'Everything petroleum-based has skyrocketed - plastic tanks, PVC pipes, fittings.

Mario Guerrero, a sales associate for Aqua-Flo Supply's store in Ventura, said tank prices have increased by 20% to 30% in the last year. 'Australia is way ahead of us on this,' she said, 'because everybody there has a water tank.'Д«ut like everything else these days, the prices for aboveground tanks and rainwater harvesting systems have jumped considerably. Winter believes every house and yard in Southern California should be outfitted with rainwater harvesting tools because of the potential water savings. The white pipe sends overflow to other tanks nearby. Mike Garcia's yard had a Bushman Slimline tank, designed to fit flush against a wall as it catches 265 gallons of rainwater. 'We're basically looking at aridification and flood.' 'If we're going to adapt to climate change, we need to recognize the impacts on the region, which means longer dry cycles and extreme rain events, so when it rains, it will rain more intensely,' said Melanie Winter, founder and director of the River Project, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the Los Angeles River watershed. Yes, we're in a drought, but this is about being ready for the next downpour. And these people have a vision that not only stores increasingly precious rainwater but puts it to use for everything from drip irrigation to aquaculture to waterfalls surrounded by lush plantings and the soothing music of running (albeit recycled) water. To do the job properly, we also must be ready to collect the rain that will someday fall out of the sky, advocates say. Tearing out our lawns is a good start toward wiser water use in Southern California, but it's not enough. Mike Garcia, a landscape contractor in Manhattan Beach, sits in his lush backyard, which is sustained by recycled rainwater that also flows through a koi pond.

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