Nebraska Water Conservation: How IBC Tanks Help Preserve Our Water Supply

The Ogallala Aquifer stretches from South Dakota to Texas, underlying portions of eight states. In Nebraska, it holds an estimated 2.1 billion acre-feet of water -- more than any other state in the Ogallala system. Nebraska's 90,000 registered irrigation wells pump approximately 6.5 million acre-feet per year. Natural recharge from rainfall adds only about 1 inch of water per year to the aquifer in most areas, while irrigation pumping removes the equivalent of 6 to 12 inches annually.

The math is unsustainable. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Conservation and Survey Division has documented water-level declines of 10 to 40 feet in the most heavily irrigated areas of southwestern Nebraska since predevelopment levels. While the aquifer remains robust in the Sandhills and central regions, the southwestern corner is approaching critical thresholds where wells may no longer produce sufficient water for center-pivot irrigation.

Nebraska experienced severe droughts in 2002, 2012, and 2022, each of which stressed water supplies, reduced crop yields, and heightened awareness of water vulnerability. Climate models from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) project increasing variability in precipitation patterns for the Great Plains -- meaning more intense dry periods punctuated by more intense rainfall events.

This variability creates both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is that traditional irrigation practices cannot adapt quickly to unpredictable dry spells. The opportunity is that intense rainfall events produce large volumes of runoff that can be captured and stored for later use. This is where rainwater harvesting with IBC tanks becomes particularly valuable.

A 2,000-square-foot roof receiving just 1 inch of rain generates approximately 1,250 gallons of runoff. Five 275-gallon IBC totes capture that entire volume. In a typical Omaha year with 30 inches of rainfall, a small IBC array could capture 37,500 gallons -- enough to irrigate a large garden or landscape for an entire growing season without tapping municipal water or well water.

Rainwater harvesting is legal in Nebraska for non-potable uses (irrigation, livestock watering, equipment washing, and similar applications). Unlike some western states with complex water rights restrictions on rainfall capture, Nebraska places no restrictions on collecting rainwater that falls on your own property.

Why IBCs for Rainwater

IBC tanks are uniquely suited to rainwater harvesting for several reasons:

• Capacity: At 275 gallons, a single IBC holds more than three standard 55-gallon rain barrels -- in less floor space.
• Modularity: IBCs can be linked in series to create systems from 275 to 5,000+ gallons without custom tank fabrication.
• Built-in dispensing: The bottom butterfly valve provides gravity-fed dispensing without pumps for elevated installations.
• Cost: A used IBC tote costs $75 to $200, compared to $200 to $500 for a purpose-built rain tank of similar capacity.
• Durability:The UV-stabilized HDPE bottle and galvanized steel cage withstand Nebraska's harsh weather year-round with minimal maintenance.

For step-by-step setup instructions, see our DIY IBC projects guide which includes a detailed rainwater harvesting project. We also carry purpose-built rain barrels for smaller-scale collection.

Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) -- the 23 locally governed conservation agencies unique to Nebraska -- have increasingly implemented groundwater allocation limits in heavily depleted areas. Farmers in some NRDs are now allocated a fixed number of acre-inches per year, making every gallon of water more valuable.

IBC tanks support agricultural water conservation in several ways:

Supplemental Irrigation Storage

Farmers with drip irrigation, high-tunnel, or greenhouse operations use IBC tanks to store supplemental water -- rainwater captured from barn roofs, well water pre-pumped during off-peak hours, or surface water from permitted diversions. This stored water bridges dry periods without additional well pumping. For detailed agricultural applications, see our Midwest agriculture guide.

Livestock Water Efficiency

Ranchers use IBC tanks to pre-position water in remote pastures, reducing reliance on stock wells and rural water district lines. A gravity-fed IBC connected to a float-controlled trough eliminates the electricity cost of running a submersible pump and reduces the wear on aging well infrastructure.

Precision Application

IBC tanks serve as mixing and staging vessels for precision-applied crop inputs -- fertigation solutions, foliar feeds, and biological inoculants that are applied at exact rates through drip systems or center-pivot chemigation. By mixing in an IBC rather than a nurse tank, farmers can measure and control concentrations more precisely, reducing waste and over-application.

Water conservation is not just a rural concern. The Metropolitan Utilities District (MUD) in Omaha serves over 600,000 customers, and peak summer demand -- driven largely by lawn and garden irrigation -- strains the system annually. Homeowners who replace even a portion of their municipal irrigation water with harvested rainwater reduce demand on the treated water system and lower their utility bills.

Common urban applications for IBC-based rainwater systems include:

• Garden and landscape irrigation (the single largest use)
• Car washing and driveway cleaning
• Filling swimming pools and hot tubs (supplemental top-off)
• Pressure washing houses, decks, and fences
• Compost moisture management

For suburban properties with limited space, a single IBC tote tucked against the house or garage wall provides 275 gallons of irrigation reserve in a 40-by-48-inch footprint. That is equivalent to five rain barrels in the space of one. Use our IBC calculator to estimate how much water you can capture based on your roof size and local rainfall.