Calculating gpm

[DocHeb]

<font color=blue>Only planning on irrigating if there is a fire!</font color=blue>

There was a thread about three months ago - covering the requirements for water storage and volume/pressure requirements.

See <font color=blue>Clear Your Defensible Space</font color=blue>.

 

[Chillimau]

Thanks Stan and DocHeb, that will probably cause some more questions .

Sounds like a 3" line would work good.

Bird, I haven't used any water from the meter and the base bill was $8.00/month but went down a few months ago, I think it is around $6.00/month now. Again that is with no usage right now.

John4NH, I'm running about 4,000 gallons a month at my current house, thanks for the "rainfall amounts" 1/10" a day isn't much considering the lawn ought to have about a inch a week.

I failed the perc test, so I can go with a lagoon, eta (evapotransabsorbtion) (sp) or aerobic. What do you all think about a lagoon or ETA? Definately cheaper.

 

[john4nh]

Humm you got me on lagon and eta?

4000 a month oh, thats not so bad I was thinking day..

 

[Bird]

John, my system (and my brother's) is a Hydro-Action Model G-500. Their web site is http://www.hydro-action.com. Of course the new system is a little different from the ones they had 4 to 5 years ago.

Bird

 

[Bird]

Sounds like you have a lot better water rates than we're paying. I just looked at my records and find we've averaged about 4900 gallons a month (low of 2400; high of 8200) and the bill has averaged $41.70 a month.

I don't know anything about the lagoon, but what we had to install for my parents (before I learned about the aerobic systems) was what they called an "evapotranspiration" system. It was just for a little 14 x 52 mobile home; two 400 gallon tanks, and two 20' x 40' evapotranspiration beds. They dug those two beds 2' deep, laid a loop of 8" perforated pipe and filled them with sandy loam (they said they used to use sand, but had learned that sandy loam worked better). There's a gate valve so you can direct the flow to whichever bed you want. They told me when the ground looked wet to switch to the other one. We never had a problem and I didn't wait and let either one show moisture; I just turned the valve on the first of each month to alternate using them.

Bird<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Bird on 10/24/01 11:05 AM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[mikim]

I've heard - but haven't investigated - that Bastrop county now requires that any new systems be aerobic. Is that quarterly inspection a state or county requirement? I can't believe that there's too much to maintaining that system that a fella couldn't learn himself. I really don't want to have to pay maintenance fees for something I should be able to do myself.
mike

 

[john4nh]

Mike

What you heard sounds right to me. The tnrcc is dictating to the county a min. requirement of what they want, then the county can add if they desire. This is all from the hip, I dont have my notes with me. As a homeowner you can install your own system, but you cannot hire anyone to do any part of it except the eletrical. As far as the inspections go it is my understanding you can attend a yearly class and qualify yourself to do them. Its a little grey for me in this area but I will check and let you know definitely.

 

[Bird]

Mike, the requirement for a service contract (the system installation includes the first two year's warranty and service) is a state law. However, when I first inquired about them, a couple of dealer/installers told me there was no one to enforce that law, so you could ignore it if you wanted to. However, in Navarro County we have a county sanitarian who does enforce it. If you get a permit for installation, there is a form that he requires be filed in the courthouse with the deed to the property, and on that form, the property owner is agreeing to maintain a service contract. And then he keeps a file of the contracts and if a copy of the new one isn't forwarded when the old one expires, he sends you a letter asking where it is. And the service company has a form they fill out each time they inspect the system and they send me, and the county sanitarian, a copy each time.

But otherwise, you're right. I could do all the maintenance myself in about 20 minutes every 3 months./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif It's just a visual inspection, clean the air filter on the air pump, wash the filter in the treatment tank, and check the chlorine in the final tank.

Bird

 

[john4nh]

Mike heres a link to the tnrcc with the latest and greatest rules, Hope this helps
http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/enforcement/csd/ics/ossflicense.html#dr

 

[mikim]

self-maintenance and annual qualifications sound good to me - with my luck the class will cost twice as much as a contract - maybe a whole new career field for me in retirement?? gotta find a wrinkle in this somewhere to change my sh!@#tty outlook on the subject/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

On the water thingy --- for all you engineers out there --- if a fella (me) wanted to put in a solar powered well pump (pumps slow) and pump it into a tower/tank -- the questions I have are ... how high/large would the tank have to be to provide a good psi at the house fed through a 3/4" or 1" pipe less than 300 feet away? and that's after filtering etc at the well house. the idea being that I'd still have water pressure even w/o electricity. and what is a good psi for a standard 3/2 house?
mike