I checked on the rainwater harvesting system at the Master Gardeners Test Garden and this is what I found: According to Micah Meyer, the Horticulture Agri-Life agent, the system wasn't expensive.

"We had to buy the gutters, pvc pipe, & glue. The rain barrels were donated. I think we spent around $100 dollars on it. You should be able to find a rain barrel for under $50 or sometimes free. Depending on your current gutter system, you may not have to buy anything extra at all. I would imagine that most people could install a simple rainfall collection system for around $50 to $150. Its just a matter of how fancy you want it to be," Micah said.

Rainwater harvesting systems

If you've been thinking about installing a rainwater collection system for use in a home landscape, now would the time to do it. Because of a stalled low pressure system and an area of disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico, it looks like Southeast Texas finally is going to be very wet for the next few days - at a minimum.

Rainwater collection is obviously a good practice on many levels, from conserving water to saving money. Long before water wells, people collected rainwater in cisterns and barrels, usually from roofs. All it takes is a surface area (roof), a way to channel it (gutters and downspout) ad a receptacle (barrel, bucket, tank). The container needs to be food-safe and clean and ideally, will have a spigot for easy access. Be aware that asbestos shingles are not a good choice and old gutters could contain lead. Even though you aren't drinking the water, it will be absorbed into vegetables.

Numerous companies sell the barrels and kits, but you can make your own if you're handy with a few simple tools. Here's a good video from wonderhowto to get you started: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-build-a-rainwater-collection-system-121283/view/