The Garden Watersaver™ Automatic Rainwater Collection System

What's Included

	Water diverter unit
	7 ft. (2.1 m) of 5/8" I.D. white vinyl hose
	Deactivating plug (recommend taping to the hose to prevent losing - while the plug is installed, all the rainwater is diverted down the regular downspout)
	Installation instructions

Important

	Fits standard 2" x 3" (50 mm x 76 mm) downspouts
	Use food-grade barrels only
	Closed-top containers are best because they create the necessary backpressure when full, provide safety for children and pets, prevent evaporation, and eliminate insects and other contaminants
	DO NOT use containers that previously contained chemicals
	Fastening screws listed on the packaging are no longer included, they are not needed
	This item ships from British Columbia

This system works just as advertised. We set up two barrels that hold 250 gallons (1,000 L) each. One barrel, fed by a 6 ft. long gutter, collected about 60 gallons (250 L) of water during a light overnight rain.

The other barrel collected about 200 gallons (800 L) of water that same night from one downspout. If we had collected all the water from all the downspouts, we would have had over 750 gallons (3,000 L) of water from one overnight rain.

Installation of the Watersaver, including taking down and re-installing the downspouts, took about 30 minutes for the first one and 20 minutes for the other one.

Approximately 40 % of water used in the summer is used outdoors, which is when most areas face water shortages and have water restrictions. This water shortage period is when your plants require water the most. The natural rainwater you collect is fresh, soft, oxygen-rich, untreated and stored at a growth-promoting temperature - perfect for your plants.

The Watersaver Diverter takes all the hassle out of harvesting rainwater.

Rainwater flows into your downspout and into the Garden Watersaver diverter and then flows through the hose into your collection container. When the collection container is full, backpressure causes the rainwater to exit into your normal drainage system (downspout).

The Garden Watersaver is an automatic rainwater collection system that has advantages over other rain water collecting systems. For example, any container that can hold water can become a water reservoir, containers can be hidden or placed in low visibility locations, can be deactivated in seconds during winter or when stored water is not needed, and extra ones can be added (linked) or filled by simply moving a hose.

Rainbarrels can be purchased at Canadian Tire, Home Depot, etc. Also check local garden centres and farm stores. Plumbing fittings for your rainbarrel are available from any plumbing store.

How It Works The average roof sheds 160 gallons of rainwater per hour during a moderate rain fall. The Garden Watersaver is designed to capture some of this water. Rainwater flows from the roof into the gutter downspout and gets captured in the Watersaver diverter. The water then takes the path of least resistance which is the Watersaver's lower exit spout that leads, via a hose, to the rain barrel (container). When this barrel is full, back pressure occurs and the water then exits out of the upper exit spout into the normal drainage system.

Advantages For The Garden Rainwater is at more favourable temperatures for plant growth than cold well or tap water, it is not chlorinated or treated with chemicals as most municipal water supplies are. Soft, pure, chemical-free rainwater maintained at proper ambient temperature help plants grow vigorously. Cold chlorinated water from most tap systems can shock plants and slow their growth.