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What does it mean to harvest rainwater? Just like a harvest of crops, rainwater harvesting is the idea of gathering​ a resource, like rainwater, and collecting it for another use.

Rainwater harvesting is a way of enhancing a landscape to increase the amount of rainwater that can be used in the location where it falls, rather than letting it flow away.

Passive rainwater harvesting is a way of making small changes to a landscape in order to slow water down, keep water where it falls, or help the water to sink into the ground. Other than initial changes, this method requires no additional effort from you in order to be effective, thus making it a passive method.

We can design our yards by using these tools and increase the amount of water that naturally collects, yielding more water for meeting the needs of the plants in our yards. If our yards are naturally more efficient, that means that we have less of a need to put additional water on our plants: irrigation can be less frequent and we can save money and water.

Phoenix is interested in helping residents to make the most of rainy days through rainwater harvesting! We hope to create resources that will help folks to:

- Make small changes to your yard with little effort and cost.

- Improve your yard's​​​​​ ability to water itself naturally. You do not have to worry about much extra watering yourself if you have desert plants!

- Reduce water running off into city streets to improve overall water quality.

- Increase the resilience of our desert community by conserving water.

​​​Our resources will help residents to adapt their yards to gather rainwater in safe and visually-appealing ways. Design elements like a basin (a depression in the ground) or a berm (an elevated part of the ground) can be combined to safely slow rainwater on its path away from the home and to the street,  allowing more time for the water to sink into the earth.

Help us to learn about your needs and wants! Take our survey ​and let us know what is important to you in terms of your front yard, desert landscapes, rainwater harvesting, and the benefits your yard can bring.