rain water supply

[Smitt E]

I have already searched, but wasn't able to come up with enough info. i am building a 40x60 barn and running a water line to it is out of the question, so I am interested in a rain water collection setup. I was just wondering if anyone would help point me in the right direction, wheter it be share their setup or suggest a source to get some help. I won't be using a ton of water, but I want to be able to have an outdoor shower and water supply for a bathroom, no drinking water. Anyway, thanks in advance.

 

[Bill Bowman]

Do a Google search for "cistern". Bill

 

[CNGsaves]

Couple GJ garages have nice setups.

Here is one in Australia:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=163567&highlight=australia+water

 

[BigBoyinMS]

I've been planning the same thing for some time. For garden watering and even household use other than drinking... and with a DIY filter system possibly even drinking water. My plan is to mount the tank (or tanks) on a raised platform and use the drop to create at least a small amount of pressure in case of a power outage. Search for "rain water collection" and "water tanks" on the web and YouTube. Plenty of info and even some DIY projects.
I remember touring a small homestead with some classmates back in the '70's. It was owned and kept up by a couple in their late 70's. They had built a wooden water tank 20 ft up on poles that held (IIRC) 2000 gallons. It was filled from a spring using a home built hydraulic ram pump powered by the overflow of a pond he had dug by hand. No electricity on the place and they lived just as they had since they married in the early part of the century. That water setup had provided all the water they had ever needed and plenty of pressure at that height and capacity.

 

[Nowater]

Have you searched on rain barrels? One needs to keep the leaves and mosquitoes out too. I think you will find your biggest problem is water storage containers, and remember water is very heavy-8.35 pounds per gallon. Any food grade plastic that has been previously used is likely to have remnants of food oils that migrate into the plastic molecules, so rule that out for drinking. If you use water from one of those containers for a shower, keep your mouth and eyes closed, or better yet, find a way to purify it before use.

Around here, blue food grade containers are available in 55 gallon drum size. They were used to hold flavoring and are often recycled into rain barrels. Good luck, and keep us informed.

 

[CNGsaves]

Haven't seen this anywhere, but if there are cooling needs, all that water could surely be ready-made "Geo thermal" loop that could be harvested.

One giant cistern I saw for a chicken farmer was like 20,000 gallons buried to supply water for chickens along with emergency fire protection.

This Old House had a show with lighthouse that was off grid and it gathered all it's water needs from rain capture into a cistern.

 

[Smitt E]

Thanks for the help. I'm not going to be needing much water, so I would think 250gallons will be plenty. I am definately not going to be drinking it, but I do want a hot water heater for hand washing, washing parts, and a shower. I'm in Alabama, so freezing isn't too big of a deal. Just keeping it inside should take care of that. My biggest questions at this point would be what I need to do to filter it and I assume I need some sort of pump to create pressure to distribute the water. What is the cheapest option as far as a pump goes?

 

[KPSquared]

How do you treat the rain water? It tends to grow things when you store it. . .

 

[Pcoghlan]

I know people won't want to hear this but just be aware that several states now have laws in place that prevent rain water collection...

Don't shoot the messenger.

http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/env-res/rainwater-harvesting.aspx

PS: no, this is not a joke.

 

[CNGsaves]

I know people won't want to hear this but just be aware that several states now have laws in place that prevent rain water collection...

Don't shoot the messenger.

http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/env-res/rainwater-harvesting.aspx

PS: no, this is not a joke.

Interesting information . . . thanks for posting.

However, predominant direction of public policy is FOR rainwater collection, cisterns, etc. Several states offer TAX CREDITS to Promote Rainwater Collection efforts.

Looks like Colorado may be stickler against rainwater collection.

 

[rburke65]

You got to love the government. I just putup a 1800 sq. ft. shop and the first permit I had to get was a down spout permit. They.....local gov....are asking me what an I going to do with the water coming out of my downspouts. Since I hadn't planned on gutters as I have 13' side wall didn't want to be cleaning gutters, the Building Dept. tells me, no gutters, no permit. Ok....I'll put up gutters. Whereas the water going to go? I have over 5 acres, and I assume it will nowhere God has put it since the beginning of time......on the ground and into the woods, then into the drainage ditches along the road side, to streams, etc. Wrong. If my down spouts didn't flow into the ditch (and I was sitting below the road surface) I either had to pump it to the ditch, it had to go to a stream or I had to dig a dry well to catch the water from my roof! And now the folks on this forum tells me there are cities that don't allow you to collect rain water! You are forbidden over there and I have to pay if I have gutters on my shop over here!........there all crazy!

 

[Blk88GT]

rburke65, that is over the top. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with THAT.

 

[bacpacker]

Great information and ideas in this thread. Subscribed for future use.

I am currently putting in a 300 gallon tank to catch the rain water off my chicken coop (10'x12') and plumbing in a automatic watering system for my chickens and having a tie in to irrigate the garden some as needed. In the future I plan on building similar but larger system on the house and shop to catch most all the runoff there as well. At a minimum I'll use it for all my irrigation needs and will work on a tie in for the other home uses down the road.

 

[VWPORSCHEGT3]

Ducksface, everytime i see your location i think of the song from Tool, Aenima... Learn to swim see you down in arizona bay...

i remember when i heard about the az law saying you couldn't save any rainwater. I believe i was still in highschool and thought it was the stupidest thing i had ever heard.

 

[willymakeit]

I grew up with cisterns and hand pumps. Galv. gutters with drain to cistern First minutes of rain you let it flush to tthe ground then back to cistern. Dont ever remember treating it but adding a little chlorine once in awhile might keep bacteria down
Friends had a above ground tank, out in the winter ,just the top 2-3 inchs froze, the rest ok. We do the same on const. trailers ,insulate the pipe and pump the rest is exposed. Even down to 0 ,just the top 2-3 inches have froze.

 

[tommudd]

Several years ago I bought an old house that had a tank in the attic for catching rain water. All the downspouts ran into it and they had an overflow that went back out and down the wall to the ground. People that there before had owned the place over 70 years and that was their main water source. Drinking water came from a spring up over the hill.
My Dad used a plastic tank made to haul water in the back of a pickup for his shop water supply. Had built a small building around it with insulation and in the winter a small heater to keep it above freezing, never had any issues.

 

[PhantomEB]

I am puttin at least 4 barrels out this year in order to water my lawn without touching the city supply. Screw the govt!

 

[pmiranda]

...I have designed a roof washer that wastes the first 12 gallons allowing the 'cleaned' roof to supply water. I have decided to not use it.

I've wondered about that... is it something automatic?

 

[where2]

In Florida, I have to retain it on my lot. I'm not allowed to dump rain water in the street, or the canal behind the house.

35 gallon rain barrel at the bottom of the downspout. It's the dry season and it's still overflowing!

 

[Engineer61]

It isn't that Colorado is a stickler about rainwater collection, it's that Colorado is a stickler about water rights and who owns the rainwater, snow melt etc. Just because it falls on your land, or runs across your land, doesn't mean you own that water or have any right to use it or to store it and prevent the legal owner from using it.
With the drought forecast to continue, despite the storms over the last week, it doesn't look like the mountain reservoirs will fill so we will have another summer of watering restrictions.

 

[dragracer98]

It isn't that Colorado is a stickler about rainwater collection, it's that Colorado is a stickler about water rights and who owns the rainwater, snow melt etc. Just because it falls on your land, or runs across your land, doesn't mean you own that water or have any right to use it or to store it and prevent the legal owner from using it.

So would the legal owner be the state no matter where the water comes from?

Randy

 

[92GreenYJ]

In AZ graywater was so taboo when I moved in that they required a weekly test that ran about $150! It took weeks to get the test back and you could not proceed until the test was in. I was skeered to even run my washer out in to anything but my septic tank.

In California, and I think Oregon, they have decided that the homeowner does not OWN the rain that falls on their lot and must not collect it under threat of theft charges. Others allow for collection from covered palces like building and driveways, others strictly prohibit collection specifically from building and driveways. Florida is pretty progressive about it and has instructions in place for building systems.
Too much to read for all States but I'm about 2 months ahead of the op and actually have one in AZ.

Think you may be off on CA. My research into the subject so far has shown that, at least in San Diego, a tax credit is offered for installing a rain barrel system. Pretty sure there is a gov rebate program for purchasing the barrels too

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

...
In California, and I think Oregon, they have decided that the homeowner does not OWN the rain that falls on their lot and must not collect it under threat of theft charges...

Not true for Oregon.

To the OP, do a search under "rainwater harvesting". 'Nuff said.

 

[ripper70]

I've been planning the same thing for some time. For garden watering and even household use other than drinking... and with a DIY filter system possibly even drinking water. My plan is to mount the tank (or tanks) on a raised platform and use the drop to create at least a small amount of pressure in case of a power outage. Search for "rain water collection" and "water tanks" on the web and YouTube. Plenty of info and even some DIY projects.
I remember touring a small homestead with some classmates back in the '70's. It was owned and kept up by a couple in their late 70's. They had built a wooden water tank 20 ft up on poles that held (IIRC) 2000 gallons. It was filled from a spring using a home built hydraulic ram pump powered by the overflow of a pond he had dug by hand. No electricity on the place and they lived just as they had since they married in the early part of the century. That water setup had provided all the water they had ever needed and plenty of pressure at that height and capacity.

I ran my downspout drains into a 1000 gallon tank buried then use a sprinkler pump with a little outhouse built over it and hook a hose to it. Youd be amazed the amount of water i get in oregon coast from this set up...lol..it is ALWAYS full. I use it to water lawn,garden,wash cars,hose deck off exc.

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

I'll check on the geothrmal applicatio of a 10,000 gallon tank on recirculation. I bet it heats up really quick, I'm going to pull one out of hat;
Three hours and you're done...

Any engineer types want to venture a closer +- guess on a 30degree differential?

I'm not an engineer.

10,000gal x 8.1 lbs/gal = 81,000 lbs.

81,000 lbs x 30*F x 1BTU/lbs = 240,000 BTUs.

Is my math right? Are my assumptions correct?

 

[Dick in Wisconsin]

Another reason to collect rainwater is to put in the radiator of your race cars in the summer. It should be devoid of iron and other bad stuff you don't want in your race car engine.