Saving (and even DRINKING) your rainwater
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I've been researching this for the past few days so I can have HEALTHIER and LESS-EXPENSIVE (free) water for lawn/garden and for drinking.
For those of you who think that the rainwater can't be safely harvested for drinking, I recommend the following book I just finished:
A Year of Drinking Berkey Purified Rainwater
(book cover photo):
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515INEtzhQL._BO2,204,2...
The setup for the lawn/garden should be a piece-of-cake. The drinkable version is a bit more involved, but I intend to work up to it.
The author of the book I recommended gives a comparison-chart of her rainwater (after mostly filtered) vs the city water in her Austin, TX-area town. The rainwater was many times cleaner and safer than the city stuff - AND that was the reading before she put it through her Berkey filtration system (the water dept requested the test be done on her MOSTLY-filtered PRE-Berkey rainwater).
So do any of you out there have any ideas or experience in this arena?
Here are some interesting links/vids:
This is a short video of one man's lawn/garden system:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpCccC1xTRQ&NR=1
Here's a site with great supplies and an ingenious water diverter:
: Rain20 dot com: http://www.rain2o.com/howtodoit.html
Another great site with supplies and a great diverter:
: The Garden Watersaver: http://www.gardenwatersaver.com/1.html
what about chemtrails?
Do the chemtrails come down in the drinking water? aluminum? barium? what about that? otherwise I totally for rainbarrels or perhaps driving to river water.
No no such thing as chemtrails, all trails are contrails, even
the ones loaded with metals or chemicals. There is such a thing as chaff, however, and approx. 500 tons are released annually into the sky. The Air Force report does say that the chaff could cause contaimation in water. Here's the report
http://csat.au.af.mil/2025/volume3/vol3ch15.pdf
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look up at the flight
look up at the flight patterns and the always criss cross at exactly the same points. also they fly in patterns such that a plane is 30 seconds behind, to the right or left. it is undeniable the patterns.
Someone mentioned that above
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I am VERY concerned about that as well.
Before I start consuming my water, I'm going to have it tested (unless an emergency hits tomorrow).
But does anyone know which tests to use or what "authority" to contact in order t have a test which includes barium and aluminum?
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ahahahahhahahah
LOL hahahhahahahhaa.
don't laugh.
test your water. depending where you live ... you might be in for a surprise.
Me
I'm just about finished putting in two cisterns holding about 1200 gallons total. They are made from culvert pipe stuck endwise into concrete.
I plan on putting in more. I would like to catch all the water coming off my roof. For that, I will probably need another 5000 gallon capacity or more.
These were not cheap. But in Arizona, you have about three days after the water grid goes down before life becomes hell. Unless you are catching the rain!
Just like they say a pandemic WILL hit......
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I'm convinced they will make sure a major water shortage hits as well.
I REALLY am interested in the cisterns, but just like you, I am strapped for cash right now.
Until then, I have to make my rainbarrel system work.
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I am starting rain barrel classes in FL
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Does anyone want to fly down to FL and attend my class?
I'm only charging $5000.00 per semester.
It's a 4-year degree in 'rain barreling'.
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Ok, I was just kidding.................it's a THREE year degree.
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Does anyone else drink their rainwater, or thinking about it?
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thinking bout it
I have a deep well, but if the power is out I am screwed...
Besides my house and all of my outbuildings you would be amazed how much H20 rolls off of a 20 x 100 greenhouse.
great thread btw!
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sdrawkcab gnihtyreve od deF eht & tnemrevog ehT
Ever considered getting a solar pump?
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Here's one I found from doing research that looks perfect for you:
http://www.solarpumps.com/
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thank you!
I will look into it.
strapped for $ right now though.
I already have several barrels I could use though & we have a seasonal stream (also 1 block from a river) just need a good filter is all...
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sdrawkcab gnihtyreve od deF eht & tnemrevog ehT
Great info
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Heres my rain barrel videos
Brian's Rain Harvesting Barrel 101
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf3XqAU6MAc
My Rain barrel in action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yws6orWpnfc
I'm about to go buy some cheescloth and sew them together
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....with about 18 layers of old white t-shirt material as part of the 5-step filtration process.
What I have decided to do is keep a couple of clean rain barrels stored away - dry - so they won't have algae, etc, building-up. I'll just have to set them up right before a rain and process the water immediately after they are filled. Then I will store the barrels away again.
Otherwise, I have about 4 barrels that will be out permanently for garden use that will not be attached to these "drinker" barrels..
I'm also devising a pre-filter system for the rain going into the barrels. The filters in the pre-filter system are made from the sock you put over the drain pipes for septic systems, etc.
Here's a photo of what I have in mind. And keep in mind, all of this filtering precedes the 5-step filtering that's recommended in the book I referenced at top of thread:
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss99/LakelandRainBarrels/...
Also, if it hasn't rained in weeks or months, I will probably allow the Flexi-spout to bypass the first barrel until the bird-crap and chemtrails have had a chance to thoroughly wash from the roof/gutters when it finally rains.
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I want to
Do this but I need my own place first.
for only $200
i dont think your landlord would notice. =)
I've been doing it many years
with a $200 Berky filter, have not been sick in ten yrs, no cold, flu nothing!
I have four food grade barrels, if it rains for 20 min, they are full.
In the winter I have a 2'x3' plastic storage tub, fill it full of snow, put next to woodstove, have loads of water, I heat up water on a Jotul 602 stove take a 3gal shower with gravity system, no problems~
I live off the grid, no well or pump, what a hassle I used to have, not to mention 20 thousand for well septic, pump etc.
Got a Sun mar compost toilet, no worries.
Shoot grouse, deer, cut huge maple and oak for wood, life is good when you work with nature. only got 14 acres but it is enough!
Any backwoods single girls out there?
My karma ran over your dogma~
Livin' the Dream
Hey Red,
Just curious, how did you "get away" with not having septic, well, etc. on a residential property?
Did your property have well/pump/septic when you acquired, and you just no longer use/maintain?
I have 16 acres of rural property and I'm *slowly* working on going off grid ($$ is extremely tight these days)...
I have a large garden, and just put in my first Permaculture bed as well.
Good on you for living free!!
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"Let the good heart speak words of true peace, not inciting others to further war." -- B.I.S.
Well it seems..
that up here Michigan [Upper penninsula] out away from the city enough, that it is far away on a private road, where they don't bother folks, as long as you pay your taxes and don't bother anyone. It seems they need the tax money more than the hassles, and my property is all paid for as well, so no bank is breathing fire at me~
My old property out west had well, septic, pump etc. but I had to sell it.
Its very awesome up here, if you like the cold and snow.
I'm still close enough to town where with a car antenna hooked up to my cell phone I get good net connection.
To answer both replies.
My karma ran over your dogma~
Can My family move in?
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....But ONLY after you find a woman !!!
LOL.
So how do you access the internet?
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has anyone
has anyone looked into dew ponds. or systems that collect dew?
Has anyone started drinking their rainwater yet?
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Here's a website I threw together today for my Rain Barrels
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http://lakelandbarrels.webs.com/
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Very nice
to bad I already bought one. I like your rain barrels, good luck.
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Rain Barrel Basics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0NZXTfZqcg
heres a great HGTV How TO video
on how to make your own rain barrel CHEAP!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGFDlkJOdaM
You can buy a rain barell from here
http://aquabarrel.com for only $255, crazy huh
Look at the design and make your own!