Rain Water Collection ?

[N7HEVN]

Hi all.
Was searching on the site for an earlier Thread that may relate to this but couldn't find one in the past year. So, would appreciate any tips that you all have, if you've done this for your property.

Am thinking about possibly setting up a water collection system, to gather rain water off my workshop roof, which is 80' x 40'. What I would like to put the water into is perhaps only a 150 Gallon container (probably at-most that size), the type that is still small enough that a garden hose adapter would be at the bottom for drainage. I believe that anything bigger of a tank, won't have the garden hose adapter on the bottom.

Am looking to place that container on an appropriate pallet for the water collection, the pallet being plastic / metal since this will be exterior and the wood won't rot or come apart with age and getting wet repeatedly. Then, I could drive up to the pallet, pick it up and drive it out onto the property to water new tree saplings, etc. Thus, I need the water storage to be portable and that I can lift it at an elevation point on the tractor for gravity drain.

I know, a bit of a ramble-on there, and appreciate all your patience, just wanting to make sure that I get all those nitty-gritty details defined, all this land-maintenance stuff is brand new to me!

I have an MX5200 tractor. Thanks

 

[skeets]

I have used the ICB totes 4, hooked together at the bottom valve for use in the green house. they were 275 gallons for about 1000 gallons. I will however note that in some parts of the country ALL WATER AND WATER RIGHTS belong to the state and is illegal for a person to capture water. Stupid I know but there ya go. Ya might want to check that out first unless you hide it and dont say nuttin

 

[ken erickson]

I also use a 275 gallon IBC tote. I built a small rain water collection tank for my primitive camping/picnic area that had no source of water.

The Tote had a cam lock type outlet and there are many places to buy garden hose adapters.

The 8 x 8 metal roof collects about 37 gallons per 1 inch rain fall. On mine I made a filter at the rain gutter to filter out the large pieces, then a fine mess screen at the tank top as a finer filter and keep mesqutios out. Not water I drink but its clean enough for washing dishes etc. I also have about a 40 foot run down hill with a ground level 40 gallon stock tank that I feed by gravity.

I painted mine a green drab for fun, but being painted does serve the purpose of inhibiting algae to grow inside the tank. I left a unpainted strip to I can easily see the water level.

The other nice thing about using a 275 IPC tote for your use is that it is all set to go with a plastic pallet , fork friendly , and easy to adapt a garden hose to.
I picked mine up for $25 dollars but I see prices from that to $80 dollars for food grade totes. Which means that you do not have to worry about cleaning oils or other toxic liquids out of the tank before use.

 

[Newlyme]

I also collected rain water off the roof of the house. I had two 55 gallon drums on the back roof and two more on the front. Anytime it rained, anytime, it filled those drums up faster than I could've imagined. I couldn't use all of that water fast enough. After it rains I didn't need to water anything. So it sat there. For me it turned out to be more of a pain in the a$$ than it was worth. I collected more water than I could ever use.

 

[SidecarFlip]

We have a lot of suspended minerals in out water so wash down of equipment leaves a white film on everything. I got 2 275 gallon IBC totes and bought downspout adapters at Lowed that have screens in them. One tote on each side of the shop. I keep the garden hose hooked to them all the time with the open end tarp strapped about 10" below full so when it rains, they can self empty.

Been using them for equipment washdown with my pressure washer for about 10 years now. Never run out of soft rainwater. Works excellent for me.

O wrapped mine in 5 mil black poly. Used spray adhesive to stick the poly to the plastic tank. No algae issues at all.

I drain them in the winter or I get a huge ice cube.

 

[N7HEVN]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies.
I had seen those IBC Tote things before, but didn't know the name. Kept searching for rain water tank, and those never came up for me unfortunately.

The math that was supplied earlier, for an 8' x 8' roof line to produce 37 gallons of water, with 1-inch of rainfall is amazing... I was not expecting that, but it is obvious math that I should have thought of, as I like math!
With having 3200 square feet of roof line for my shop, this is going to be an overwhelming amount of water.

Regarding the water-Rights, that's not an issue for my situation. This is a property in middle-nowhere Central East Oklahoma, no rules for anything out there, pretty much.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I have a similar sized shop and for about 15 years I've collected both sides into a 2,000 gallon steel tank on an old semi frame. Only takes 2 good rain storms and she's full ! I then offload or transfer as much as I can to 8-10 IBC totes. That way next rainfall, 'BigBlu' gets refilled ! 4000g is good most of the season for a 1/4ac veggy garden and 3-4 giant pumpkins.I water using the totes first.
I got my totes for free from a lawn mtce place, they had fertilizer in them, but well cleaned out. I put them on 2 skids each. that way lowest one rots into the ground and I still have 1 to move them around on even though they have 'skid' bases on them. IBC totes have 2" ball valves and at least 2 different threaded outlets with maybe a combination 2" cam lock as well. If you can, get MATCHING connections. I have all 3 here ( but price was right !)

 

[ken erickson]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies.
I had seen those IBC Tote things before, but didn't know the name. Kept searching for rain water tank, and those never came up for me unfortunately.

The math that was supplied earlier, for an 8' x 8' roof line to produce 37 gallons of water, with 1-inch of rainfall is amazing... I was not expecting that, but it is obvious math that I should have thought of, as I like math!
With having 3200 square feet of roof line for my shop, this is going to be an overwhelming amount of water.

Regarding the water-Rights, that's not an issue for my situation. This is a property in middle-nowhere Central East Oklahoma, no rules for anything out there, pretty much.

My 56 acre parcel is in central Wisconsin , also known as the central sands region.
Fun fact for me, a one inch rain that falls on my land is comprised of 1 million 520 thousand gallons of water! And 20 minutes later due to the sandy soil its like it never rained at all!

 

[Stmar]

It rained 10 inches here yesterday, drops were 10 inches apart!!! I've heard of rain, it's like liquid snow, right? Neighbor was driving to town and his 2 year old started crying when he turned on the wipers, he thought the car was broken.

 

[N7HEVN]

My 56 acre parcel is in central Wisconsin , also known as the central sands region.
Fun fact for me, a one inch rain that falls on my land is comprised of 1 million 520 thousand gallons of water! And 20 minutes later due to the sandy soil its like it never rained at all!

That's wild! I actually grew up in the Janesville area, but have been gone since the summer of '86. Had never heard that the Central part of the state had a soil situation like that...

 

[ken erickson]

That's wild! I actually grew up in the Janesville area, but have been gone since the summer of '86. Had never heard that the Central part of the state had a soil situation like that...

Here is a good map outlining central sands region from the DNR website.
A lot of potato farming in the area. At one time the central sands had many Christmas tree plantations. My land was a former Christmas tree plantation up until the mid 90's.

I marked the map with a black circle showing the approximate location of my place.

 

[Fezzik]

Your not kidding, Our place is just a few miles west of Coloma, WI Poured down rain. Went out and was expecting lots of water... nada. But its funny that the water table just a few mile even more west in Adams is pretty swampy

 

[ken erickson]

Your not kidding, Our place is just a few miles west of Coloma, WI Poured down rain. Went out and was expecting lots of water... nada. But its funny that the water table just a few mile even more west in Adams is pretty swampy

This area of Wisconsin is very interesting geology speaking. Its my understanding that at one time the glaciers stopped in this area? I think that is what accounts for some places being table top flat and other nearby areas having moraines.

What is your place west of Coloma like as far as topography and vegetation?
If you get into habitat restoration I can recommend some good folks that have helped me a ton on my place. Your in the endangered Karner Blue butterfly high potential range if not mistaken.

 

[kenlip]

I have used the ICB totes 4, hooked together at the bottom valve for use in the green house. they were 275 gallons for about 1000 gallons. I will however note that in some parts of the country ALL WATER AND WATER RIGHTS belong to the state and is illegal for a person to capture water. Stupid I know but there ya go. Ya might want to check that out first unless you hide it and dont say nuttin

People aren't stealing the water and selling to a foreign power.
Under normal circumstances, the rain falls on the roof and would run down the gutters onto the ground.
By adding a few tanks in the chain, not much changes. The water goes from the roof, down the gutters, into the tanks, and then either onto the ground when used to water gardens, veggie patches and the like, or it goes onto the ground after running off a car, tractor, or other implement that is being washed.
Either way, the water still ends up going onto the ground.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: By adding a few tanks in the chain, not much changes.

..except YOU are using 'they're' water and not paying for it ! It's all about control and money.

Up here, citybots get billed for both city water into house and city water out, so those that fillup their pool or water their grass PAY double,as the water never goes into the sewer system to be treated and reused.

 

[kenlip]

re: By adding a few tanks in the chain, not much changes.

..except YOU are using 'they're' water and not paying for it ! It's all about control and money.

Up here, citybots get billed for both city water into house and city water out, so those that fillup their pool or water their grass PAY double,as the water never goes into the sewer system to be treated and reused.

I guess a lot depends on where one's property is located.
I have two properties. My house in Sydney abuts a national park. The stormwater runs off the property, into the park and might eventually reach the river a few hundred metres away. Once in the river, it flows into the ocean. The water company never receives the runoff so it's not their water.
My rural property is totally off-grid. No power, no water, no sewerage. By storing and using the water and eventually depositing it onto the ground, I have not deprived any entity of income.

I can see the point when it comes to the residential property in that when I fill my pool from my rainwater tank, I am not not buying water from the supplier. So, the 'problem' isn't that I am stealing their water, it is just that I have secured a source that means I don't have to buy from them.
On the other hand, Australia is often in drought and we have massive water shortages that result in severe water restrictions. For example, we might not be allowed to use water on hard surfaces. However, if the water is coming from my tank, I can use it on hard surfaces. The fact that I am using the tank water to wash my car or hose down the deck in no way affects the water being drawn out of the dam.

Even for the activities that we are allowed to do, such as water our gardens, by using my tank water I am helping to reduce the stress on the dam supply.

 

[skeets]

Logic never figures in to the political or monetary arena

 

[bucktail]

Logic never figures in to the political or monetary arena

Whiskeys for drinking and waters for fighting over.

 

[ccoon520]

It is only illegal to harvest rainwater in Colorado and it is from a law that's from the late 1800s or early 1900s. There is a limitation in Utah of 2500 gallons of rainwater storage per household but other than that most regulations are just permit related to make sure that your neighbor down the road doesn't recreate the Great Molasses Flood and drown your horses. In fact in some states they provide tax incentives to collect rain water. So if you live in one of those states it might be worth looking into even if you don't have an exact plan on how to use it depending on the incentives offered.

Source: https://4perfectwater.com/blog/rainwater-harvesting-laws/

Rainwater Harvesting Tool

Geographic Information System (GIS) based mapping tool that provides state-by-state regulations and zip-code-level monthly data to help federal agencies strategically prioritize commercial rainwater harvesting projects.

www.energy.gov

 

[RCW]

Not very well informed, but seems like the eastern US doesn’t have a lot of regulations for water use for a homeowner, but can be very restrictive in the western states.

Riparian rights is a term that comes to mind. Honestly don’t recall what it entails in detail.