Landlocked rainwater storage

[ambenz]

My water rates in DuPage County, Illinois went through the roof!
So, either I start storing rain water or the grass this summer will be dormant and brown really quick.
I am thinking of storing at least 500/1000 gallons on rain water on the back side of the garage, above ground in the grass area on my property easement (5 foot deep), between my garage and the neighbors driveway....it's the highest point on my property.
There is always the issue of payback vs cost and how long will it take to pay for itself.
Here is a birds eye view of my landlocked property, garage is on bottom of picture....

So, I am looking at 500 gallon doorway storage tanks that I could daisy chain together and connect to the garage downspouts....but these tanks are expensive!
Maybe, connect a few $100 rain barrels along the 30 foot with of the garage...sounds pricy too...would need about 10 of them.

So, I was thinking of building a slimline deck and fabricating a tank using pressure treated wood and rubber membranes..but I have never done this before...so I guess I am open to suggestion for storing water in a tight space. I would be adding a pressure pump in the garage and a dedicated spigot to dispense through a garden hose and sprinkler.
If your storing rainwater in a confined area, please post up your suggestions!!!

 

[Higgins]

You may want to look into plastic septic tanks! they come in all sizes, 500, 600, 900, 1000 etc. The big issue U have will be the shipping charges for the larger tanks! If you look at F&F, Tractor Supply, they typically have 400, 500 gallon tanks in stock. So you can avoid the shipping charges!

Now for the bad news, U will not believe how fast you can go thru 1,000 gal of water, watering flower beds, trees, and grass! So figure out how much water you need before you start!

Yrs ago I went down that road, and to water my yard, I needed 5,000 - 10,000 gallons of water. Doable as I have a large yard. But after last yr. would have been out of water in several weeks!

As we have a creek, I elected to pump water out of the creek. However, last yr it went DRY the 1st week of June, and didn't have ANY water in it till last month!

So good luck with your project! You may want to talk your local town/village. Our founding fathers were behind my project. Then they rolled their eyes when I started talking 5,000 Gal tanks!! - LOL!

 

[Crusty Nut]

Who cares if the grass turns brown? Seems like a lot of work, expense, or both to keep the grass green. Then you have stored water year round to look at, walk around, ect.
To me it seems as if the juice is not worth the squeeze.

 

[Automatic Slim]

I have rain barrels (60 gallon) under my downspout and have leafless gutter system.

However, they do get gunky often and can plug up the works and water can stagnate in a hurry in sultry summer (arkansas). Mainly use for watering shrubs and things with a siphon hose attachment (non electric).

Since you are talking about installation on high point of yard, gravity is your friend and going passive would probably be best, imo.

this is a big topic and project that can keep going, there is so much waste in sprinklin' compared to absorption. Keeping the water fresh (I drain my 60 gallon tanks weekly and rinse).

My dumb arkansas suggestion would be to look into a solar pump off a well as the water does not need to be potable and the terrain will like better anyways. Some cities balk and have restrictions, but I say they go f themselves, but I don't live in the city.

You can probably have a well drilled, solar pump for under 2k and get your money back within one year use and run that puppy all day only to later invite the neighborhood chicks over to mud wrestle.

 

[mtwaterguy]

I agree with the well idea. I've helped a few friends and depending on depth it's pretty easy. Using your casing and water to help, you and one or two friends should be able to find water fairly quick.

 

[Always_Thinkin]

Have you thought about making an ornamental pond in the back yard. You could have the downspouts drain to the pond to keep it full. Digging a hole is cheaper and easier than buying storage tanks. It is just a thought. For your info there is 7.48 gallons in 1 cubic foot. If you do the math, 500 gallons is just shy of 67 cubic feet. That would only be a 48 inch diameter pond 18 inches deep.

 

[Scott H in Wheaton]

Closed barrels will prevent evaporation, also lessen the liability issue of open water source that a child could drown in.

 

[MoparTrucks]

We use a couple of these agricultural 300 gal poly tanks to gravity feed our orchard which is on a slope below my shop and there are all kinds of sizes and configurations...I think we paid something like $186 for them. We are on county water but fill them with one of our wells so all we pay is the electricity for the submersible pump.

We also have rain barrels off of one of our garages and the green house but the next phase of this will be a barrel shaped 150 gal ag poly tank on a platform of 4x4"s to feed a deep sink in the shop.

 

[NUTTSGT]

My water rates in DuPage County, Illinois went through the roof!
There is always the issue of payback vs cost and how long will it take to pay for itself.

Are you sure your water rates for usage have gone up or is it a combination of services ?

Locally, a gallon of water is about 1¢/gal. It's not the water usage that is creating the higher bill, it's the sewage rates, storm water run-off fees, and trash collection that has risen. It's commonly (locally) called a water bill but in all actuality, it's a utility bill for a combination of services.

Just make sure, it's the water usage rate costing you an arm & leg before you spend large dollars to save a penny per gallon of water.

 

[bczygan]

Put in a well.

 

[kbs2244]

NUTTSGT has a good idea.
Double check what you are getting billed for.
But the last time I was on city water, the sewer part of the bill was based on the water used part because that was what was metered.

As far as storage is concerned 55 gal plastic drums are apx 24 inches in dia.
10 of the would be a 20 foot row along the back of the garage and not hard to hide.
I have seen them from free to $5.00 a piece on CL.
A series of “T” fittings from the bottom holes and into a long pipe along the ground
And a down spout along the top with holes drilled in it to drain into the top holes
would be all the plumbing you would need.

 

[SD_R/T]

But the last time I was on city water, the sewer part of the bill was based on the water used part because that was what was metered.

Yep.

Not saying it's across the board, but this is a pretty common way for municipalities to collect sewer fees. They can't really measure how much is going 'out', but they can measure what's going 'in' (at the meter). Then they make assumptions on what's going out based on what's going in by applying some sort of standard multiplier.

This is where using the rainwater would save on sewer fees as well. If you lower your demand on what's coming 'in', their analysis on what's going 'out' will lower as well.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Suggestion, but first a question. What is your soil like ? If it is very sandy, this might not work.

Modular, underground rain water storage (Obviously you will scale it down,)

I am very serious about drilling my own well for the same reasons !

 

[flat350]

Water rates jumped in the Chicago suburbs(DuPage County)because they receive water from Lake Michigan via Chicago,I'm in Schaumburg just north of Dupage County and ours increased too when Chicago increased the fees to the suburbs.
There have been some good deals on large poly tanks on Craigslist in the area as of late.

 

[ForceFed70]

Go with 250 Gallon totes. These are used a lot in industry and can be found for fairly cheap. Usually between $40-$100 each. They are perfect for the job with a large 8" lid on top and a valve on the bottom. They are a byproduct of manufacturing (liquids shipped overseas in them) which is why they are so cheap.

 

[AMCguy]

Is it permissible to harvest and use the grey water from your house?

 

[914wilhelm]

Some areas would contend that "saving" the water without a permit is illegal as its the "publics" water even though it fell on your property.

 

[boo coo tracks]

I use tanks (275 gal) like force-fed 70 picture. The tanks are about $70. around here, 1 or 2 tanks per gutter on my sheds. For new trees 12' pines , planted spring 2012 a super dry year saved all thirty of them. Added screen to top to keep out leaves.
Tracks

 

[CNGsaves]

Go with 250 Gallon totes. These are used a lot in industry and can be found for fairly cheap. Usually between $40-$100 each. They are perfect for the job with a large 8" lid on top and a valve on the bottom. They are a byproduct of manufacturing (liquids shipped overseas in them) which is why they are so cheap.

+1 on this style containers.

With massive increase of agricultural use of this style tank (ie pesticides, micro-nutrients, urea for diesel, etc) there are bound to be leftover or spares of these. Much like cargo containers to the shipping industry, I see these as prolific oversupply in the coming years.

 

[Garage5.9]

Is it permissible to harvest and use the grey water from your house?

x2 grey water leach field would save alot of water

 

[ambenz]

A lot of good ideas here folks.
I want to do this on the cheap so if I can't make it myself, it's gonna be a lost cause.
My water rates did increase as did my sewer rates...yes everything is included in the water bill, even trash.
I like the idea of a well but it strictly a no no in my town. The don't allow them.
They do encourage rain water retrieval ...and with a nice wet April, I wish it was already in place!
Keep the ideas coming for free rain barrels or cheap barrels....

 

[5lima30]

+1 on this style containers.

With massive increase of agricultural use of this style tank (ie pesticides, micro-nutrients, urea for diesel, etc) there are bound to be leftover or spares of these. Much like cargo containers to the shipping industry, I see these as prolific oversupply in the coming years.

Just be careful and find out what was in these containers!

 

[CNGsaves]

Correct, any and all containers should be thoroughly cleaned prior to any use . . . even if for gray water, or yard watering purposes.

Also, while at softball tourney in Denver, CO area there were sprinkler systems that had Warning Signs that gray water was being used, and that sprinkler water was NOT to be ingested . . . thus, NON-POTABLE water.

Thus, I would post signs on any spigots that are gray water for lawn or garden use only.

 

[SteveCh]

I poured a concrete pad (fairly cheap, did it myself). Then I used concrete (cinder) blocks to build the walls, framed a roof topped with the cheapest metal roofing I could get. Ran the house roof gutter downspouts into it. Nine feet square and five ft. high holds 2200 gal. I lined the inside with a pool liner I had made.

A friend hand dug a pond in his back yard, lined it with clay and ran hoses from his downspouts. Works great and looks good, he planted all sorts of stuff around it.

Another friend plumbed her kitchen sink and shower stall to drain out into her back yard. She's 78 yr. old and did it herself.

 

[BRIANBB]

Take the discharge pipe from the A/C unit in the attic that normally hooks up to the drain and run it into a drum of some sort. You are paying to run the ac anyway, you might as well use the water it is taking out of the air as well. 10 gallons a day maybe?

 

[Chris4x4Gill2]

I am looking into rain water collection myself. This method seems to be the best because it prevents algea growth and mosquitos in the water.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-rain-barrel-1/

 

[60766244]

Illegal to collect rainwater? o.o

Here we're encouraged to have as many and and much collection as possible.

Water tanks aren't too pricey. If you're looking at ICB's (1000L Pallets) only use them for non-potable water. If you're drinking it, you don't want any chemical leaching.

As for how big you need them?

Go here: http://www.rhinotanks.com.au/index.php/catchment_calculator/ - it's got some metric in there, so you'll needa convert, but it's easy.

Personally, when I build my house I'm looking at three, 44,000L tanks as a minimum.

Can never have tanks too big... Assuming you have the space.

 

[NY_treeguy]

275 gal IBC totes that have previously held food colorings or flavorings are good, as well as 55 gallon drums. Start overseeding with Turf Type Tall Fescue (TTTF) which will go dormant in the hot dry summer, but will not die. Nice color, comes in thick, and feels nice on the feet. You may need to order it from a seed supplier, the big box stores do not carry it yet. The added bonus is when it gets dry, you don't need to mow either.

 

[M3rl3n]

Here is what I did.

About a year after I finished the shed I made the gutters. The front gutter is just 8 feet long, the back one is 16 feet long. All in all I collect 75% of the water that hits the shed roof. Each barrel is 85 gallons, I think, so about 340 gallons collected. If it rains moderately for just an hour or so, I can fill all four barrels.

The barrels are raised up and each is connected to a copper pipe with a ball valve and a hose connector. We use ig to water our gardens, trees etc in the height of summer when water gets a little light. When they fill completely, I have a runoff area for the water to go.

Dan

 

[Clik]

I used to use 55 gallon plastic drums for air itght/water tight/flea proof dog houses. I got all I wanted FREE from the local car wash. They got their soap and wax in them.

Boat yards often have to pay big bucks to dispose of old fiberglass boats. The county impound lot pulls a lot of abandoned boats in too. The hulls make great fish ponds.

 

[tylernt]

Illegal to collect rainwater? o.o

Yeah Colorado has some insanely strict rainwater laws. Fortunately, they seem to be the only state with crazy laws.

 

[Chaznsc]

I would put in a well before I attempted rainwater harvesting. The price of a 4 inch well and pump might very well solve your dilemma and avoid the mess associated with keeping water. You are also not dependent on rain with a well for the most part.

 

[SteveCh]

I live here in Colorado. Let's say I knew someone who, not knowing any better, set up a roof-top collection system with a large cistern and ran his home off it for 20+ yr. That same someone was reading a magazine article in a dr's office several yr. ago and saw that Co. did not allow this and the fine for doing so was $50 a day. Twenty yr. X 365 days X $50..... Hmmmmm. Further research showed that it is even illegal to put a bucket under a roof downspout to catch water for a flower bed. It is illegal to plumb your downspouts into a pond in the yard, even if the pond overflows right onto the yard the water would have gone on to directly from the downspout [it "delays flowage of water to downstream customers who have or may have more senior water rights...."]

Whilst pondering what to do, this person's wife's good friend was fined $50 in a Denver neighborhood for catching water from her downspout to water the flower pots on her front porch. They could not prove she had had the bucket there more than one day, so she got off lucky.

The guy with the cistern, above, paid big bucks for a 328' well drilled through solid rock the entire way. He got good water. lots of it. With the pump it cost him $13,000. But way less than the potential fine.

It is nuts here. I have read that a few other states have restrictions on collecting rain water, though not as severe as Colorado, but I really don't know whether that is accurate. I would recommend making certain your state does not have them, very good chance they do not, but make sure.

 

[Highbeam]

In WA rainwater is a "water of the state" so unless you have a water right, there are hoops to jump through if you want to be legitimate. Stupid, yes. The theory is that you are stealing the water from some downstream creak. Then you have other agencies encouraging rainwater reuse as a form of conservation.

Just be aware of the laws before spending tons of money.

 

[Clik]

We now have (in MD) a rain water tax based on impervious surface area. The idea is that water runs off of roof, driveway and other impervious areas and creates excessive runoff. If your runoff is absorbed by the grass in your yard you still have to pay because it's just another excuse to tax anyway. If the gooberment can make you feel guilty you'll be deffensive rather than offensive about increased taxes. It's psycological conditioning of the sheeple.

 

[go4donuts]

As far as storage is concerned 55 gal plastic drums are apx 24 inches in dia.
10 of the would be a 20 foot row along the back of the garage and not hard to hide.
I have seen them from free to $5.00 a piece on CL.
A series of “T” fittings from the bottom holes and into a long pipe along the ground
And a down spout along the top with holes drilled in it to drain into the top holes
would be all the plumbing you would need.

Yep, lots of good idea videos on YouTube. Search "rain barrels" or "rain water harvesting".

 

[where2]

Pumped my new 50 gallon rain barrel dry on Monday night watering plants and flowers in the yard. My little Jabsco Water Puppy gets warm pumping 50 gallons...

 

[Sureshot]

I have access to "pit liner" which is a heavy plastic liner used in the oilfield in sandy areas and under tank farms etc. I built a large frame out of steel and lined it with that and it holds 4000 gallons or so. Wife also did her 1800 gallon fish pond with it. They scrap the liners after one use in case they get a hole and you can just cut out a piece you need.

 

[Clik]

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission outside DC asked all their customers to conserve water. When they did they sent notice thanking everyone for doing such a good job of conserving, but since everyone did such a good job WSSC lost revenue and were now raising rates. Wells for watering gardens are illegal in WSSC areas because they want revenue from the metered system. You can get a sub meter so that you don't have to pay the sewage portion but they discourage that through **** inspection requirements. They turned down my submeter because it was mounted an inch too high on the wall. Their excuse was it might prevent a short meter reader from reading it. I said "I'll build the floor up an inch". They said no because a meter reader might fall off the one inch high raised area. I had to repipe the meter.