Homestead Project

[Chris]

why are you collecting rain water?

I’m collecting rainwater exactly because the ground is so wet. We get a lot of rain here. Surface water is contaminated. Wells here have to be pretty deep to get past the surface runoff, and that costs money. There is an existing shallow well which has brackish water. Possibly something could be done to improve it but I’d rather invest in a solid rainwater system. Nearly everyone back on our road has a cistern, not a well.

Water from the sky has some other advantages. It’s clean and soft. It comes (at least here) in regular doses all year long, so I don’t need to store a 6-month supply. Conversely, you can refill it with hauled water in a dry spell (unlike a well).

And remember, if I collect it off the roof that’s a bit less water I have to drain out of my yard.

[DanNH]

Interesting I have not heard of rain water used for drinking water it is normally consided for plants in the reading I have done on it because of bacterial concerns.

[taitgarry00]

I agree with your logic Chris, especially regarding the advantages of the softness. Dan is also correct regarding bird poop and such. Should be addressable with a sufficient filter system. I am going to employ a similar rain water system on my land, thinking a sand bed followed by a charcoal bed should (might) provide adequate filtration?..

Isn’t it amazing that rain can just filter through the ground in most places, and be perfectly fit to drink?

As a final safeguard, I intend to use a ceramic filter cartridge, guaranteed no microbes pass.

The roof itself is a concern for me. Asphalt shingles are a bit suspect, though the literature mostly rates them as safe. PAH’s seem to be the concern, along with formaldehyde leaching. I hope you have a corrugated steel roof with a bake on polyester resin painted surface. I am biased anyways, having worked with sheet metal for a career, but it truly is by far the superior roofing material. Can’t catch fire, and should last 50 years plus with no maintenance given the superiority of the new paints, and chemically inert.

[Chris]

I hope you have a corrugated steel roof with a bake on polyester resin painted surface.

Yep. Although it’s at the far end of it’s usable life, and was repainted unsuccessfully (with latex house paint) a few years ago. The folks who came before were not the brightest bunch. The peeling paint flakes are large enough I can easily filter them out.

A new roof is in the cards, and I will stick with steel, I like it a lot.

By the way we don’t drink the water, it’s used for washing / showering / laundry. Bottled water for drinking and cooking. Once I have a bulletproof filtration system I’ll consider drinking the collected rainwater.

[taitgarry00]

Not bright bulbs, no doubt. It’s hilarious what passes for “good enough” with many people.

The new silicone formulated paints (ISO 9002) are waranteed for 50 years at manufacturer level. And with a galvalume substrate below, still quite inert. To maximize the life span, I recommend a white or grey, the less it heats, the longer it will last. My one building and workshop now have 20 years under the sun, regent grey, still shine. The most I will have to do with them is maybe change the rubber washers under the screws.

[Bobmac]

Hi Chris did you have a well or cistern on the property at one time? I noticed the back of the property in the pictures has some high ground. May be there is a spring hiding on your property. Just look for the first green area after the winter months.
Bob

[zardoz86]

Plasma-based system provides radical new path for water purification

[taitgarry00]

There are whole house UV systems also that work very well.

[BillyAlabama]

By the way we don’t drink the water, it’s used for washing / showering / laundry. Bottled water for drinking and cooking. Once I have a bulletproof filtration system I’ll consider drinking the collected rainwater.

Keep in mind when using rain water for primary drinking supply: There are some real horror stories in development work history of well meaning folks introducing different kinds of stills (usually solar) to purify water supplies. Great for getting the critters out, but Turns out it can also cause some pretty serious mineral deficiencies. Probably not an issue for most American diets or for short term use but it can be for pregnant and nursing women especially, and children at different growth stages. Also, most Americans are very mobile and drink from many sources, so I don’t think you’re in any kind of danger. But something to keep in mind.

[MikeR]

My old farmhouse has a cistern, it is too close to the foundation of the house and may be a structural weakness in that corner. I have been advised to fill it in. I started to do just that, throwing broken brick and stuff in there. Lately, I am wondering why fill it in. There are no current structural issues, and hey, its water, could at least be used for toilet flushing!!

[dbaillie]

Hi Chris, I built a first flush device for my rainwater. Mine does not even have the ball. Here is a good video explanation:

[Chris]

Very nice David. I’ve finally got the WISY filter installed, it handles everything large and small down to a very small size, and is self-cleaning to boot. It also seems to oxygenate the water really well.

We had a massive rainstorm which was a good test of the overflow system. The tank was full to capacity with some expansion room, water was coming in very fast, and flowing right back out the overflow. Didn’t spill a drop.

I’ll have to take a video next time it rains.

[Chris]

Finally rained again. So, here’s a video showing the new rainwater collection system in action.

[Bobmac]

Wonderful water storage set up you have there Chris. Looking forward to see how you use the water in your home.
Bob

[kmrland]

Good evening Chris,looks like your getting a nice start on your home stedding, Is that unit any good in winter time or can it be insulated around before winter or put under frost line??.

[DanNH]

Chris when i had my well pump replaced they found high levels of fluorine in my water under the EPA limits but high non the less. I installed a reverse osmosis system to remove it as I don’t like the idea of drinking it. Well the system I installed included an led UV light treatment to kill bacteria and it also puts back the minerals people need in their drinking water. It runs off the line pressure in the house and just draws 6 watts for the led light off a wall outlet. I bought an expensive unit because it has the lower 1:1 drain to filtered water ratio. You can pick then up online or at your local hardware store.
I was actually surprised there was a filter system which replaced the minerals you need to get from water after filtering. The system is about $450 with $75 of annual filter replacement. I can tell you my coffee is less bitter now. Anyway I just figured you might find it interesting. I didn’t think reverse osmosis would be cost effective before I looked into it. After seeing the cost I decided it was worth it to know my water was safe even though it originally passed the EPA test unfiltered.

[Chris]

Kevin, it’s made to be buried below frost line, but in serious cold weather it won’t operate anyhow (snow instead of rain).

Mine is in the garage which stays warmer. I plan to insulate the mechanical room.

Dan, I also intend to UV filter before drinking this water. However I have tasted it occasionally, and it is much sweeter now, with just the WISY filter in place (280 microns) Rainwater is already very clean, as we don’t have much air pollution here. It’s really just debris and bird poop etc on the roof that needs addressed. The oxidation from the dissolved air in the incoming water seems to be improving things a lot.

[dbaillie]

Nice setup chris. Any plan for increasing capacity with another tank?

[pepe2000]

Yes, Chris, bird poop can be a real health issue.

[isaacsonernie]

You need a diverter valve, let the roof wash off a little then run water to tank…