Bermuda Rainwater Capture

Alex Bratu Photography

Bermuda picture

Bermuda has no rivers or fresh-water lakes, so all the houses there are built with huge water tanks, and rainwater must be captured and funneled into the tanks. Each roof is built like the ones shown in this picture, with terracing that is painted with a special lime-based paint. As the rainwater flows over the terraced roof, the lime in the paint kills any bacteria in the water and makes it safe to drink. Notice the ridge sticking up out of the roof on the right side of the picture. That's to stop the water from running off the roof and to steer it to the gutter which feeds the water tank below the house.