Rain Water Catchment rainwater harvesting Part 4

[diskgo]

How big is your property? How do you transport the water to the far ends of your land?

[LincTexPilot]

You need to keep the water in the dark instead to prevent algae growth.

[feelytouchy67]

It is darker than if it were completely exposed, so it does apparently limit algae bloom growth. But you're right -- it doesn't stop it entirely.

[getrealthen]

@LincTexPilot

yea like a cistern. a lot of farmers had their cisterns under boards of their front porches....and then just set a barrel of water out distant from the front porch for mosquitoes to be attracted to that instead. my grandparent never had any problems with algae growth, mosquitoes etc... The waste was used when there was a dry spell. It was awesome. 

[jikininki1]

holy crap i want a 100000 gallon pond for bass

[breezebro]

Man, you ought to have a really green lawn or garden or something. Maybe you just like collecting water?

How about a cover for the troughs? I don't think anything is made to fit, but a plastic tarp or something should help evaporation.

[feelytouchy67]

Hey breezebro. I use the water for watering my lawn, and my outdoor and indoor plants.

I don't have enough evaporation to make any significant difference. But a cover might be helpful for those who don't want to use BT for mosquito larvae (as I do).

[shanintia]

Bury the system like a cistern. That will keep it from freezing, but then would require a pump for irrigation.

[getrealthen]

@shanintia

well it would require a pump irrigation if the water was going to be used throughout the house system, the BR, laundry room etc....but the old bucket system works great too. Just have to carry the water. As a matter of fact, you can get buckets, build a fire to heat the water for hot water to wash cloths in a wringer washer. my cloths look feel and smell great.

[Gnillob802]

Great videos. Are you in a related business?

[feelytouchy67]

Simply put, Gnillob802, no, I am not. Sorry about that!

That does seem like what should be an established business model, though! Because it isn't, we always have a weather crisis in regard to rain, especially in farming. It would certainly mitigate the problem if more folks could easily call up and have systems installed.

[feelytouchy67]

MyerstownFarm, I live in Alabama, so the winters are not that severe (esp. now). In any case, I've never had a problem with freezing. It is a very, very large volume of water, and it would take an extremely long time of sub-freezing weather to even make ice on just the topmost layer. With a smaller system, and in colder climates,  you might have to do something . . .

[Josiah922]

Use it for irragation of gardens and lawn in times of not rail far.

[MyerstownFarm]

So what is the purpose of capturing the water...ie...what do you intend to use the water for? Also, what do you do about the water freezing in the winter? I am researching building a water catchment system also but the biggest issue I see is the water freezing in the winter.