplas.com/hubfs/5%20Components%20Every%20Rainwater%20Harvesting%20System%20should%20Include.jpg --- [![Enduraplas® Logo](https://blog.enduraplas.com/hs-fs/hubfs/White-Horizontal-FINAL-3.png?width=200&height=75&name=White-Horizontal-FINAL-3.png "Enduraplas® Logo")](http://enduraplas.com/) # Water Storage & Rain Harvesting **[View Our Water Tanks Here](https://www.enduraplas.com/category/water-storage-rain-harvesting/)****[↗️](https://www.enduraplas.com/category/spray-equipment/)** ## [5 Components Every Rainwater Harvesting System Must Include](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/5-components-every-rainwater-harvesting-system-must-include) **\[fa icon="book"\] 3 Minute Read** \[fa icon="calendar"\] Mar 10, 2017 9:49:11 AM / by [Calvin Firth](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/author/calvin-firth) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![5 Components Every Rainwater Harvesting System Must Include Image.jpg](https://blog.enduraplas.com/hs-fs/hubfs/5%20Components%20Every%20Rainwater%20Harvesting%20System%20Must%20Include%20Image.jpg?width=1024&name=5%20Components%20Every%20Rainwater%20Harvesting%20System%20Must%20Include%20Image.jpg "5 Components Every Rainwater Harvesting System Must Include Image.jpg") There are many components that you can include on your rain harvesting system. However, knowing what is important will help you set up a complete system that fits your budget. A rain collection package can sometimes add up to be quite expensive. To help you save installation time and money, I have recommended five key components of a rainwater harvesting system that will keep your water as clean as possible. ## 5 Must-Have Rainwater Harvesting Components You Will Need: 1. **Collection Area** - This component refers to your roof. This is an obvious component as you can't harvest rain water without a roof. This is the first point of contact for the rain fall. The volume of water you harvest will depend on the surface area of your roof. [**Pro tip:** Knowing how the material of your roof will affect the purity of the rainwater will make it easier to keep the water clean. Click to learn more.](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/how-popular-roof-materials-stack-up-for-rain-harvesting) **![Collection Area.jpg](https://blog.enduraplas.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Collection%20Area.jpg?width=1024&name=Collection%20Area.jpg)** 2. **Conveyance System** - A Conveyance system is a fancy word for downspouts and gutters. Without gutters you can't catch the water that falls on your roof. Including the right piping and gutters means the water will run off the roof and into your tank without collecting unneeded debris. The most common materials for gutters and downspouts are half-round PVC, vinyl, pipe, seamless aluminum, and galvanized steel. There are other necessary components you need to add to your downspout and gutters. This includes mount hardware, brackets, and straps to fasten the gutters and downspout to the fascia and the wall. **Pro tip: **For potable water systems, lead cannot be used as gutter solder, as is sometimes the case in older metal gutters. The slightly acidic quality of rain could dissolve lead and thus contaminate the water supply. **![Conveyance System.jpg](https://blog.enduraplas.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Conveyance%20System.jpg?width=1024&name=Conveyance%20System.jpg)** 3. **First Flush Diverter** - When the first lot of rain hits your roof and runs into your gutters, the water often contains a lot of pollutants from the air and debris on the roof. The [first flush diverter](http://www.rainharvest.com/rain-harvesting-pty-downspout-first-flush-diverter.asp) is a popular system that includes a valve that ensures the runoff from the first spell of rain is flushed out and does not enter the system. ![First Flush Diverter.jpg](https://blog.enduraplas.com/hs-fs/hubfs/First%20Flush%20Diverter.jpg?width=1024&name=First%20Flush%20Diverter.jpg) 4. **Leaf Screens** - Having the right filtration system in place is critical. Especially if you are Harvesting potable water that you will be drinking or using for your laundry. A sophisticated filtering system is needed to ensure harmful contaminates are removed. Leaf screens are installed along the gutter, in the downspouts and at the entrance of the water storage tank. [**Pro tip:** Keeping leaves, bugs and debris out of your tank is a must. Click to learn 5 easy steps to take to keep your water clean.](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/five-ways-to-keep-leaves-out-of-your-rainwater-tank) **![Leaf Screens.jpg](https://blog.enduraplas.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Leaf%20Screens.jpg?width=1024&name=Leaf%20Screens.jpg)** 5. **Water Storage Tank** - This is a key component of your complete system. Your storage system may be above ground or below ground and include more than one tank. Some of the common materials used for rain harvesting tanks are poly, galvanized steel and concrete. [**Pro tip:** If your tank is above ground, you must take serious measures to prevent algae growth. Click to learn more.](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/3-ways-to-eliminate-algae-growth-in-water-tanks) ![Above ground water storage tank option.jpg](https://blog.enduraplas.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Above%20ground%20water%20storage%20tank%20option.jpg?width=1024&name=Above%20ground%20water%20storage%20tank%20option.jpg) Rainwater harvesting is a great way to capture rainfall and use for a variety of applications. Although it is relatively simple, having the right components in place will ensure that your system works for you, and you get the quality of water you deserve! If you currently have a rain harvesting system installed and you use a component that is not mentioned here, we would love to hear about it. Just add a comment below.   [![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2396114/198b6a40-6f27-4ca7-be31-67f10966e128.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2396114/198b6a40-6f27-4ca7-be31-67f10966e128) Topics: [Buying a Rain Harvesting System](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/buying-a-rain-harvesting-system) ![Calvin Firth](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/550a42d0f67d5581ba524d1658fc83ae) #### Written by [Calvin Firth](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/author/calvin-firth) ### Get Monthly Helpful Tips - Recent - Popular - Categories ### Lists by Topic - [Harvesting Rainwater (7)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/harvesting-rainwater) - [Buying a Water Tank (5)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/buying-a-water-tank) - [Installing a Water Storage Tank (5)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/installing-a-water-storage-tank) - [Buying a Rain Harvesting System (2)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/buying-a-rain-harvesting-system) - [Eliminate Algae Growth in Water Tanks (2)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/eliminate-algae-growth-in-water-tanks) - [Customer Stories (1)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/customer-stories) ### Posts by Topic - [Harvesting Rainwater (7)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/harvesting-rainwater) - [Buying a Water Tank (5)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/buying-a-water-tank) - [Installing a Water Storage Tank (5)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/installing-a-water-storage-tank) - [Buying a Rain Harvesting System (2)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/buying-a-rain-harvesting-system) - [Eliminate Algae Growth in Water Tanks (2)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/eliminate-algae-growth-in-water-tanks) - [Customer Stories (1)](https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/topic/customer-stories) see all ### **See the Original Algae Resistant Water Tanks**   [![SHOP WATER TANKS](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2396114/255fd29d-9ba3-4621-8561-3a8e27184859.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2396114/255fd29d-9ba3-4621-8561-3a8e27184859) ### Recent Posts ## Get Monthly Helpful Tips Sign up to our blog to learn the best answers to popular questions about Water Storage & Rain Harvesting! Engineered for Endurance® Copyright © 2026 Enduraplas. All Rights Reserved. \[fa icon="chevron-up"\]Back to top ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Calvin Firth", "url" : "https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/author/calvin-firth" }, "datePublished" : "2017-03-10T15:49:11.000Z", "headline" : "5 Components Every Rainwater Harvesting System Must Include", "image" : [ "//blog.enduraplas.com/hubfs/5%20Components%20Every%20Rainwater%20Harvesting%20System%20should%20Include.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.enduraplas.com/water-storage-rain-harvesting/5-components-every-rainwater-harvesting-system-must-include", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.enduraplas.com/hubfs/Teal-Icon-FINAL-RGB.png" }, "name" : "Premia Group" } } ```