Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI) is a subsurface irrigation system that delivers water directly to plant roots through special emitter tubing. The emitters respond to root activity and soil moisture conditions, so plants get water when they need it instead of on a fixed timer schedule.
Because RDI applies water at the root zone and underground, it greatly reduces evaporation and overspray. Combined with root-triggered emitters, this means less wasted water on bare soil and hard surfaces, and more of your stored rainwater going directly into plant growth, often resulting in savings around 30% compared to conventional surface watering.
Yes. RDI is a strong match for rainwater systems because it uses water efficiently and can work at relatively low pressures. When paired with right-sized storage, it helps stretch your available rainwater through the dry season by applying smaller, targeted doses instead of high-volume surface watering.
RDI is especially effective in garden beds, planting strips, and landscaped areas where you want consistent moisture and healthy root development. It works well under mulch and can be integrated into existing beds or planned into new planting designs connected to your rainwater storage.
In many cases, yes. Existing beds can be retrofitted by laying RDI tubing below the mulch layer and connecting it to your current or planned rainwater system. During planning, we look at your bed layout, plant types, and access to storage before recommending a retrofit pattern.
Short answer: Often, no.
Longer explanation: If the water level in your tank is higher than your garden area and you’re using low-pressure drip irrigation, gravity provides all the pressure you need. Simple battery-powered pumps are available for situations where you need extra pressure or want to move water farther from the tank.
Short answer: Big enough to refill often, not capture everything at once.
Longer explanation: Product Water often starts around 1,000 gallons of total storage for Seattle homes — not as a rule, but as a practical starting point when systems are designed to refill efficiently. Final sizing depends on your roof area, garden size, and how intensively you plan to irrigate.
Short answer: Yes — when the system is matched to your garden and storage.
Longer explanation: When designed and used appropriately for typical gardens and landscapes, gravity-fed rainwater systems can reliably support outdoor water needs through Seattle’s dry season. The key is pairing right-sized storage with efficient drip irrigation and using spring and early-summer refills wisely.
Short answer: Cisterns and rain gardens in specific eligible basins.
Longer explanation: RainWise helps fund cisterns and rain gardens on private property in designated combined sewer basins in Seattle and King County. Eligibility, rebate amounts, and approved contractors vary by location. Homeowners can learn more directly from the program here: https://www.700milliongallons.org/rainwise/ .
Short answer: Because rain barrels are almost always too small and designed to overflow most of the water your roof produces.
Longer explanation: Even a modest roof can shed thousands of gallons of water during the growing season. A 50–100 gallon barrel fills quickly and then dumps the rest. That doesn’t mean you did anything wrong — it means the system was never designed to match real roof yield or seasonal water needs.
Short answer: Far more than most people expect.
Longer explanation: Roofs collect water every time it rains — light, moderate, and heavy events. Over a season, even small homes can receive many thousands of gallons. The real question isn’t whether the water is available, but whether your system can capture, move, and store it effectively instead of letting it overflow and disappear.
Short answer: Not always. Many uses work well with gravity — they just work more slowly.
Longer explanation: Rainwater systems trade pressure for time. Gravity-fed systems can fill containers, water plants, and support hand watering without pumps. Pumps are only needed when you want speed, elevation, or sprinkler coverage — not because gravity “doesn’t work.”
Short answer: Because where water is stored matters just as much as how much is stored.
Longer explanation: Traditional rain barrels must sit directly under a downspout, which limits placement and scale. Systems that move water horizontally from the roof allow tanks to be placed where they make sense — near gardens, at low points, or out of sight. This flexibility is often the difference between a system that’s ignored and one that’s used.
Short answer: No — refill ability matters more than tank size.
Longer explanation: A large tank that rarely refills underperforms a smaller tank that refills consistently. Successful rainwater systems are designed around how often storage refills across different rain events, not just total capacity. The goal is reliable, usable water — not the biggest container.
Short answer: Not usually, if kept dark and sealed.
Longer explanation: Stored rainwater stays usable when tanks are sealed from sunlight and debris. Algae and odor come from exposure, not time. A properly closed system can hold water for months — just use screening and opaque surfaces to keep it clean.
Short answer: Yes, with the right filtration and design.
Longer explanation: Indoor use requires treatment and backflow protection, but it’s entirely feasible. Many communities already use rainwater for toilet flushing or clothes washing. Permitting depends on local code, so start with outdoor uses, then expand once your storage and collection are proven.
Short answer: Only if water sits in exposed piping.
Longer explanation: Most systems in cold climates are designed to drain automatically or route water below frost depth. Seasonal disconnects help too. Even simple measures, like flexible hose sections or partial draining, protect components while allowing winter rain to bypass safely.
Short answer: Yes — when collected from appropriate surfaces.
Longer explanation: Most roofs produce water safe for edible gardens, especially if free from lead flashing or treated wood. First-flush diverters and good filtration further improve quality. Unlike municipal water, rainwater is naturally soft and chlorine-free, which most plants prefer.
Short answer: Very little — mostly occasional clearing and inspection.
Longer explanation: Regular maintenance includes checking screens, removing leaf buildup, and confirming drains are working. Tanks rarely need cleaning unless sediment accumulates. Simpler flow paths and good filtration at the inlet make ongoing care quick and manageable.
The Deviator is a compact insert that sits at the low spot in your gutter, just upstream of the downspout. It intercepts roof runoff and sends it into a sealed delivery line so water can move horizontally to storage instead of falling straight down.
With bottom‑fill, water enters the tank at the base through a sealed connection. This keeps storage away from the house, reduces splash and overflow near foundations, and lets you use more of the tank’s volume than a typical top‑fill barrel.
No. The whole point of the Deviator is to turn your gutter into a hydraulic collection rail. Once water is in the sealed delivery line, tanks can sit along fences, in side yards, or near gardens—wherever they fit best on the site.
Yes. On bigger roofs, the Deviator captures flow from long gutter runs and routes it to larger horizontal tanks in the yard. This lets you scale storage without cluttering the building with multiple barrels under every downspout.
In most cases, yes. The Deviator is designed to retrofit into standard gutters at the low point near a downspout, using a sealed hose or pipe to connect to remote storage. During a site review, we confirm gutter type, low‑spot locations, and routing paths before recommending a layout.
Mapping your roof in Google Maps gives a quick, visual way to measure your roof area without climbing ladders or using special tools. Once we know your roof size, we can calculate how much rain lands on it each year and start a realistic planning conversation.
The calculator uses your roof area and local rainfall to show how many gallons land on your roof in a typical year and season. It’s a planning tool that helps you see whether you’re working with hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of gallons, without needing to do the math yourself.
If you’re in the Seattle region, you can use 36 inches of rain per year as an average. For seasonal planning, use about 16 inches from April–October (spring through fall) and about 20 inches from November–March (winter months).
Simple phone photos are perfect. Medium or wide views of your home and roof, side yards, backyard, and any garden or landscape areas you’d like to support are most helpful. We’re looking for clear views that show how the house and yard connect, not technical close-ups.
Once you submit the survey with your roof rainfall numbers and photos, we review everything together on our end. Then we reach out to schedule a focused planning conversation where we walk through practical storage locations and next steps for a rainwater system that fits your property.
