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Old 05-03-2013, 06:08 PM   #1
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Rainwater Harvesting

I know that some of the skoolienuts here have expressed interest in rainwater harvesting to extend water use. I downloaded a free ebook (pdf) called The Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting (caution the link will immediately download the pdf) and it gives a good amount of info as well as diagrams that show how to build a First Flush Diverter.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service's Rainwater Harvesting website is a good source of more info (but their books aren't free). You can read short descriptions of various ways stored rainwater is used. At the end of each use is a section where additional material (books) that addresses the specific use is recommended.

Downloading the free Manual and reading the website is a good start if you are interested in constructing a rainwater harvesting system. The manual addresses harvesting rainwater for potable use as well.

Edit: fixed link again on 8/8/2014.

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Old 05-04-2013, 05:37 AM   #2
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

I think its colorado that it's illegal to harvest rain water,because it disrupts what would be soaked into the groundwater source...pretty crazy
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Old 05-22-2013, 11:55 AM   #3
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
I think its colorado that it's illegal to harvest rain water,because it disrupts what would be soaked into the groundwater source...pretty crazy
Here in Utah we had similar laws. It was highlighted in a major way when a well-meaning car dealer built a collection system on his building's roof and used the water to wash cars on the lot. The city did the right thing by granting him a right to use the water. I guess it makes sense in a way -- water doesn't just magically emerge from the ground, at least not here in the west. I think the intent of the law was probably to prevent large-scale catching and diversion of surface runoff. As of May 2010, Utah law is amended to allow water to be collected and used on the same parcel of land without a water right, though the law requires a free registration with the state Divison of Water Rights.

I wonder how this intersects with rainwater collection on a vehicle.... probably a "better to ask forgiveness" situation.
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Old 05-22-2013, 11:37 PM   #4
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

It's illegal in Oregon also, I was just reading about it yesterday. Rainwater collection being illegal just seems insane to me.. If you do collect it and use it, eventually it comes back out the other end so...

We'll be putting some kind of rain gutter system on our bus but haven't figured out exactly how yet. Thanks for posting
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Old 05-23-2013, 02:05 PM   #5
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

First link in the original post is broken. Please fix, thx.

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Old 12-13-2013, 10:45 PM   #6
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

Here in the State of Washington the state says that all the water falling on the land

belongs to the state. The crazy thing is the city and county charge a fee for handling

the run-off from your property. Storm drainage fees according to how many square feet

of land you have. And they will cite you for collecting rain water.
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Old 12-15-2013, 09:56 AM   #7
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

Hmm seems to me if they own the water that hits the ground seem to me when there is a lack of water then they should provide water when there is a lack of it?

That is totally absurd that they can say suck things.
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Old 08-08-2014, 07:31 AM   #8
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

Here's a better link, you have to manually click the PDF link though...[/url]http://www.twdb.texas.gov/innovativewater/rainwater/docs.asp[url]
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Old 08-08-2014, 09:38 AM   #9
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

http://www.twdb.texas.gov/innovative...water/docs.asp fixed url to a clickable link. The first link is to the same page but my (now fixed again) link was a direct download. Apparently the pages moved. Hate it when that happens. Thanks!
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Old 08-12-2014, 02:27 AM   #10
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Re: Rainwater Harvesting

Welcome to America where everything is illegal.
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Old 03-11-2015, 11:28 PM   #11
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reply to inkblots84 and more...

Inkblots84 - again, this law is in effect to establish some kind of arbitrary limit on rain water harvesting so as not to effect the natural rub offs into rivers. There are ways around it.

To all - rain water harvesting is a sustainable solution to decreasing water supplies. Just make sure your filters are managed priority, as lots and lots of "kak" can be introduced into the water as it goes through its cycle to become rainwater again. Eben on molecular levels!

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Old 04-07-2015, 12:30 AM   #12
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New Rainwater Harvest Laws in Colorado
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Old 04-07-2015, 06:49 AM   #13
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i use 3 water cubs to save rain water for my garden, 900 gal. gravity feed it, works great.
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Old 04-07-2015, 07:38 AM   #14
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For the house, we have a 55 gallon food grade drum that we capture rain in from the roof. At the bottom is a hose spicket. In the top, we have a rope that hangs two socks into the water. One sock is filled with untreated cow manure. The other sock is filled with untreated goat manure. It creates a tea that we use to water our plants (flowers and bushes, not vegetables). The barrel is full most of the time. In the summer, it seems to attract alot of happy frogs. I think (optimistically) that they take care of any mosquitoes.
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Old 08-06-2015, 02:18 AM   #15
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Smile Rainwater harvesting on a bus

I'm interested in this topic because I'd like to be off-grid with my planned bus conversion, and this seems like a good way to get some water for laundry and watering plants. I looked up Oklahoma laws regarding rainwater collection, and not only is it legal, but residents are encouraged to harvest rainwater. OSU has published a document detailing how to plan how big a cistern you will need, various parts, etc. You can access a downloadable pdf here.

However, I haven't seen any discussion of harvesting from the roof of a bus! Has anyone tried to do this? How? Is this practical, or a waste of space and effort?

TIA
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Old 09-06-2015, 08:27 PM   #16
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Well my first thought is that its completely ludicrous that any municipality can attempt to claim that which falls from the sky. Next the'll be writing citations for making a snowman in your yard because your improperly using their sky given goods. So much for childhood. Grr. I wont continue on about that.

I have always had a personal interest in self sustained living. Different regions of the country present different challenges but most of the time if you think about it you can find away to make it happen. Now complete sustainability on a school bus would definitely be a challenge. Not impossible. Not considering fuel. I myself will be using a lot of solar and potentially some wind when completed.


Invisicat, I think given the right setup you could make rainwater collection totally viable on a school bus. With some modified roof drip rails and a couple lines plumbed to a collection tank you'd be set. Then you could easily filter and treat it to have clean water. I think it would have to be filtered for any purpose and I would want to filter it before it got to the collection tank so all the stuff from the road and everywhere else that collects on the roof wouldn't make it in to the system at all. For me here in Texas I just don't see rain often enough to make the time to set it up cost effective. If I were in Portland or Seattle I could be selling filtered bottled water.

Just a side note, It would be tough to notice if I was collecting rainwater and running it to a undercarriage tank. Not much to see on the outside if done properly.
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Old 09-06-2015, 08:33 PM   #17
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Sounds interesting. Unless of course you live in Arizona or Nevada. They get less rain per year than we get an hour here on the Gulf Coast.
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Old 09-06-2015, 09:02 PM   #18
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Rainwater harvesting regulations state by state | Rain water harvesting and slow sand water filters


Our rainfall total is about 10.5 in. right now for the season.
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Old 09-06-2015, 09:08 PM   #19
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10.5 inches...Mmmmm...makes my Gulf Coast gills happy!
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Old 09-06-2015, 11:19 PM   #20
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Also If you are in the flight path of migratory birds you really should sterilize the water as they can poop out some really nasty microbes on your roof that get washed into your collection tanks.
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