Components for a 5500-Gallon Underground Rainwater System for Drinking

Ever wondered what you'd need to convert collected rain water into usable potable drinking water for your household? Below is an average parts and materials cost for 5500 gallon residential drinking water system. If you interested in utilizing rain water for drinking water (and any other uses) for your household, this gives you an idea of the materials you'd need and the cost it would take.

• 1 5500 gallon precast concrete cistern - $3,844.00
• 1 Wisy Vortex Filter w/ extension - 996.20
• 1 Franklin 10GPM 1/2HP 115V Submersible Cistern Pump - $349.95
• 1 Pressure Tank - $174.00
• 1 Pump Control Kit/Tank Tee Kit - $88.00
• 1 10" Cartridge Filter Housings - $20.00
• 4 Sediment Filters, 10" x 2.5", 20 micron - $22.00 
• 1 18GPM Viqua Plus Series UV System - $875.00
• 1 Pentek 3G Standard 20" Clear Filter Housing - $65.00
• 4 Carbon block filters, 20" x 2.5", 5 micron - $96.00
• 1 Tank Gauge - Tank Level Monitor - $24.95
• 1 Mozzie Stoppa Hi-Flow 4" Flap Valve - $12.00
• 1 Brass Check Valve - $21.50
• 1 Pitless Adapter - $45.80
• 1 Submersible Wire Splice Kit - $4.10 

As you can tell, a lot of parts and supplies are needed for a complete home drinking system. The above list totals roughly $6,660. You will then still need pipe (to carry water from your downspouts to your tank and then to an overflow), water line (to connect from the pump inside the cistern to your house supply), wire (to wire your pump to your panel), excavation work, and backfill gravel (to create a base in the excavated pit for the tank and to backfill around the tank). 

While the supplies listed do not include the cost of labor, it hopefully provides you with an overview of the types of materials that go into a complete installation of a residential drinking water system.