Saskatchewan Rainwater Harvesting - Alternative to a Well

With the calculations completed and the optimized hydro-logical model in hand, we were able to tell our customer they could collect enough rainwater to supply approximately 76 cubic meters or about 37% of their annual water demands. To compare, the alternative means of getting water is hauling; this costs about $0.03 – $0.05 per litre, which would cost about $6,000 – $10,000 per year. Comparatively, the mains water in Regina, Saskatchewan is sold at a rate of $3.25 per cubic meter, or 1/10th the cost of hauling water. In other words, by harvesting rainwater our customer could save $2,200 – $3,700 annually. With a price tag of $20,000 on the complete rainwater harvesting system, including the 3,500 Imperial Gallon cistern, pump, treatment system, pre-filter, floating filter, and tank level monitor, the customer could expect to see a payback period of 6-9 years for the entire system. However, because this customer is required to purchase a cistern in any case, the expected payback period of only the rainwater harvesting equipment is 3-5 years.