Rainwater harvesting systems provide a source of clean water that comes from the sky and has a positive impact on the environment Rainwater harvesting involves collecting precipitation and store it to meet water needs (Gelt, 2005). This type of water collection system has grown widely in the United States and other countries where they may not have continuous water flow for their needs. Rainwater harvesting for residential homes has allowed families to not depend on their city's wells and municipal water systems, offering families an alternative or additional source of water that is free to use. Rainwater harvesting has a long history of use, dating back to ancient times approximately 3,000 years ago (Administrator, 2005). The need for water is a fundamental element for human life, without it no civilization would have been able to survive. In these times the simplest object such as banana leaves was used to collect water, channeling it into a coconut (Administrator, 2005). Until the Roman Empire, which used rainwater collection to create a giant underground cistern in modern-day Istanbul called Yerebatan Sarayi, the Sunken Palace (Administrator, 2005). It was used to collect water from the city above into an underground vault that could be navigated by boat. The city of the Roman Empire relied on rain, giving people their source of water to live on every day depending on the collection system. The most common use is rainwater on the roof. collection system, uses six components to make up the system consisting of catchment area, coarse mesh, gutters, storage tank, pipelines and water treatment (Beers, 2011). It is best to use metal roofing, but clay, slate, and asphalt shingles can be ... middle of paper ... administrator (2005, September 8). The history of rainwater harvesting. Guide to rainwater harvesting. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.rain-barrel.net/rainwater- collection.htmlBeers, S. K. (2011, January 25). Water supply from the sky. Environmental design and construction. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.edcmag.com/Articles/Feature_Article/Gelt, J. (2005, October 15). Home use of gray water and rainwater conserves water and can save money. University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://cals.arizona.edu/AZWATER/arroyo/071rain.htmlMay, C.W., Horner, R.R., Karr, J.R., and Welch, E.B. Effects of Urbanization on Small Streams in the Lowland Puget Sound ecoregion. Watershed Protection Techniques 2. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from http://www.psat.wa.gov/Publications/98_proceedings/pdfs/la_may.pdf