rain water collection system

[Doc_Bob]

I thought I might ask. I want to build another pole barn. This time, I want to develop a system to collect the water from the roof and collect it in a cistern (or something like it) to useduring the dry spells to water my garden, lawn and etc. Anyone do this kind of thing and can you point me in the right direction?
Bob

 

[mikim]

just do an inet search for "rain water harvesting" ... you'll get more than you can read in a day.

 

[Tororider]

If you find good stuff in a search, post it here, its a good topic and I would be interested too.

 

[Doc_Bob]

just do an inet search for "rain water harvesting" ... you'll get more than you can read in a day.

I did and found some good stuff. I always ask here since real people populate TBN!
Bob

 

[Doc_Bob]

If you find good stuff in a search, post it here, its a good topic and I would be interested too.

I will!
Bob

 

[PA hayseed]

I have an old farm house that has a cistern. The cistern is about 1800 gal, and all the gutters ran to it. The top of the cistern is approximately 2 foot below ground level, with a cap to access it.

It was made with concrete and rock, with the top being solid concrete, and the sides being rock and a layer of concrete.

Roots are a problem, as the continously find a way in and grow like crazy in there.

It was changed over to a septic run out about 4 years ago, and the gutter system was changed. It had a hole knocked in it for a overflow system, but continues to hold "fluids" like the day it was made.

 

[Doc_Bob]

It was changed over to a septic run out about 4 years ago, and the gutter system was changed. It had a hole knocked in it for a overflow system, but continues to hold "fluids" like the day it was made.

What do you use the water for??? How do you pump it out?
Bob

 

[kjm3232]

I thought I might ask. I want to build another pole barn. This time, I want to develop a system to collect the water from the roof and collect it in a cistern (or something like it) to useduring the dry spells to water my garden, lawn and etc. Anyone do this kind of thing and can you point me in the right direction?
Bob

how much water are you trying to store? I have several 55 gal plastic barrels mounted under gutters that i had orginally got from a pickle factory. I bought some kitchen strainers cut out a hole on top of the barrell put the strainer in to catch leaves. I bought some faucets, tubing and cinder blocks from Home Depot. installed the faucet at the bottom of the barrel, put the dbarrel on the cinder blocks so my wife can put a watercan underneath and installed the hoses between the barrels for more water storage. this way she can water everything in the garden. For plants farther way, she connects the hose to the faucet and waters her plants that way

 

[Fossil Farm]

We've been collecting rainwater and using it for flowers and other outside chores for years. I hate using my well water for watering flowers. Just a waste. Don't like wasting my drinking water. I have a flow diverter from the downspout on the barn which goes to 2, 55 gallon drums. I use a small sump pump to pump into a tank (just 120 gallons at this point) that is 10 feet above the ground. It is on a sturdy frame of treated 4x4's. A two inch line comes out of the tank and then converts to 3/4 inch garden hose, with a valve. Gravity fed, and with a couple hundred feet of hose, we can water most anywhere with pretty decent pressure. With the roof area I have, a one-tenth inch rain fills one 55 gallon barrel. In the fall, I just switch the downspout back to the drain tile.

I put "Aquashade" or a similiar product in the tank so algae does not become a problem. Only takes a tablespoon. Right now it does sit outdoors. Got most of the parts (2 inch hose, 120 gallon tank) at TSC, a farm supply store. We have had it for, oh, 8 or 9 years now, and have not had to replace any parts yet. The 2 inch line will probably have to be replaced in a couple years. Seeing some UV breakdown starting.

 

[rural2]

Just to put things in perspective for those folks who are not already monitoring they're own water usage... I currently pump, on average, 2500 gallons a week for two people for culinary use only. Washing, drinking, cooking, bathing, toilets, occasional tractor washing etc., no irrigation. If I were to irrigate a small garden or lawn, say 50' X 100' I would guesstimate to transfer apx. two to three times that amount additionally per week. Thats about 7,500 + gallons a week. Not saying that a rain water storage system is a good thing or a bad thing, just pointing out that an average household uses a lot of water and what size storage system might be required. A 10,000 + gallon storage vessel w/associated equipment is going to be a pretty good chunk of $$$ and time to install and maintain for a week or so worth of water. For me anyway.

 

[KillerTractor]

Try this one ... rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/images.html

You will see alot of different things from barrels to very large tanks...
Also you can look up T.C.E.Q. ( Texas Commission on Environmental Quality )and do a search on rainwater harvesting, they have tons of stuff the subject.


IF you have the time, stop by your ag. Extension Office,
The Master Gardeners, their can be a big help.. Our Ag. office here in Conroe Tx. Has alot on this subject, including some large tanks, pumps, and irrigation .

Can you tell I like this subject as well. Alot of really good water going to waste.. It's PH neutral, no Chlorine, and good for the plants..

Oh before I forget, If you need a Black Plastic Water Tank.
Look up WaterTanks.com.... They sell all kinds of tanks. The tank I got was a 1100 Gal . It cost $419.00. But I have to go get it...

That's half what Tractor Supply has it for.

 

[PA hayseed]

What do you use the water for??? How do you pump it out?
Bob

we don't use it for water anymore, it got converted to a sewage/sump/rain water run. Way back when it was just for water it was manually removed, and used for everything. Then it had a pump added to it, and used for outdoor use only. There is also a well on the property, so the cistern was mainly used for irrigation for the crops, and to supplement the well in dry times. Some of this information was supplied to me by the old guy who lives next door, as the house is about 50 years older than me.

After next spring, I will be doing another cistern system for my tomatoes. Why let it run off down the mountain, then pay the local water authority to pump it back to your house and charge you for it. If more people started to conserve, I would be willing to bet the proverbial farm that the government would quickly pass laws that would no longer allow you to, and possibly say that it interferes with inter and intra state commerce. Or in my area, everytime you turn on your hose, it somehow affects the chesapeake bay.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I thought I might ask. I want to build another pole barn. This time, I want to develop a system to collect the water from the roof and collect it in a cistern (or something like it) to useduring the dry spells to water my garden, lawn and etc. Anyone do this kind of thing and can you point me in the right direction?
Bob

I collect rain from a small shed roof into a plastic barrel, it sits up on some blocks, has a faucet at the bottom. It's amazing how fast it can fill from a small surface area even after a small rain. I connect it to other barrels via line on the bottom faucet, so they all level out the same. One barrel I keep on a pallet, I fill it from the rain barrels, and use the tractor and carry it whereever I need to water.
some people just use stock tanks to collect into.

If you have a good flowing stream handy, you might also want to check out RAM pumps. I bought parts to build one, have not tested it yet. Some old timers around know about them and use them. No electric required, but need moving water source. I have a small steam with good flow from some good springs that I think one will work in. probably will wait till next spring to test.

 

[BTDT]

I have a couple tanks I salvaged that are up on a pipe stand. I use them to collect run-off from my pumphouse to supplement the garden. I have a drip irrigation hose that feeds from a faucet on the bottom of the tank to the garden. 1st year to use it. Didn't really need it due to all the rain we got. Go figure!

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ion-walk-around-yard-walk-around-yard-007.jpg

 

[travis potter]

I read a story several years back about a man west of Austin Tx that had no water and no well. He built a (rain barn) just to colect water. As best I rember he had 4 large tanks the first was a settling tank the second a use tank for all house hold use plus a swimming pool the third was for over flow and the fourth was where he raised cat fish. The story was in the elect coop mag. The pic of the house was very nice and he was a doctor with a wife and kids.
I have a place in the country and only run comode water in to the septic all other water goes into 55 gal drums and gravity feeds to water trees and grass. Hope this make since.

 

[schmism]

What do you use the water for??? How do you pump it out?
Bob

at the minium watering the garden, washing the car, etc.

With a little forthought it can be used as a grey water system for your house.

With a little more effort it can be drinking water.

 

[kossetx]

I have 2, 2-3,000 gal cisturns from the old homesteader days. About 12' deep. They look like an inverted light bulb in the ground. They are built from red brick and concrete and I'm sure they were dug by hand. The down side? the closest is 1000 yards from the new house.

I'd like to install a cisturn next to my garage but I don't want it to be able to be seen , so below ground. Can they be made from cinder block and lined with something or would it be easier if I just purchase a concrete septic tank.

My house is on piers and I have a 275gal tank under it but it's not big enough. I may try to attach a second 275 to it.

Mark

 

[Geoscouter]

Here is a little different idea. The old cabin on our property has the downspouts connected to buried flexible pipe that leads to a small garden pond. It took me awhile to initially figure out how that pond kept filling up. The liner needs to be replaced so it leaks down after a few weeks but I thought it was a clever idea, especially if you'd like a small garden pond anyway and your property contour allows it.

 

[Eaglebait Ranch]

My wife and I built a master bedroom onto our cabin. The cabin has a cement slab floor. The bedroom has a wood floor on a cement foundation. The property is on a minor slope. We have hard pan 12"-24" below the top soil. In winter, we found out water flows down the hard pan, and settles under the addition.

So, I rented an electric rock breaker "thingy" and dug a french drain 12" below the hard pan. This french drain dumps into a cystern I dug. In the cystern is a small pump which pumps the water into a 500 gallon above ground tank. When that tank gets full, I pump that water up to the top of our property (150') to one of two 500 gallon water storage tanks.

At the beginning of spring, we wind up with three full 500 gallon water tanks. With the two upper water tanks I connect a cheap water timer and run drip line tubing to about 15 ever green trees. When the first tank empties, I transfer the timer and lines over to the second tank. This system almost lasts all summer and the trees love it.

The lower tank we use to water several trees around the house.

We just hate wasting water. It is unfortunate that we can only use the 3 tanks because it only takes one, maybe two, large storms and the tanks are full.

 

[602466]

I have 4, 250 gallon plastic drums protected on metal skids. Go to craigslist under farming, they are always there. They are daisey chained so when one is filled it overflows into the next one. They are connected to a down spout. They are located under my house basement (crawl space).

I have a 5th, 250 gallon tank that I put on my pickup to water the plants. I use a little pump to pump from the storage tanks to the one on the truck. It takes about a half hour to fill up. Slow but simple. I also use the pump to water the plants.

Wally