Using Rainwater for Toilet Flushing

On average, 1/4 of household water is flushed down the toilet. If you’re filtering your own potable water, or your supply is limited, flushing it down the toilet will be both expensive and wasteful. A simple solution is to build a rainwater-fed toilet flushing system to use rainwater for toilet flushing.

Rainwater Storage

A rainwater storage system is simple enough to design. It is gravity fed and requires very little equipment. The most important piece to purchase is a sufficiently sized, high quality rainwater storage tank (rain barrel). Low quality tanks will swell, split or leak; while a poorly sized tank will leave you without enough water during the dry season. A rainwater storage tank is placed beneath the downspout from your eaves troughs to fill when it rains. A pipe connects the storage tank to your toilet tank which fills by gravity. If your house doesn’t allow you to place the storage tank above your toilet you will need to use an electric pump.

Before starting work it is important to check with your local health and safety regulations regarding rainwater harvesting for use inside the house. Just as importantly, if you’re not an experienced handyman, please solicit the help of a professional plumber or a certified rainwater professional. Water damage can be very expensive and leave you without a toilet for weeks or more.

Tanks, Filters & Accessories to Harvest Rainwater can be found here