How much rain fills a 275 gallon tote?

A little over half an inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof, at the usual 75 to 85 percent capture.

How do I keep mosquitoes out of a rainwater tote?

Screen every opening with fine mesh and keep the cap closed except for a screened inlet.

Can I drink rainwater from a tote?

Not untreated. UF/IFAS says stored rainwater is not for drinking.

Do I need a pump for a rain tote?

Not for a watering can or a soaker hose: gravity from a raised tote is enough. A pump helps for sprinklers or long hose runs.

Keep light out: use a dark bottle, paint the cage panels, or cover the tote. A screened lid also keeps leaves and insects out.

Will the water smell?

Water left warm and still with leaves in it can turn sour. Clean the gutters, use a first-flush diverter, and use the water regularly.

Can I connect several totes?

Yes, at the valves with short hoses or a manifold, so they fill and drain together. Set them level on the same base.

Can rainwater go on vegetables?

Many gardeners use it on soil around food plants. Avoid splashing leaves you will eat raw, especially from roofs with old or treated materials, and follow your extension service’s advice.

How do I winterise a rain tote?

Disconnect the downspout, drain it completely, leave the valve open, and cover the top so snow and debris stay out.

New totes for rainwater collection

Sizing from your roof

The rule of thumb is 0.62 gallon per square foot of roof per inch of rain, and real systems catch 75 to 85 percent of that (Texas Water Development Board). UF/IFAS puts it as about 600 gallons from one inch on 1,000 square feet (UF/IFAS).

Roof area draining to the tote	Caught from 1 in of rain (at 80%)	Totes it fills
500 sq ft	about 250 gal	most of one 275
1,000 sq ft	about 500 gal	one 330 and over half a 275
2,000 sq ft	about 990 gal	three 330s

Totes can be linked at the valves with a manifold so several fill and drain together.

Caged totes on the roof and beside a stone shelter in an Alpine pasture, holding water in a dry summer — Totes holding water at an Alpine pasture shelter in a dry summer, two on the roof and three on the ground.Photo: Tigerente, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons, cropped.

Screens and covers

Stored water draws mosquitoes. Screen every opening, the inlet from the downspout and any vent, with fine mesh, as UF/IFAS advises for rain storage. A first-flush diverter on the downspout keeps the dirtiest first runoff off the roof out of the tote. Cover a natural white bottle or ask for a UV-blocking one: sunlight through the wall grows algae.

Why new matters here too

Garden and livestock water doesn't need a food-contact bottle by any rule, but it does need a bottle with nothing in its past. A used tote that held a herbicide, a solvent or a cleaning chemical can leach traces into the water you put on vegetables or in a trough. A new tote ends the question. If you are building a small system, one new tote is often worth more than three used ones of unknown history.

Not for drinking

Roof runoff carries bird droppings, dust and whatever the roof is made of. UF/IFAS says stored rainwater is not for drinking. Treating rainwater to drinking standard is a separate system with filtration and disinfection. For stored drinking water, fill a food-contact tote from a treated supply; see a new tote for drinking water.

Connecting the tote

Bring the downspout to the tote through a screened inlet in the top opening or a fitting cut into the lid. A first-flush diverter on the downspout sends the dirtiest early rain away before the tote fills. Add an overflow near the top, piped away from the house foundation, so a full tote doesn't spill over the cap. A second tote can be linked at the valves with a short hose to share the water between them.

Raise the tote on a level, firm base of blocks or a stand so a watering can or a hose fits under the outlet and gravity gives some pressure. A full 275 weighs about 2,400 lb, so the base must be built for it. Drain the tote and leave the valve open before a hard freeze; ice can split the bottle and the valve.

Rules where you live

Most US states allow rain harvesting from roofs, and some encourage it with guidance and rebates; a few have limits on how much may be stored or how it may be used. Check your state's water agency and your city before you install, especially in the West. Texas, for example, publishes guidance for homeowners and businesses (Texas Water Development Board).

Short answers

How much rain fills a 275 gallon tote?: A little over half an inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof, at the usual 75 to 85 percent capture.
How do I keep mosquitoes out of a rainwater tote?: Screen every opening with fine mesh and keep the cap closed except for a screened inlet.
Can I drink rainwater from a tote?: Not untreated. UF/IFAS says stored rainwater is not for drinking.
Do I need a pump for a rain tote?: Not for a watering can or a soaker hose: gravity from a raised tote is enough. A pump helps for sprinklers or long hose runs.
How do I stop algae?: Keep light out: use a dark bottle, paint the cage panels, or cover the tote. A screened lid also keeps leaves and insects out.
Will the water smell?: Water left warm and still with leaves in it can turn sour. Clean the gutters, use a first-flush diverter, and use the water regularly.
Can I connect several totes?: Yes, at the valves with short hoses or a manifold, so they fill and drain together. Set them level on the same base.
Can rainwater go on vegetables?: Many gardeners use it on soil around food plants. Avoid splashing leaves you will eat raw, especially from roofs with old or treated materials, and follow your extension service’s advice.
How do I winterise a rain tote?: Disconnect the downspout, drain it completely, leave the valve open, and cover the top so snow and debris stay out.

Collecting rainwater in a new tote