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I just installed 3 of the 6 60 gallon rain collection barrels that I received yesterday and last night we had an inch of rain which filled all 3 barrels. I need to go ahead and install the remaining 3 barrels before our next good rain so I will have a fresh supply to water my plants during the next dry spell.

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I use a flex downspout and fill the center barrel first, then the overflow outlets fill the other 2 barrels. You can link as many barrels together as you want. The barrels cost $60 each and was part of a special put on by our local water department. Google Rain Water Solutions, Inc to find out where you can get your barrels in your area.

Lots of folks are trying to capture rain water these days.

In our area, some Water Conservation Districts are encouraging folks to build rain gardens. The garden pictured is about 12-14" lower than the surrounding area. We have two of these one about 600 square feet and the other about 500 square feet. The downspouts from the gutters run to buried pvc pipe that empty into the gardens. Our sump flows into these too now. All the water used to travel via swails to the curb, to the storm sewer or into Battle Creek and finally the Mississippi. The theory is the water that stays on the property will slowing make its way into our aquafer.

When and why did cisterns go out of style?

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fredsheldon wrote:I just installed 3 of the 6 60 gallon rain collection barrels that I received yesterday and last night we had an inch of rain which filled all 3 barrels. I need to go ahead and install the remaining 3 barrels before our next good rain so I will have a fresh supply to water my plants during the next dry spell.

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I use a flex downspout and fill the center barrel first, then the overflow outlets fill the other 2 barrels. You can link as many barrels together as you want. The barrels cost $60 each and was part of a special put on by our local water department. Google Rain Water Solutions, Inc to find out where you can get your barrels in your area.

Thumbs up on your addition!

Location might dictate the cost. The last plastic barrel we got was $75, so you price seems to be an improvement on what I can get. The one I got was from some overseas import of pickles or olives so in effect these are left overs that they add a couple of parts to.

I'd like to see a couple more pictures of how you did yours, base, how high, how are you getting the water out, etc.

Ed

berry wrote:Lots of folks are trying to capture rain water these days.

In our area, some Water Conservation Districts are encouraging folks to build rain gardens. The garden pictured is about 12-14" lower than the surrounding area. We have two of these one about 600 square feet and the other about 500 square feet. The downspouts from the gutters run to buried pvc pipe that empty into the gardens. Our sump flows into these too now. All the water used to travel via swails to the curb, to the storm sewer or into Battle Creek and finally the Mississippi. The theory is the water that stays on the property will slowing make its way into our aquafer.

When and why did cisterns go out of style?

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We have a rain garden in the planning phase. A local group has a farm that they have all this stuff set up on, rain gardens, solar panels, wind power, and more. They are a non profit group that does tours, guest speaker type things and will consult with you on the design and plant selection that use area specific native plants.

I'm not sure if this is going to happen this year or next but it will happen in our yard. It is the right thing to do and besides I want yet another certification for our yard.

We lived in a house that was built around 1880 that had a very nice cistern system. It was no longer in use when we were there. Collected the rain water off the roof and had a concrete tank, I'd guess 500-700 gallons. An outside manhole opening for doing cleaning (you would have climbed inside). On the inside basement wall was a plumbing setup which I guess would have been where they washed clothes and cleaned up things in trough sink. Drain in the floor that went off somewhere??? The diverted down spout on the house must have had a weighted system that would allow the first water off the roof to bypass the cistern. That way the junk that had collected on the roof or in the gutters would get cleaned out and not end up in the water supply. Had we not been renters I would have loved to have gotten things working again.

Ed

Grandma never washed her hair in well water. That is what the collected rain water was for; the vegetables in the bracken and grandma's hair.

[quote="dusty"]Grandma never washed her hair in well water. That is what the collected rain water was for]

Back in the day it was for Ed's hair too. But I'm sure I don't feel safe doing that anymore, at least where I live. I only have to look at the cars windshield after a rain to see how dirty it is from the rain.

Yes something about the good old days were good.

Ed

reible wrote:Thumbs up on your addition!

Location might dictate the cost. The last plastic barrel we got was $75, so you price seems to be an improvement on what I can get. The one I got was from some overseas import of pickles or olives so in effect these are left overs that they add a couple of parts to.

I'd like to see a couple more pictures of how you did yours, base, how high, how are you getting the water out, etc.

Ed

Ed,

Everything required to collect and distribute the water comes with the barrels. A ball valve screws into the bottom and there are overflow flex hoses to attach between each barrel. The lids are bug and child proof. I was in a hurry so I just purchased some blocks and 3/4 plywood scrap from Lowes and set the barrels up in the hopes that it would rain later in the day, which it did. Not much to look at but it works and it's in the back yard.

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fredsheldon wrote:Ed,

Everything required to collect and distribute the water comes with the barrels. A ball valve screws into the bottom and there are overflow flex hoses to attach between each barrel. The lids are bug and child proof. I was in a hurry so I just purchased some blocks and 3/4 plywood scrap from Lowes and set the barrels up in the hopes that it would rain later in the day, which it did. Not much to look at but it works and it's in the back yard.

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Thanks for the extra picture, now I think all is clear. Were you thinking of a three way manifold, one to each barrel so you empty them equally? Or is the plan to empty then as it happens?

Ed

reible wrote:Thanks for the extra picture, now I think all is clear. Were you thinking of a three way manifold, one to each barrel so you empty them equally? Or is the plan to empty then as it happens?

Ed

I would guess intake barrel first, then the adjacent ones.

Gonna put the other three hooked up to these?

Yes, all 6 will be together. I only installed a rain gutter on the backside of my house. If gravity does not do the job, I will install a boost pump to push the water to the end of the line. I was planning on just moving the hose from barrel to barrel as necessary. Of course my plan may change in the future. This is a trial and error process for me.