| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| frannie |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 08:38:54 AM
we want to build a "cistern" or rain barrell and while i intend to do a web search for info, wondered if any of you farmgirls have been there done that and might have some practical info or advice....or favorite websites for info?
thanks
love
frannie in texas
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/)
(http://abunnystale.blogspot.com/)
(http://abunnystale.wordpress.com/) |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| frannie |
Posted - May 17 2009 : 3:26:45 PM
thanks so much for all the comments. as usual i learned alot, and right now in texas it is not illegal to collect rain water.
have we put this all together yet, no, but i think come the fall, we should all be on the mend here and ready to start working again on more of our farm projects.
thanks to all who put in some info onthis topic.
love
frannie in texas
home of "green"crafts,
where no scrap is left behind
(http://abunnystale.wordpress.com/)
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| asnedecor |
Posted - May 16 2009 : 8:21:41 PM
Right now I have two rain barrels. My father picked them up from the local Coastal Farm store in Woodburn. They were originally olive oil barrels. They came with a spicket/faucet at the bottom, I just cut a hold in the lid for the downspout from my gutter in one, then drilled a small hole on the side near the top and put a piece of PVC pipe from that barrel to the one next to it for overflow. I have about 90+ gallons which gets replenished every time it rains. I also saw in the Sunset magazine, about two months ago where a woman in Washington State took the down spout and fed it into a type of french drain to water moisture loving plants. It was very cool. I am sorry for you girls in Colorado who can not harvest the rain. Here in the Portland City limits we have to manage rain water on our property, due to protecting the salmon from run off into the sewer system. If you did not already have gutter downspouts detached from the sewer system, the city came around and did it for you. I get a discount on my water/sewage bill for managing run off on my property.
Anne in Portland, OR
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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| gspringman |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 8:58:57 PM
I have three rain barrels and keep mosquito pods in it to keep down the mosquitos. I use the water for my plants instead of using my well water. I also have my laundry drain outside instead of the septic. Would like to do the tub that way but dh says it would be too much work to switch it over. I sure had never heard of it being illegal to collect what nature gives us.
Gail
Farmgirl #486
Planting Zone 5
http://grammasladybug.blogspot.com/
Be the change you wish to see in the world. |
| Montrose Girl |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 3:55:32 PM
oops, Alee I didn't see your post. Flipped down to fast. What she said.
Best Growing |
| Montrose Girl |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 3:53:44 PM
It's about water rights. Basically that other states pretty much own our water and if we use it all up, they have less. There's a book called Cadillac Desert that talks about water rights and all. Quite interesting. Since I don't have a roof to catch water anyways, i have opened the drain on my sink. Instead of going into sewer the water I use for rinsing dishes, etc, goes into a 5 gal bucket and I can use that for more fruit trees. The worse part is for city dwellers that have no water rights and have to buy from municipality. I'm on the edge. The neighbor behind me has rights to the irrigation ditch and gets to use that for his watering.
Best Growing |
| Alee |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 1:16:38 PM
It's because in Colorado they have very strict water rights. The argument is that the rain falling on x property affects water flow down stream for those who hold the water rights. While it is technically illegal, the authorities don't really worry about a home collecting water from their roof or what not. They are trying to pass legislation right now to allow rain collecting in certain circumstances- such as home owners wanting to have a rain barrel.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| ddmashayekhi |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 11:46:42 AM
I have two rain barrels and just love them. It is a good idea to have something set up for the winter so that the rain water falls away from the house.
Here in IL rain barrels are pushed by the state. If you put the screen on the top (comes with the rain barrel) then mosquitoes and other debris won't get in. I was surprised to hear it is illegal in some states.
Dawn in IL
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| FebruaryViolet |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 09:20:57 AM
I'm curious about that, too, unless it's for a mosquito issue. Whatever. I do several things (that according to antiquated state, county and city law) is "illegal". 
Musings from our family in the Bluegrass http://sweetvioletmae.blogspot.com/ |
| Marybeth |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 07:35:24 AM
Why would it be illegal? We just have the end of the downspout run into a bathtub. MB
http://www.smallcityscenes.blogspot.com
www.strawberryhillsfarm.blogspot.com
www.day4plus.blogspot.com www.holyhouses-day4plus.blogspot.com
"Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!" |
| Calicogirl |
Posted - May 15 2009 : 05:28:51 AM
I was just going to post that Cherian. I wish we could harvest.
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
| Mamarude |
Posted - May 14 2009 : 8:45:59 PM
It's ILLEGAL to harvest rainwater in our state of Colorado, are there any other states where it is not legal? Bummer, eh? |
| frannie |
Posted - Jul 13 2008 : 5:35:13 PM
thanks jennifer, i will check it out.
love
frannie in texas
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/)
(http://abunnystale.blogspot.com/)
(http://abunnystale.wordpress.com/) |
| Woodswoman |
Posted - Jul 12 2008 : 5:41:11 PM
Just another source-
If you want to see an interesting rain barrel, go to nerainbarrel.com . The company makes rainbarrels out of recycled juice barrels! I have two of them, and they work great!
Jennifer
Farmgirl Sister #104
"Nature brings to every time and season some beauties of its own".
-Charles Dickens |
| frannie |
Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 07:07:43 AM
thanks to everyone for your help and advice. i knew you gals would be in the know. as it turns out, i did a computer search yesterday and saw that there will be a workshop in new braunfels or san marcos, texas on this subject in just a few weeks. the bad news is that is a fer piece to go. then i read the local newspaper yesterday and we will be having a workshop here on aug. 9 for harvesting rainwater, yipppee.
i will keep you guys posted on our progress, maybe that will keep us on schedule.
love
frannie in texas
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/)
(http://abunnystale.blogspot.com/)
(http://abunnystale.wordpress.com/) |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Jul 10 2008 : 05:39:18 AM
Frannie, I knew that I had posted this somewhere on here...
http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19095&SearchTerms=rain,
Basically, Jus used a jig saw to cut out the opening on top to match the piece that connects to the downspot (which he cut). He also put in a spicket at the bottom for the release, with a nice valve that my weak hands can actually turn.
We did elevate the barrells up onto cinder blocks or bricks for gravity sake, and I bought 2 small water hoses (one for each barrell) to limit the amount of length the water has to travel, so as to get a steady pressure stream for watering. It's been worth it, and I believe the cost was minimal, if I remember correctly. Maybe to outfit them both was under $80, and that's because he bought extra stuff "just in case"....
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 4:10:09 PM
Mine is really makeshift until I can turn my plans into reality. I have lots and lots of 5 gal buckets and a 5k gal tub. The tub is not in the ground yet but sits under an eave where the most water comes off from 2 roofs coming together. The buckets all sit around under the eaves of the rest of the house and as they get full, I dump them into the tub. We can't have gutters here because the snow load tends to rip them off the house when it slides. But I have a great plan and it won't cost a whole lot to do it either. When I get it done, at least partially, I'll show pictures.
It's a bit of work, but doing this saved my gardens this year as our city water system was totally whacked and no body was allowed to water outside until just 2 weeks ago when they finally fixed it. If I hadn't saved all that rainwater, everything would be dead.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
| KansasConnie |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 1:07:30 PM
My DH put one in for me last year and I love it!! We bought a red barrel that blends in with our barn (the barn guttering gathers the rain for it). Make sure you have an overflow--it is amazing how much rain a roof gathers during a rainfall event! Here is a website with good instructions: http://www.marc.org/Environment/Water/buildrainbarrel.htm |
| frannie |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 08:57:17 AM
hi jonni, i was just reading your post about your doctor. i went thru that myself, but my doctor retired because his son died in an accident . it took me a long time to find another doc. i had to kiss a lot of frogs before i found a doc i liked. good luck.
i would like to know anything you can share with us about the whole thing of setting up the rainbarrel system.
i have been without a vehicle now for about 2 weeks so i have all my bunnies sitting here with no way to get them mailed out. just a multitude of family problems that have caused this. it will pass and nothing serious or tragic, just the way it is.
i have felt puny for about 6 weeks and finally started checking out the probelms, 2 abscessed teeth which i am now taking medicine for and will be pulled in 2 weeks,,,ouch. i cant believe after all the money and effort my sweet mom put into my teeth that i will be loosing them. and they are all good teeth, the culprit is gum disease. ugh.
i have one cavity/filling in my whole life! really great teeth and never thought i would be looking at loosing them. i thought my dentist was gonna cry. she is such a sweetheart. but she is a kentucky girl, and all the folks i know from kentucky are sweeties. (smile)
thanks for answering this post and if ya can let me know how yall set yours up. we have two large oat barrells, they are metal.
thanks and hugs,
frannie
(any word from out friend zan lately?)
love
frannie in texas
(http://farmfolks-frannie.blogspot.com/)
(http://abunnystale.blogspot.com/)
(http://abunnystale.wordpress.com/) |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 08:41:44 AM
Hi Frannie!!!
Jus built me two rainbarrels out of oak wine barrels from a local vineyard. They've worked out wonderfully, though, admittedly with all the rain we've had this year, one we conserve, the other we let run out. It's on the "water" heavy gutter side.
If you'd like to know how he did it, I'd be glad to send you pictures or whatever.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
