jeffgreef
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# Posted: 31 Jan 2012 03:51pm
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I've had excellent luck with my rainwater collection system thus far and thought I'd share how I did it. The following link is to 'The Texas Manual of Rainwater Harvesting' put out by the Texas Water Development Board and contains excellent advice:
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/rainwaterharvestingmanual_3rdedition .pdf
I have 5 sloping acres in the California Sierras, and at the top of the property I built a 200 square foot shed with a 2500 gallon water tank inside. A gutter collects the water. The basics of rainwater collection are, as I learned it:
1-Filter at the source, not later on. A filter on top of your gutter keeps particulates out. I used 'Gutterglove' brand gutter cover/filter which is a heavy aluminum extrusion with a fine stainless wire screen over it. Mount it below the path of snow sliding off the roof. If you filter after the gutter, you must keep the filter clean or else it becomes a bacterial breeding ground, and the next rain washes that bacteria into your tank. Yuck.
2-Build a first flush diverter. Between rain events your roof gets dirty with dust and bird droppings. The first flush of water is dirty and you don't want it in your tank. The Texas Manual shows ways to divert this water, allow the clean water to reach the tank, then set up the diverter to automatically drain before the next rain event.
My rain water is not drinkable but smells OK and is fine for washing, irrigating, and a fire protection reserve. Many people in the world survive on rain water such as on Mediterranean islands, Bermuda, West Texas, and Alaska where it rains so often why bother drilling a well. Real protection for drinking this water is another matter covered well on other threads in this forum.
I used a standard galvanized gutter covered with the 'Gutterglove', which is expensive, about $8 per foot. But other cheaper gutter covers, such as leaf protectors, are not strong and will collapse with snow and don't have fine enough filters on them to keep out the fine particulates. I tried making my own filter with filter cloth but the water did not pass through it. The 'Gutterglove' is really the best thing, despite their weird advertising photos and decision to print biblical passages on the product.... Other similar products exist. You want a gutter cover that is strong so it won't collapse, has a fine filter, and allows water to pass through readily. A flat design allows heavy rain to wash off the top surface of the filter.
My first flush diverter is a section of 4" PVC pipe which hangs from a 2" sanitary T fitting. Water first flows down into the 4" pipe, but when it is full, the overflow proceeds on to the tank. The bottom of the 4" has a cleanout installed, which is a large screw plug. I screw it in loosely so it leaks. After the rain, it gradually leaks out till it's empty, ready to divert the first flush of the next rain. Good pictures of such a setup on the Texas Manual PDF.
Rainwater is sweet, slightly acid, and very mild. Good stuff.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 11 Feb 2012 07:53pm
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Hi Portia-
No, I don't add anything, and I have yet to have the water tested. Testing labs will do a basic bacteria test for about $50. You get a sterile bottle from them then return it full.
The water has a slight pine needle odor to it, but isn't slimy. I bet your problem is lack of a first flush. When I clean out my first flush diverter, it has a lot of slimy yuck in it, so it is doing its job. Problem is that the first flush diverter needs to self empty by dripping through a small hole or loose cleanout cap, either way it can clog up then the diverter stays full and doesn't do its job when the next rain comes.
I'd avoid a slow filter setup unless you are continually present to monitor and clean the filter. Otherwise the goo in the filter will grow a healthy batch of bacteria, then at the next rain, it all gets washed into your tank.
Tell me your results
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