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Post by ncgarden on Jun 6, 2015 6:52:43 GMT -5
I have been researching systems to collect rainwater, and brownrexx's recent picture of her collection reminded me to ask you guys what you do? I keep a couple of collection barrels out by the garden to collect rain, but I am interested in setting up a diversion to pull the water off the roof during rain. I think I am looking at storing 500 - 800 gallons that I could use to water the livestock if need be, as well as the garden on the rare occasions when I water seedlings.
What kind of collection systems do you have?
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Post by brownrexx on Jun 6, 2015 7:57:52 GMT -5
Obviously you have seen my picture. I keep the tote in place at the corner of my house all year but the rainspout is not connected to it during the winter and I empty the tote and screw the lid on top in the fall after letting the tote dry completely to prevent algae from growing. My tote is made of food grade plastic. Be sure to check this because totes may have been formerly used to contain toxic chemicals. I paid $80 for my tote.
In the spring we divert our rainspout from the drain pipe to the top opening of the tote and just 1/2" of rain will fill my 330 gallon tote to the top!
I have a piece of screening around the rainspout where it enters the top to keep mosquitos out.
I have an overflow pipe to keep water from flowing down around the house foundation. Hubby cut a hole in the tote and attached the plumbing fittings for this.
The tote has a valve at the bottom and a connection for piping. Hubby bought an adapter at Home Depot to downsize the drain opening down to a hose connection size and we hooked up a regular garden hose that reaches to the garden.
I started with a 55 gallon drum but quickly discovered that it was too small. A roof drains hundreds of gallons of water in a storm and the drum was always overflowing and it did not hold enough water to keep me supplied.
I'll attach my pic for reference:
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Post by desertwoman on Jun 6, 2015 9:22:57 GMT -5
I primarily collect rain and snow melt off in stock tanks. I have 6 that each hold about 125 gallons. Along with those I also have a decorative ceramic pot in the entry area to the house that holds close to 100 gallons. This is over 800 gallons. The tanks have a plugged opening at the bottom, in which we put a simple outdoor faucet. I also use a 2 gallon watering can to bucket water out of the pot and sometimes the tank. (Who needs a gym!!) I built a simple frame and stapled screen to it, to cover the tops (for mosquito control and safety) I also have one rain barrel (60 gallons) that was purchased at a nursery. The cost of it was rebated to me through a county program. With the sloped roof there are gutters to divert the water into the containers. With the flat roof "canali"s are built to drain water. I simply put the tanks below the canalis. This is the only photo I have of a stock tank, canali and flat roof set up You can go here to see it organicgroup.freeforums.net/post/265/thread
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Post by gakaren on Jun 6, 2015 11:27:54 GMT -5
I have 5 rain barrels and a metal roof on our house. Those 55 gal. drums can fill up in about 1 min. when it rains and will fill in 2-3 days just from dew runoff....depending on how heavy it is. I use mine for my flower beds since I have a lot of perennials that I would hate to have to try to replace. One at each corner of the front of the house, one at one back corner, one at the carport and one sits by my garden house and collects runoff from that tin roof....it takes longer to fill since it isn't connected to a down spout. I have found that the blue food grade barrels don't get algae! The white ones get it quickly down here. DH put spickets on all of them and the 4 by the house have over-flow pipes that we direct into the yard away from the house. I have hoses connected to the 4 by the house and just open them up if we get REAL dry. If I'm hand watering, I will stick my water can in them to fill it from the top. We have screen over them to keep skeeters out, but we still get them so just about 1T of Murphy's Oil soap in there will kill the larva!...doesn't hurt the plants. You just have to replenish the soap after a big rain though.
Pea, there are directions on the net for making rain barrels that will show you how to put the spickets in!
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canadiyank
Blooming
Central WA, Zone 6B
Posts: 125
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Post by canadiyank on Jun 6, 2015 14:18:41 GMT -5
I have two 55 gal ones. We get only about 8" of rain here a year and I wish I had more b/c they do fill up quickly when it DOES rain. I have them daisy-chained together.
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Post by wheelgarden1 on Jun 6, 2015 16:49:09 GMT -5
I have a shingle roof on my house, and I'd love to be able to use rainwater off my house. We're about to build a new garden equipment storage facility (shed) and it will be large enough to divert good rainfall. I plan to have metal or vinyl roofing for it accordingly, and it got me to thinking (look out) ??? Is there a risk of runoff contamination from standard shingle roofing?
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Post by farmerkevin on Jun 7, 2015 1:23:05 GMT -5
Here's my set up. Two 330 gallon totes. Filter is screen media to just filter out leaf debris (I keep my gutters immaculate) On one side is drip irrigation, other side is for spot watering. Drip system has a filter inline. If I were to drink this water, I'd have a "first flush" type set up. Go bigger than what you think you need. If I were to stay here, I would expand to 4 totes. All in all (drip system, totes, piping, hoses, etc) I'm in it about $1,000. Watered my yard on rainwater for the first 4.5 months of 2015 (was unusually warm a few times). Whatever you choose, keep us updated! Attachments:
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Post by kimmsrđź•Š on Jun 7, 2015 6:43:42 GMT -5
Check your state laws about collecting rain water because in some states, yet, it is illegal to do that.
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Post by lisaann on Jun 7, 2015 7:20:57 GMT -5
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Post by brownrexx on Jun 7, 2015 7:52:37 GMT -5
Based on LA's attachment, many states actually encourage rainwater collecting and even give rebates on collection equipment.
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Post by desertwoman on Jun 7, 2015 9:41:57 GMT -5
Yes, here in NM, we get rebates for rain barrels, etc Water is a huge and complex issue here in the west and there is such a thing as "water rights" that have been negotiated through the courts.
As far as I know, at this time, there are no States with state government laws that make harvesting rain water illegal except for Colorado that makes it unlawful for some to collect. But this is not a universal law there.
In some states water is regulated. And Colorado, Utah and Washington have more recently relaxed their regulations.
Here in rural NM we all have "water rights" There are "well rights" and there are "surface rights".
Surface rights for rural communities are about the water that is diverted from the Rio Grande and other smaller rivers, through acequias (ditches)- a system that is over 400 years old. The amount of a surface right is determined by how much land you own.
The cities also have water rights- well and surface. The pueblos have water rights, and actually have first rights.
In Colorado, all it's water flows out of the state. Downstream states (i.e New Mexico, Texas, Arizona) depend on the water flowing from CO. So in a sense, some of the water in Colorado is "owned" elsewhere because of court settlements. The argument is that collecting in rain barrels and other catchment systems diverts this promised water. It is also argued that collected water, when used to water plants, is returned to the ground water table and also that less demand is made on tap water supplies.
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Post by gakaren on Jun 7, 2015 10:38:05 GMT -5
Wheel garden asked about the safety of collecting from shingle roofs....here's a link to info ya'al might want to consider before using it for veggies....
tylertork.com/diyrainbarrels/safety.html
I don't have that worry having metal roofs and I only use rain barrel water for flowers or starts in my garden house...they get well water or rain once they are planted out.
ETA....and I keep forgetting... We took pieces of old garden hoses where the ends had quit working and needed replaced or the hose was a short one that I was replacing....DH attached these to the barrels around the house and I ran them through my beds. If there was no end on them, DH plugged it with either a cork or a piece of dowel and secured those with a screw on clamp. Then I went along the hoses using a cordless drill and drilled holes (bit was smaller than a lead pencil, but not much) and drilled holes in the hose about every 6"! My barrels don't sit high enough for gravity feed for a soaker hose, but they work this way! They are all covered with mulch so when I open the spickets on the barrels...nothing is shooting straight up into the air.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Jun 7, 2015 11:34:42 GMT -5
Based on the above article from gakaren, I should not use the rainwater for the garden because of the type of shingles I have.
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Post by Latitude33 on Jun 13, 2015 10:17:16 GMT -5
Experts are now saying 85% likelihood of El Nino coming up so I better get busy with rainwater collection. Like the tote idea, just wish I had the space.
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Post by tbird on Jun 13, 2015 11:09:40 GMT -5
I have always been interested in this, but this year has me wondering, it is so so so so wet, and I'm looking for an op to do some outside painting - and there is not a dry day in the 10 day forecast!
I haven't really needed to water anything in a week or two, except containers. I wonder if chicago is going to be a wetter place now with the climate issues? Although - I would still want a smaller collection system even then.
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