Inconspicuous Rainwater Diverter

Hello All,

I live in the burbs of Virginia right outside of DC...*sighs*.. I spend most of my free time on projects, mostly Homesteading and Sustainability/ Efficiency remodels to improve value and provide more function. I'm almost finished on the Laundry Cove that's gonna make use of that dead space under the stairwell and add some livable square footage to the house, but i'm having a little trouble planning for my next project which will be a rainwater diverter system for my second story patio garden. Does anyone know of a subtle looking diverter kit that blends in color and shape with basic white aluminum drain spouts? I saw the "Oatley" system in my searches but that has a curve that is not symmetrical to the spout protruding enough to make it obvious to my HOA. I will probably mount this diverter towards the top of spout close to the horizontal catch spout (30 feet up). I am also open to any DIY system that's installed in the half spout drain opening or a passive system with over flow control capability at the collection point on the second deck about 20 feet below, HAS TO BE HIDDEN OR HIGHLY CONCEALED DURING NORMAL OPERATION. Thanks for any advice on where to look.

-Mike
Zone 7A
East Coast

Hi Mike, did you ever find a good diverter setup and/or escape from the golden clutches of a NoVA HOA? I know many libraries have 3D printers so that may be an option for the DIY route.

I think there could be many people who would benefit from ideas about this problem.

So much depends on the precis rules of one's HOA. This thread about creative downspouts has some that might qualify as "art work" which is sometimes an allowable exemption. It also has some that are likely to cause trouble, so use common sense!

However, if artwork is out, I'd be looking at beautiful trellising and vines or possibly espalier trees that are allowed in the area. We are allowed large water tanks in our ecosystem, but honestly, they don't qualify as pretty. Trellising and adding plants would improve them so much that I would want to do so both for the beauty and the benefits of vertical garden space.

Outwit a HOA? Now THAT is a noble cause!

Personally I would run an ABS pipe up the downspout, flared at the top, to catch half the rain but not enough to risk a plug-up. Nothing to see here! And maybe there's a market for water tanks that look like a parked BMW or Lexus?