[NMPRN]

Given where I live, a sustainable supply of water is going to be my biggest challenge if things continue going to hell in a hand basket. We get enough rain here and it's easy enough to collect but storing it is a hassle. I started on a rain water collection system a few weeks ago, I still have a long way to go but it's a start. ...projects like this are never finished anyway

The used orange juice concentrate barrels were $16 each and are easy to come by. Even though the barrels had liners it took weeks and several washings for the orange juice smell to go away. They don't have new liners in them yet but those will be cheap and easy to install.

I'm feeding the first two barrels with a 30'x30' section of roof draining into a 30' gutter.

I used a downspout diverter to feed the first barrel which acts (sort of) like a first flush. I've got a screen at the top of the downspout and a nylon stocking over the inlet of the barrel to filter out the big stuff.
The cross feed between the barrels is way too small, the rain is usually over before the second barrel fills up. I need to put a bigger cross feed tube in. ---the shingle came off my neighbors roof during a wind storm the other day---

The plan is to have 8 barrels (~400 gallons). Two each in 4 different locations so I don't have all my eggs in one basket. These two are waiting for gutters and plumbing. I haven't started on the other 4 yet.

Collecting the rain is easy enough but I don't have a good solution for storing it yet.
These certainly aren't a good solution for long term water storage but for now they're a hell of a lot better than nothing. T

hey cost about $10 each and hold about 300 gallons each. And you can repair them with duct tape and plastic drop cloths.

...just typing out loud

 

[Kauboy]

Were these containers which held sweetened OJ?
I ask, because anything that held sugar is a PITA to clean sufficiently to prevent bacterial growth.
I'd get new liners in them sooner rather than later.
Overall, it is an excellent start!

 

[Back Pack Hack]

Keep in mind you're collecting water off the roof. So you'll need to do a lot of treatment in order to make it potable. There will be all sorts of unknown biologicals on your roof... everything from dead bugs to small animal & bird waste. Composite shingles also will leach petroleum byproducts.

I'd suggest you designate certain barrels for non-potable uses (watering garden, flushing toilet etc).

 

[paraquack]

Thanks for the idea of putting away a couple of small pools. In southern AZ, I have the same problem as you.

 

[NMPRN]

Any petroleum volatiles in the shingles have long since out gassed or have been flushed off. Still, if possible, I don't plan to catch the first rain of the season if I don't have to. As far as bird poop, rotten leaves, etc., if it comes down to needing to drink this water I plan to run it through something like a 3 stage Baker Bucket filter first.

The bottom line is drink the best water you can find, rain water off the roof is better than no water at all. And when it's filtered it's probably better than the bottled water from walmart.

 

[rice paddy daddy]

That is a good plan you've got going.
I wouldn't worry very much about contaminants on your roof.
Just boil any water you plan to drink, and if conditions at the time preclude this, put a few drops of bleach per gallon of water.

 

[Back Pack Hack]

That is a good plan you've got going.
I wouldn't worry very much about contaminants on your roof.
Just boil any water you plan to drink, and if conditions at the time preclude this, put a few drops of bleach per gallon of water.

Read the 4th paragraph:

Rainwater harvest study finds roofing material affects water quality

Using rainwater from your roof to water plants seems simple enough, right? But a new study finds that the type of roofing material used can make a big difference in water quality.

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[NMPRN]

The best thing about the internet: ...if you don't like what some experts says, just find another expert.

I guess I'm just a crazy daredevil. I use staple pullers without eye protection, ...I even drink Pepto-Bismol without using the little measuring cup.

I think you can just use common sense and history to determine whether they're safe or not. 1) Shingles that have been sitting in the hot desert sun for 10 years have lost (through out gasssing or just washing/blowing away) every compound they can possibly loose. 2) The contact time on the shingle is only a matter of seconds, I'm not boiling a shingle and drinking the water. 3) The first flush takes out a huge part of the nasty stuff 4) This is zombie apocalypse SHTF water not everyday drinking water. 5) It's going to be filtered anyway.

If my choices are die of thirst or drink rain water off a shingle roof, I dunno, I'm probably gonna drink the water.


Best Roofing Materials for Rainwater Harvesting...

 

[GPShay]

I am telling you folks .. that if we could find the manufacturer of these solar stills we would be set .. I too have rain barrels .. distilling water leaves it pure and drinkable .. these things are storable and would save our lives ..

Solar stills help people obtain clean water using the power of the sun » Yale Climate Connections

As droughts make water more scarce, every drop counts.

yaleclimateconnections.org

 

[Back Pack Hack]

Gee. That was tough.

Watercone® Contact

But two gallons a day seems exceedingly optimistic.

 

[Chipper]

Would just run it though a solar still.

 

[46rkl]

Although where I live in western NY water is truly never in short supply, I was reading your post and wondering if it would be possible to bury a large storage tank and use a solar powered pump system to move the water to the supply lines? I have town water at my house, a well to provide In case that fails and a steady flowing creek on my property from which I can pump water as a third choice.

 

[NMPRN]

...wondering if it would be possible to bury a large storage tank and use a solar powered pump system to move the water to the supply lines?

Unfortunately no. I'd have to tear out some brick work and wrought iron to get a storage tank and backhoe into the backyard. And I I don't have a good place for one in the front yard.

Phase two of this project will be to hide a couple of smaller above ground tanks or some IBC totes in some sort of a dummy potting shed.

 

[Spenser]

Personally, I would get a reverse osmosis system with UV, takes care of the potable water problem instantly. I would also set up a "grey water system" in your home. This will allow you to use the rainwater and have it purified via reverse osmosis & UV system for your faucets and shower, but then it utilizes the wastewater from these systems and uses it for your toilet.

Think of it as getting extra water for your buck by reusing that rainwater.

 

[NMPRN]

Phase 2 of my rain water collection system is underway. I'm adding two more 55 gallon barrels and all the gutter work for the next 4 barrels.

I went with a professional seamless gutter installer this time. When all is said and done, I couldn't have done it any cheaper doing it myself and seamless gutters are much better than doing it with 10' sections from Home Depot.

All the parts for this part of the project showed up. I just have to go install everything.

Diverter for the next two barrels. This style of downspout diverter is pretty cool. No moving parts, stupid simple to install and they work amazingly well.

For the downspouts that don't have barrels yet (or won't get barrels) I'll install a diverter and one of these dual hose valves. They'll make it easy to fill other containers like the kiddie pools in post #1 or run a couple of hoses out to the garden etc. ...IMHO the 'cost to value ratio' of these hose valves is incredible.

Finally, I'm going with much larger cross feed hoses and better barrel hose spigots for the whole system.