Photo by Deborah Frieze
When it rains in the city, water usually flows off rooftops into the gutter and down the street into a storm drain system. At the Old Oak Dojo, we’ve designed a rainwater harvesting system that diverts water in three useful directions: It captures water in two rain barrels that are dedicated to watering the garden; it accumulates in a cistern inside the shed, which is a source of water for washing dishes and providing plumbing to the (future) toilet and sanitary sink; and it directs rainwater to the roots of the Old Oak, recharging the groundwater and feeding the tree.