Homestead water systems: Collection Part 1

[Lowdown3]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyaAov6bgsk&feature=channel_video_title

Not everyone has a 'retreat with 20 acres' blah blah blah, but everyone has a roof at their house. That roof can easily have gutters attached to it and a rudimentary water collection system added to it.

Every ounce of water collected in this manner is one less ounce that has to be drug in from the nearest creek, pond, etc. if your well goes down.

This water can be filtered via your Katadyn or berkfield type filter for drinking/cooking use or it can be used for wash water, clothes washing, watering the garden and livestock, etc.

Lowdown3

[Rmplstlskn]

Some things I have learned about rain water collection into barrels:
1. Your BEST water will come off an area of roof that gets good sun and little tree debris.
2. Any hard surface roof material is BEST, with asphalt shingles down near the bottom (What I have, so I know).
3. Shady areas of your roof will give you lots of algae/growth debris when it rains.
4. Algae and SEPTIC funk grows fast in a barrel that gets dirty, shady-side water.

I read that there are diverters made that dump to waste the first several gallons of rainfall that are usually full of debris and algae, and then divert into the barrel AUTOMATICALLY, but I have not found any yet. There are MANUAL ones, but who is going to run out into the rain to switch their diverter over everytime it rains? Yeah, thought so...

I have my barrels sitting on blocks (usually two high), to increase gravity flow to my garden. I hope to fabricate a PUMP system some day so I can pump it out under pressure. It takes a much longer time to water a garden with just gravity flow... I have also used the water in the barrels to flush our toilets (septic system) during power outages where I have not set up my bigger genny to run the 220v well pump.

I also dump them empty in the winter. 55 gallons of ice won't help you much... The bottom few gallons freeze up and give enough weight so they don't blow over.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Love them barrels, trying to get some more now! Great post, me and the boy have talked about what we are gonna do here. It can't be permenant but we have figured out how so that the guttering can be put back as is.

[TheDogofWar]

Some things I have learned about rain water collection into barrels:
1. Your BEST water will come off an area of roof that gets good sun and little tree debris.
2. Any hard surface roof material is BEST, with asphalt shingles down near the bottom (What I have, so I know).
3. Shady areas of your roof will give you lots of algae/growth debris when it rains.
4. Algae and SEPTIC funk grows fast in a barrel that gets dirty, shady-side water.

I read that there are diverters made that dump to waste the first several gallons of rainfall that are usually full of debris and algae, and then divert into the barrel AUTOMATICALLY, but I have not found any yet. There are MANUAL ones, but who is going to run out into the rain to switch their diverter over everytime it rains? Yeah, thought so...

I have my barrels sitting on blocks (usually two high), to increase gravity flow to my garden. I hope to fabricate a PUMP system some day so I can pump it out under pressure. It takes a much longer time to water a garden with just gravity flow... I have also used the water in the barrels to flush our toilets (septic system) during power outages where I have not set up my bigger genny to run the 220v well pump.

I also dump them empty in the winter. 55 gallons of ice won't help you much... The bottom few gallons freeze up and give enough weight so they don't blow over.

It's called a roof washer and all you need is an appropriate length and diameter pipe calculated on the roof area you're collecting from. I don't know the formula off hand but I have it as well as several diagrams and resources at the office. The "washer pipe" is located directly below the downspout and a T and 90 are inserted at the location which achieves this volume below it and the collection pipe is attached to the 90 and leading toward the collection source. A small 1/4" hole is drilled at the bottom of the washer pipe which allows it to drain between rainfalls but is too small to have much effect on a good rain. Google roof washer and you'll be set.

[610Alpha]

Great How To!!

@Rmplstlskn - http://thenauhaus.com/blog/index.php...2/roof-washer/



First flush diversion is a good idea to avoid capturing the first bit of a rain to wash the dust and dead squirrels off the roof. 10 gallons per 1000 square feet is a good rule of thumb. There are fancy gadgets for that, but a standpipe with a valve at the bottom seems to be the one that works. It ties into the gutter right before the downspout, so it has to fill before water can flow past it to the downspout.


A 6″ pipe holds about 1 gallon per foot. An 8″ pipe holds about 2 gallons. How can we make it look good?

[Lowdown3]

Good stuff guys, keep it coming.

We must be having good luck. We have yet to get anything funky in our barrels off a shingled roof and a tin roof. With no diverter.

[slingshot]

Thanks everybody! Good stuff here and I soaked (no pun intended) it all up. Just got a metal roof and now researching what kind of system would be best for me.

[monkeybird]

Another very good video. Will there be a part II?

How about algae and other slimy stuff growing inside the barrel when the water sits a while. Is there a system for emptying the barrels frequently to prevent this?

[1Admin]

I had to split it into two segments for the 1st part in order to get it to load.

Despite all the "your account has been enabled for videos up to 15 minutes" things from youtube, every time I try to load something over 10 minutes it fails over and over.

[Rmplstlskn]

Good stuff guys, keep it coming.

We must be having good luck. We have yet to get anything funky in our barrels off a shingled roof and a tin roof. With no diverter.

I get good water off shingles from an area of roof that gets good sun exposure (minimal algae & debris), but the shaded barrel that gets water from the shady side of the roof grows algae funk quickly inside the barrel. Even turning septic smelling in only a few weeks time.

[1Admin]

I haven't finished the ones on our house yet, but I figured I'd make two catchment systems. The one on the southside being for irrigation in the orchard closest the house. The one on the northside being used mainly for a firefighting reservoir. Kinda figured the less sun side would be nastier.

Thanks everyone.

[HDM]

Hey guys tell me if this would work. I have thought about using a cheap swimming pool to catch water in. A pool with a small filter, just enough to filter out the junk. And a tarp over the pool to keep junk out and keep sunlight out to help prevent algae growth. The pump could also be used to pump water out to a garden or something else. ?????? Also if you have access to your plumbing drain system in your house, i.e. a basement or crawl space, you can divert water from sinks and washing machine (obviously not the toilets) to reuse. I have seen a setup before where the water was collected and used to flush the toilets.

[claymore]

You mean use the cheap pool as a reservoir ?

[HDM]

You mean use the cheap pool as a reservoir ?

Yeah that's what I'm talking about.

[Jeremiah2913]

Hey guys tell me if this would work. I have thought about using a cheap swimming pool to catch water in. A pool with a small filter, just enough to filter out the junk. And a tarp over the pool to keep junk out and keep sunlight out to help prevent algae growth. The pump could also be used to pump water out to a garden or something else. ?????? Also if you have access to your plumbing drain system in your house, i.e. a basement or crawl space, you can divert water from sinks and washing machine (obviously not the toilets) to reuse. I have seen a setup before where the water was collected and used to flush the toilets.

If used for something such as a garden I see no issues with collecting rainwater but I would shy away from diverting household plumbing. The soil will filter out most harmful chemicals but they would remain in the soil and after a tilling next year it could be bad news. I would weight the center of the tarp with a brick or rock so that any condensation that collects on the cover will run back to the center and fall back in.