Last weekend my niece and I took a walk in the rain. At one point she looked up at the sky, opened her mouth and giggled as the raindrops fell lightly onto her tongue. I remember trying the same thing as a kid - hoping to quench my thirst rather than head indoors for a glass of water.

A few drops on our tongue for fun won’t hurt us, but I don’t recommend harvesting rainwater for drinking. On the other hand, using it for watering a garden or washing a car is an economical and eco-friendly way to go green.

And now there’s an easy way to collect it. The Rainwater Hog, invented in 2006 by Australian architect Sally Dominguez, is a small-scale modular storage tank for harvesting rainwater. The catalyst for Dominguez’s design was her inability to find a tank small enough to fit under her patio in Australia, where water use restrictions are the law.

The Rainwater Hog is easy to install - vertically against a wall (you’ll need to purchase the Wall Kit at $90) or horizontally. One tank holds 47 gallons and is the perfect size for the urban dweller short on space (H 71” W 20” D 9”). Homeowners or businesses can attach two or more tanks together.

Dominguez introduced her product in the United States this year. It’s available at Design Within Reach for $650, a percentage of which will go to Water Aid, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world’s poorest people.

Also, it arrives at your door sans packaging - unwrapped, unboxed with only a small box taped to the unit (which holds an elbow vent and connector). Before the Rainwater Hog will work, you’ll need a Leaf Catcher/Outlet Kit, sold separately for $50.

Rain Dance anyone?

Image: Waterhog