Anyone here actively Rainwater Harvesting?

Rocker

The proposed introduction of water charges [for mains water and sewage services] has prompted people to look at Rainwater Harvesting.  It is clearly crazy that treated drinking water is used to flush toilets and water flowers etc.  I have installed [??] a number of water butts and a 1000 litre tank to capture some of the rain that falls and to use the water , initially in the garden, but possible pumped into a tank in the attic to supply our toilets.  I buy into the thinking that water is a scarce resource and every effort should be made to conserve what we have.

Our storage capacity is around 1800 litres and the tank and water butts, free barrels and piping cost somewhere near €250.  The Irish Met Service publish a chart of the average annual rainfall for the country, http://www.met.ie/climate/rainfall.asp, it is fascinating to realize that an average of 1 metre of rain falls on most parts of the country every year.

Commercial rainwater harvesting systems are expensive, typically €3K for a 3000 litre capacity system.  These would not be viable unless water price per 1000 litres goes through the roof.  Which is possible as the Europeans still effectively control our Government finances.  Protect the Bond holders and all that shit.............

Anyone here doing something similar in the UK?

ESBlonde

Your drainage rates are a percentage of the metered water usage so the savings are better than you might think. Any sizeable tanks need to be in the loft/on the roof and therefore have the building able to take the weight or more typically buried in the garden and pump smaller quantities to the loft tank for daily use.
Off grid practitioners use a small solar cell and attached pump to lift and transfer the water.

VimFuego

we have a series of butts attached to various out buildings, and a shallow well (which probably holds about 3 cubic meters and takes about a week to fill from empty, even in summer). The main issue we have is that half our land is on a slope with the house and well at the bottom of the slope and the main, non domestic, user of water is the poly tunnel, which is on the 1st flat bit of land nearest the house, but is still a good 100m from the house, so getting water up there is a bit of a task. I've built a couple of large sheds up there and this year put guttering and butts on them, plus additional storage, so should be able to store about 500 ltrs currently, will try and increase that if I see any water containers going cheap (sometimes you see them big IBC containers that have been used for food storage going cheap).

Still need to put a rain water system in place for the bog, will probably do a DIY job though, will be basic but effective, just a tank just above cistern level (the toilet here is on ground level so won't have to pump the water up) and a pipe through the wall into the cistern. We don't have space right outside the house for a proper storage system, so will have to make do with a series of butts and any IBCs I can get hold of. Won't look pretty, but it's mostly dead people who overlook us, and they rarely complain.

Rocker

ESBlonde said:

Your drainage rates are a percentage of the metered water usage so the savings are better than you might think. Any sizeable tanks need to be in the loft/on the roof and therefore have the building able to take the weight or more typically buried in the garden and pump smaller quantities to the loft tank for daily use.
Off grid practitioners use a small solar cell and attached pump to lift and transfer the water.

An attic water tank of 100 litres would easily refil the toilet water cistern.  A float switch on the attic tank could control a submersible pump in the 1000 litre tank which is mounted on cement blocks behind the garage.  And all the better if the pump could be powered by a solar cell.......

Rocker

@VimFuego, it is one of those IBC tanks that I am using as my main storage tank.  They are known in these parts as 'Builders Water Tanks'

VimFuego

it's one of them white plastic cubes, 1000 litres, usually with an iron cage around it. Often used to store food stuffs.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/ibc-container

a lot of farmers etc. round here use them. Occasionally our local agri merchant gets a load of second hand ones in.

fretmeister

Solar powered pumps are great, but of course lack the ability to charge your battery unit at night.

You should install these as well to make sure

chillidoggy

I think there should be far more attention paid to this subject when new build projects are being considered. I've always thought it's crazy using fresh water to flush the bog, when rainwater would suffice. It annoys me that the shower I have takes so long to get warm, with all the cold fresh water wasted.

Rocker

fretmeister said:

Solar powered pumps are great, but of course lack the ability to charge your battery unit at night.

The use of a float switch to operate the pump @Fretmeister, means it need the pump to operate, at most, every few days.  Unless there is a run of diarrhea in the house..........

mellowsun

We're not actively harvesting rainwater, although we do have 1500 litres of water butts attached to the house and the garden office, so in theory we could use this as our supply for a while if we wanted to. Mostly just use it for watering the plants in the summer though.

Drew_TNBD

I want my bog using fresh clean water, not filthy rain water that is going to make my entire bathroom stink regardless of how often I clean it.

Rocker

@Drew_fx, why would clean rainwater make your bathroom stink?  The specialized rainwater harvesting companies, http://molloyprecast.com/rainwater-harvesting/domestic.html, can supply filters which allow the water to be used all over the house.  A DIY installation can start out as simple as you like and upgraded later if needed.

Drew_TNBD

SORRY I REJECT YOUR SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT MY PRECONCEPTIONS!

Rocker

mellowsun said:

We're not actively harvesting rainwater, although we do have 1500 litres of water butts attached to the house and the garden office, so in theory we could use this as our supply for a while if we wanted to. Mostly just use it for watering the plants in the summer though.

Technically I am not actively harvesting rainwater too @mellowsun, but capturing some of it to use watering plants and washing the car.  But the actual [low] cost of a DIY rainwater tank in the attic for the toilets, means that this option is very likely to be in operation early in the new year.  It might look a bit 'agricultural' outside but enclosing a pipe in PVC trunking results in a neat job inside the house.

Rocker

Drew_fx said:

SORRY I REJECT YOUR SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT MY PRECONCEPTIONS!

Why do you pick on my posts @Drew_fx to vent your frustrations?  I listened to your music and found it good and interesting.  Yet when you comment on my posts you present yourself as a world class prick.  I doubt that you are one in reality.  Perhaps if he were still with us, Freud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud) would have an explanation of your behaviour.

Drew_TNBD

Rocker said:

Drew_fx said:

SORRY I REJECT YOUR SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT MY PRECONCEPTIONS!

Why do you pick on my posts @Drew_fx to vent your frustrations?  I listened to your music and found it good and interesting.  Yet when you comment on my posts you present yourself as a world class prick.  I doubt that you are one in reality.  Perhaps if he were still with us, Freud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud) would have an explanation of your behaviour.

I wasn't picking on your post mate, I was just making a joke about how people generally don't change their mind when presented with scientific evidence. It wasn't aimed at you specifically. Also your point was a good one, and I thought it would be funny to play the part of the recalcitrant grump who refuses to listen to reason.

xmrchi

@Rocker i think that was a bit unfair m8, it was clearly a stab at common popular thinking not a slight against you
@Drew_fx does it on everyone's post and in time it will endeer you to him.... it takes a while but it will happen :-D

Bucket

@mrchi Why have I got a notification saying you've mentioned me in the above post? Witchcraft clearly...

xmrchi

@Bucket the forum must sense my undying respect and love for you :-)

Bucket

mrchi said:

@Bucket the forum must sense my undying respect and love for you :-)

That's a good answer, I'll take that.

VimFuego

it's cos he's stalking you and wants to wear your face. You're not using it much are you?