Rainwater from roofs and hard surfaces such as car parks can be stored and used in and around properties. The simple rainwater butt, used for garden watering, is a familiar method of storage.

There has been a recent growth in the use of the collected water for a range of non-potable uses, particularly for flushing toilets. Stored water is generally held in a suitably sized underground tank and pumped to the point of use. A mains water supply is usually provided as a back-up if rainwater is not available.

View sites in Wales with a Rainwater harvesting system.