Rainwater Collection ideas

[dirtybrownracing]

Hey guys, my new shop is going up next week and i've recently been intrigued by rainwater collection as an alternative to a $6,000 well being drilled for water

Has anybody on here rigged up any basic systems for maybe just irrigation and water supply just to maybe have running water to flush a toilet and wash your hands?

 

[ddawg16]

It might work for you in GA where you get more rain.

I'm in CA.....I have 3 90 gal rain barrels. After a decent rain...they are full....and good for about one yard watering.

Toilet use might be better. Figure 1.5 gal per flush...a 150 gal tank is good for 100 flushes.

Washing hands? Save water by using the toilet before you pee or poop in it.

If you want to collect water...great. But don't forget you have to have a way to pump it to the toilet and sink

 

[bugnut]

Do a search on Cistern and go to any university web site for agricultural use of cistern, many tried and true ideas, uses.

 

[dirtybrownracing]

It might work for you in GA where you get more rain.

I'm in CA.....I have 3 90 gal rain barrels. After a decent rain...they are full....and good for about one yard watering.

Toilet use might be better. Figure 1.5 gal per flush...a 150 gal tank is good for 100 flushes.

Washing hands? Save water by using the toilet before you pee or poop in it.

If you want to collect water...great. But don't forget you have to have a way to pump it to the toilet and sink

Was thinking of the small jet pump with pressure switch from Harbor Freight for the pressure side of things

 

[59 wagon man]

aarwca. American association of rain water collection has many ideas but if I remember correctly they dont really suggest using it for major irrigation

 

[Bretny]

Why irrigate around a garage? Toilet water is pretty simple. Keep your supply above the toilet tank level and you won't need a pump. The toilet didn't care how quick it fills.

 

[MFolks]

Check with the local authorities,some are weird about collecting rainwater.....

 

[Hooked]

Friend of mine buried two extra large diameter concrete culverts. First poured a 'slab' at the bottom of the hole and sealed the connection then poured a concrete cover with an opening to install a submersible pump. Ran all his downspouts to them. Used the water for toilet flushing and watering garden.
After he had it all in I asked why he didn't simply use 1000 gallon septic tanks.

 

[Lynden]

For irrigation you need a large collection system. Here are a couple of videos.

 

[Bert_]

300 gal tote on a stand. Higher it is the better the pressure. Don't need a pump if you can do with little pressure.

Used to be real common to collect rain water. My house has a 1500-2000 gal cistern. It's in pretty good shape but the piston pump would need rebuild to use it. City water is cheap.

 

[itsnoyfb]

A few other threads re rainwater collection.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=415543&highlight=rainwater

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=415543&highlight=rainwater

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=359709&highlight=rainwater

Cheers
Jamie

 

[Hooked]

Neglected to mention. My sis-in-law in Ohio has an approximately 7000 gallon cistern for her house. Been using it for 30+ years without issues. There have been a few times during droughts when she would have to have water delivered but not very often.

 

[mx500]

How deep a well? Look into diy, well points, etc.

 

[crasher98]

Washing hands? Save water by using the toilet before you pee or poop in it.

Um...what? Is that a California thing?

 

[rsanter]

They make a toilet that has a sink on top of the tank than then runs into the tank after you use it.

Put the collection tank up high and that’s all you will need for filling the toilet tank

 

[The Cobbler]

They make a toilet that has a sink on top of the tank than then runs into the tank after you use it.

Put the collection tank up high and that’s all you will need for filling the toilet tank

I'll be damned! https://www.homedepot.com/p/SinkPos...it-Sink-Faucet-Basin-White-HD214-01/205088518

 

[Innovate1]

The person that poured my current house foundation had several houses for family members on a good sized piece of land and built a huge buried tank with pipes from all the houses downspouts going into it. Similar construction to a house basement as I recall. Not sure how the did the top - probably concrete columns inside so it wasn't clear span. Think they used it for all uses but not sure about consumption - would need some filtration or they may have used bottled or something else for that.

For small tank a 250 gallon tote would work and are commonly available. For larger a septic tank would work. I considered it but I have a very small creek I can use for watering plants. City water is not that much. Some day I may do something bigger.

As was mentioned some areas have crazy rules that don't allow collecting rain water. Not sure if you can get a permit or what the details are.

 

[rust in the eye]

It might work for you in GA where you get more rain.

I'm in CA.....I have 3 90 gal rain barrels. After a decent rain...they are full....and good for about one yard watering.

Toilet use might be better. Figure 1.5 gal per flush...a 150 gal tank is good for 100 flushes.

Washing hands? Save water by using the toilet before you pee or poop in it.

If you want to collect water...great. But don't forget you have to have a way to pump it to the toilet and sink

Eww.

 

[web.osb]

@The Cobbler, I cant believe that is an actual thing

 

[crasher98]

Um...what? Is that a California thing?

I'll be damned! https://www.homedepot.com/p/SinkPos...it-Sink-Faucet-Basin-White-HD214-01/205088518

Learn something every day - that gadget is definitely thrifty. Never heard of that but then here in Louisiana (and I think most of the middle of the country generally) you spend time thinking about how to get water to go somewhere else besides where it wants to be, so don't think as much about saving it.

 

[parb]

@The Cobbler, I cant believe that is an actual thing

Fairly common in suburban/rural south East Asia. I always found them a bit weird but I guess it is because I wasn't used to the system. I lived 7 years in South East Asia, came back to California 7 years ago.

 

[stokefire7]

Hey guys, my new shop is going up next week and i've recently been intrigued by rainwater collection as an alternative to a $6,000 well being drilled for water

Has anybody on here rigged up any basic systems for maybe just irrigation and water supply just to maybe have running water to flush a toilet and wash your hands?

Intriguing , yes. Love the idea.

 

[MTY]

Places that sell concrete septic tanks often sell cisterns. I have two 2100 gallon tanks buried in the yard. They have inlet, outlet, over flow and vent fittings. Each has a manhole for access. These were middle sized. They had much smaller and much larger.

I have a small artesian well that spits out about 1300 gallons a day. It gravity feeds one cistern and the cistern gravity feeds the yard. The other cistern is fed from the well and gravity feeds the house. I can flush for quite a while when the power goes out.

 

[Scud67]

You could do an in ground system - check out atlanticwatergardens.com and go to their rain water harvesting section.

 

[dirtybrownracing]

Check with the local authorities,some are weird about collecting rainwater.....

The last thing i'm going to do is consult the government on what I can do with a natural resource that falls out of the sky onto my land....

I understand permits and what not but kiss my grits on rainwater lolz

 

[59 wagon man]

the cobbler doesn't seem practical for a garage. at least not mine where I wash my hands cause there full of grease, chemicals. oil .etc. that toilet will look like **** with the first wash and who knows how the chemicals will affect the flapper. please it isn't really a comfortable position leaning over the toilet. might be good if you do woodworking or gardening but not auto repair

 

[stokefire7]

the cobbler doesn't seem practical for a garage. at least not mine where I wash my hands cause there full of grease, chemicals. oil .etc. that toilet will look like **** with the first wash and who knows how the chemicals will affect the flapper. please it isn't really a comfortable position leaning over the toilet. might be good if you do woodworking or gardening but not auto repair

That would end up being a nuisance.

 

[wout]

In Belgium it's mostly obliged to collect rainwater when you build a new house or do a major renovation. I have a 5000l and 7500l concrete tank under the lawn. The rain is collected through the drainpipes into the 5000l tank and then with a double leverage connected to the 7500l tank. Inside the house there's a pump connected to the biggest tank. Cause the rain comes in the small tank first, I don't have to clean the big one where the pump gets it's water. The pipe in the big thank has a little filter and a non-return-valve so the pump doesn't run of. The toilets and washingmachine runs on rainwater and works really nice.

 

[IdahoMan]

The last thing i'm going to do is consult the government on what I can do with a natural resource that falls out of the sky onto my land....

I understand permits and what not but kiss my grits on rainwater lolz

This^. Good heavens.

 

[KEH]

I have a vague recollection that the laws against

 

[KEH]

I have a vague recollection that the laws against rainwater collection are a CO thing. Something about not wanting to do anything that would interfere with rain water getting to the Colorado river and the dams on it and making less water availiable for some of the cities in the downstream area. I may be wrong on this but Know there are laws about this in some of the dry states.

Apologies for me fumble ********* and starting 2 posts.

KEH

 

[Slednut]

This may help.

https://pioneerwatertanksamerica.com/is-it-illegal-to-collect-rainwater-in-your-state/

 

[clubairth]

In Texas you have the constitutional right to ALL water that falls on your property.
Just like it should be and it's insane that a law had to passed stating that!!

But as posted above the government can and has taken that right away from individuals for the good of someone else.
It will only get worse.
.
.
.

 

[Robbie B]

Hey guys, my new shop is going up next week and i've recently been intrigued by rainwater collection as an alternative to a $6,000 well being drilled for water



Has anybody on here rigged up any basic systems for maybe just irrigation and water supply just to maybe have running water to flush a toilet and wash your hands?

https://morningchores.com/rainwater-harvesting/ I’m hoping to get something setup in the next couple of years to water my garden. It’d take a large system to supply my residence, especially during the summer here as we don’t get much rain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[u2slow]

I'm allowed to irrigate with rainwater. I can't officially tie it into a building though... it diminishes the district's revenue from piped water & sewage (sewage volume = water usage.) Same goes for a drilled or surface well.

I started with 3 poly barrels, a 1000L tote, and one of those cheap pony pumps that you screw garden hoses onto. I routed the downspout from my largest house gutter into the tote. Yard watering happens off the poly barrels. I transfer by siphon or pump. Working toward a piped manifold so they all fill automatically.

The shop has massive potential for collection, but its lower than the house and yard. I'd need to look at stacking totes, a tall cistern, and/or pumping up to the house. An elevated tote up by the house should give me enough head pressure to fill toilet tanks.

 

[dirtybrownracing]

Finally got her set up, just waiting to get the pump plumbed up and tested. Had 2” of rain and collected 700 gallons. Tank is 1550 gallons.

 

[lardy1]

Nothing elaborate at all. Simple to build and provides enough water for her greenhouse. The brown drums are just there. They aren't part of the system.

 

[dirtybrownracing]

Nothing elaborate at all. Simple to build and provides enough water for her greenhouse. The brown drums are just there. They aren't part of the system.

Looks good. Mine is going to do a little outdoor watering, toilet, and shower. may add another tank or so later on down the line if I can find them.

 

[lardy1]

Thanks. Water is plentiful where I live. But the greenhouse is a ways from the nearest spigot and it just kind of took off like so many projects do.

 

[nadogail]

I happen to live in a marine desert. The tiny amount of water I could collect will not justify the expense of construction of a facility.