Posted: 2/11/2009 9:31:44 AM EDT
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Hey all...
Starting a veggy garden for the 1st time in a few years... My old gutters are crap and need to be replaced anyway plus my 2 large shops dont have any gutters at all... Looking at building a rainwater collection setup... Found some info here: http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Rainwater-Collection-System I'm googling now to find what i can but can always use as much info as possible to get it right the 1st time.. We are on a water meter and it will make the garden not very cost effective if I have to keep watering with city water...Our rainfall here in DFW is good some years but we also have a lot of drought years.. Any hints, tips, pictures of yours, links to info, # of barrels etc needed would be greatly appreciated.. |
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Thanks for the link.
Warnings
Check the legality of doing this with your local city officials, as it is illegal in many areas to collect and hold any kind of water for re-use. E.g. Colorado, US[1] 
Water collected from rooftops will also contain chemical components from the composition roofing. This is not ok for drinking, and is not recommended for gardens either.
If you can't use it for gardens or drinking, why would you go to the trouble? |
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Quoted:
Thanks for the link. Warnings
Check the legality of doing this with your local city officials, as it is illegal in many areas to collect and hold any kind of water for re-use. E.g. Colorado, US[1]
Water collected from rooftops will also contain chemical components from the composition roofing. This is not ok for drinking, and is not recommended for gardens either.
If you can't use it for gardens or drinking, why would you go to the trouble? I would think there is a filtering process? I just watched a show Off the Grid, with the guy from survivor man, and they were going to do this cause they had no water and kept having to bring water in by the barrel. |
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I have found some references to a diverter of some sort that will dump the 1st few gallons to get rid of bird poop etc...
This is known as a "first flush" device. My house is totally off grid and all water is catchment. The roof of the house channels run-off water to 4 x 2500 gallon polypro tanks. There is a first flush setup that takes the first 5 gallons of runoff and diverts it so dirt, bird poop, etc don't got into the tanks. Water from the tanks is filtered first through a 5 micron filter, then a activated charcoal filter and then a UV sterilizer. Water to non-drinking sources (outside spigots) is not filtered. Here is a great link to water catchment systems: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ctahr2001/ctahrinaction/feb_02/tmacomber.html |
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Quoted:
I have found some references to a diverter of some sort that will dump the 1st few gallons to get rid of bird poop etc...
This is known as a "first flush" device. My house is totally off grid and all water is catchment. The roof of the house channels run-off water to 4 x 2500 gallon polypro tanks. There is a first flush setup that takes the first 5 gallons of runoff and diverts it so dirt, bird poop, etc don't got into the tanks. Water from the tanks is filtered first through a 5 micron filter, then a activated charcoal filter and then a UV sterilizer. Water to non-drinking sources (outside spigots) is not filtered. Here is a great link to water catchment systems: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ctahr2001/ctahrinaction/feb_02/tmacomber.html Good linky..thanks |