Rainwater Collection?

[Aggie_Ama]

I saw this article and had already been thinking about a Rainwater System. Anyone have one, is it worth it? We would want one to somehow water the yard. Our water company charges a minimum for water and waste water we are barely over. I know it is so much better for the environment if I did my drinking water, laundry, etc but I can't justify the costs of a large system when my bills would only go down about $20/month. But the yard would be nice and healthier with rain water.

Funny this is my Mammaw has been using a crude system like this for 50+ years! She has never watered her potted plants or beds with the hose, she has a large barrel and just scoops a watering can out of it. She is so green and doesn't even know what being green is! She doesn't have A/C, only started using a dryer at 86 (which she doesn't like), takes short showers ("I just do what I need to do, no using staying in longer") and turns off the water to "warsh" dishes.

[Becky]

We have a couple of rain barrels set up. DH made them from old apple juice concentrate and pickle barrels They work well, although hauling buckets got really old last year. This year, we added a small electric in-line transfer pump that allows us to pump water to the garden.

I should add that we just use it for watering the garden. I really should figure out how to put some kind of in-line filter in place and use the rainwater for washing cars, bikes, and the dog...

[Serendipity]

Nothing nearly as complex as that in the article you linked to, but we've had two rainbarrels for about five years now. We use only rainwater to water our gardens and have had more than enough to do that. Now, if I was going to use rainwater for tje lawn, I would definitely want to rig up some sort of pump system to do that.
We are only on a city lot so it is not a huge area to maintain. Having said that, probably half of the lot is in gardens.
Not sure about using the rainwater for drinking water. I suppose with a filter system, but then, as you say, it gets into $$$$$ that make you wonder if it is worth it.

[Aggie_Ama]

I am definitely thinking only for the backyard and maybe the front landscaping we are about to do. The landscaping is all going to be drought tolerant so no a huge water requirement. The whole lot is 50X150 and we have a driveway plus 1630 sq ft house on it, so this isn't a big yard. The backyard already has a storage shed taking up about 11X11, then we are planting a screen/shrub bed along the back fence which can be hand or drip watered once established (again drought tolerant) and finally at some point we will be building a large pergola style patio most of the length of our house. I think in a year or two we are looking at 50X50 max of grass in the back.

My husband's brother and step father are plumbers, I think they could help us devise some sort of crude pump system? I know his stepdad did it for his own garden, has irrigation and such. Plus did some sort of set up from his own well. Hmmmm...

Definitely not for drinking, that is too much $$$$. Even though my drinking water is very hard and tastes like dirt.

[OakLeaf]

You definitely need an inline filter, but you can get one for like $15 (with a reusable screen) any place you get irrigation supplies, probably the same place the barrel came from.

Unless you mount the barrel very high (say, stacked 3 high), you can't use it with a drip irrigation system or an automatic waterer. Not enough pressure. That's the main thing - you have to just let a hose drain out, or fill a watering can from it, so it takes a little extra work to water.

If you want to actually use rainwater as a water supply, think seriously about installing an underground cistern with a pump. I haven't taken this step yet, but you really need to isolate the water from sunlight, insects, and airborne debris if it's going to be stored for more than a few days.

I just saw a very attractive rack made from 4x4s. Just stacked alternately, rail-fence style. Held together by drilling a hole in the corner of each piece of wood and inserting a piece of rebar vertically in each corner. You could just as easily stack barrels in a system made that way, by making the cage larger than the diameter of the barrel and putting a "floor" for each barrel.

[Aggie_Ama]

Oak- If you put a pump in can you run a sprinkler off it? It won't be a full in ground irrigation system, just one sprinkler at a time. I really think rain water is better for the yard but maybe it is all in my head. I hate to think how much water we waste watering this stupid grass and would love to get it from the rain not that we get rain right now.

I am admittedly very clueless but reading up on this. I need to figure out where the local organic/green growing center is, I have seen it on the news and I think they were talking irrigation and rain collection.

[carpaltunnel]

I hate to think how much water we waste watering this stupid grass ...

Aggie, what kind of grass is your yard? Have you considered a more xeric (boy, I don't know how to spell that) variety of grass? I'm a fan of some of the new varieties of buffalo grass, that require hardly any fertilizer, mowing or watering once it's established. I planted a patch this summer and plan to expand it next year. The new varieties are being developed by U. of California, U. of Nebraska, etc. to help homeowners find an attractive alternative to high requirement blue grass.
Then they license production to commercial ventures. Todd valley Farms and High Country Gardens are two early adopters.
http://www.toddvalleyfarms.com/buffa...photoalbum.htm

Sorry if I've gone on too long about this, I've beome an enthusiast this summer. I started when my little cat passed away and I covered her grave with a few small boulders and planted buffalo grass seeds (Cody variety) between to make an interesting texture contrast. It was so pretty I started tearing up the yard.

My apologies for taking this off topic, but it is a very resource thrifty idea.

[Serendipity]

I really think rain water is better for the yard.

I agree with you on that - better for the yard & gardens. From discussions on gardening forums that I keep an eye on, the general thought seems to be that it is indeed better; first of all because rainwater will be at ambient air temperature rather than cold as is typical in sprinklers systems and without the chemicals added to purify our drinking water,

Best of all, its free! Well, except for the rain barrels and whatever else you have to buy to get set up.

[wildhawk]

We just got two rain barrels this summer - our county hosts a rain barrel workshop every other month and you can get the rain barrels there at the workshop with the faucets already installed ($10 each). Make sure that you get only barrels previously used for food items, not ones that held chemicals. There are lots of threads on using and installing rain barrels - see if there are any workshops in your area. You will need a pump set up for your yard it seems. Without a pump, they are fine for hand watering, but there is not enough pressure to run a drip irrigation system or lawn sprinkler system. I love the old ways - especially now that I am getting into organic gardening.

[Aggie_Ama]

Without a pump, they are fine for hand watering, but there is not enough pressure to run a drip irrigation system or lawn sprinkler system. I love the old ways - especially now that I am getting into organic gardening.

This is what I thought. Thankfully we have 3 master plumbers and one very experienced Journeyman plumber in my immediate family. I am pretty sure one of them would help me out (none of them will let me pay ). If nothing else my brother-in-law (the journeyman) will do it in exchange for baby sitting but I can't just pay him. My nieces are a handful I would rather pay somedays.