Rainwater Harvesting Off Grid
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- Harvest, collect, store and purify rainwater good enough to drink, off the grid.
Watch Part 2: Catchment, here • Rainwater Harvesting O...
Almost twenty years ago, I set up this rainwater collection system out in the woods. Using about three hundred square feet of metal roofing to catch the rainwater, the water is run through a very coarse filter as it exits the gutter. Before flowing in to the two thousand (US) gallon storage tank, the water passes through a much finer filter and is chlorinated at the same time, using a slow dissolving chlorine puck normally used in pools and spas. Thus the collected water is cleansed of debris and other nasty stuff before it enters the storage tank. This, I think is key to successful acquisition and storage of rainwater. If the water is not clean before entering storage you are making extra work for yourself "downstream", assuming you intend to drink it. I have never had to clean the inside of the tank (which can be a dangerous job) or been afraid to drink the water after final treatment and filtration.
Of note, is the fact that the tank is pigmented (green in this case), which helps prevent sunlight activating growth of any kind in the precious water. White or clear tanks are not so great for blocking the harmful effects of sunlight. Especially during warm weather I monitor the chlorine content of the stored water. This is a quote from scientificamerican.com, "Chlorine effectively kills a large variety of microbial water-borne pathogens, including those that can cause typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera and Legionnaires' disease. Chlorine is widely credited with virtually eliminating outbreaks of water-borne disease in the United States and other developed countries. And Life magazine recently cited the filtration of drinking water and use of chlorine as "probably the most significant public health advance of the millennium"". It only takes a cupful of household bleach to effectively "shock" the water free of most pathogens. I usually do this on departure from the cabin and the residual chlorine then has time to dissipate prior to our return.
In case there is any residual chlorine in the supply, I again filter the water before use, using an activated charcoal cartridge in my Rainfresh household water filter. The result is a reliable source of fresh clean drinking water that literally falls out of the sky! No need to drill a well or construct unnecessarily complicated systems, electrical or otherwise.
The whole system runs on gravity; the storage tank is approximately 100' higher than the cabin. For every foot of elevation, water pressure below rises by .43 pounds per square inch, resulting in about 43 psi at the cabin level. The pressure is entirely sufficient to run the filtration system, a propane fired demand hot water heater and a hosepipe - all the water amenities of living in town.
Of course, with even a simple system such as this, some degree of maintenance is required. After all, you are running a small utility. Perhaps the biggest concern comes during the winter months, which in our part of the northern hemisphere can become freezing cold at times, potentially causing burst pipes, valves and filter bowls, if they are not properly drained in the fall. In the woods, tree debris falls on the roof and despite best efforts, gutters always clog too quickly. Water filters have to be exchanged once in a while and attention has to be paid to chlorination. However, basic maintenance is a small price to pay for such a life sustaining benefit.
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I'm going off grid shortly and these ideas are good things. So long from the Great White North
I'm glad you find it useful. Good luck with all your projects...
Cheers,
M
Possibly the best gravity fed off grid water solution video iv ever watched. much thanks
Whoa!
Praise indeed...
Thanks for watching,
M
amazing video and excellent work, thanks for creating this video
@@markerbuoy - Awesome. Simple, basic and efficient. Thanks a bunch for sharing. ;-)
I agree
Just wonderful, I've been looking for "filter lake water for shower" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you heard people talk about - Manonnor Illustrious Magic - (just google it )?
It is a smashing one of a kind guide for discovering how to create your own supply of the highest quality clean water minus the hard work. Ive heard some awesome things about it and my colleague got great results with it.
Hey, thanks for the compliment! More detail coming as soon as I can. Good luck with your big adventure :-)
Cheers,
M
Your video made my day...the system you have described has inspired me and given me the confidence to pursue a similar set-up on my off-grid property. The rocky, hilly topography limited my choice for a building site but now I see clearly that there is an undeveloped potential for rainwater/snow collection! Thanks for the information.
Hi Anne,
I'm so glad you found this useful. We have been on this system for over twenty years. Keep the collection roof & gutter clean, along with the incoming filter and you can't go wrong!
Cheers,
M
Absolutely awesome. We too have a similar system that collects spring water.It works pretty good with only one upset.We had not kept up our quard as far as letting the chlorine level go to low and created a mess.we now use a aerator and monitor more closely.The only drawback is our tank tends to freeze solid in the winter and makes us to resort in carrying water.
Sorry to burst your bubble:-), but we don't live here all year round. This is a cottage/cabin property where we spend as much time as we can. We love to go in winter and switch the water system on & off as necessary. One big freeze-up would ruin my day!
Thanks for your great comments and thanks so much for watching!
M
Hi Gabrielle;
I'm glad you enjoyed the show; more details coming in future water collection videos. Thanks so much for your encouragement and your subscription.
Regards,
M
I like it when people have an alternative life style, mostly off-grid type. I am always curious to see what they do and if I can learn something new.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching and your encouragement.
The water system is on one of Canada's Gulf Islands; no roads, no ferry and definitely no stores.We have to plan ahead for supplies - anything we forget takes most of a day for the round trip by boat to Vancouver Island and the hardware store. So it's not entirely unlike the Philippines...no palm trees and a lot cooler!
I enjoyed your vids. The Dubai firework display was spectacular.
Good luck with everything...
M
Thanks for the compliment. Good luck with your project and thanks for watching.
Regards,
M
Good idea. As soon as I can, I will do a follow up video as you suggest. So many video ideas and so little time!
Nice simple method. It just surprises me over and over again how simple it is and how many people simply don't use it.
It falls from the sky...
You get it ;-)
Cheers,
M
Hi Dustin;
Although our place is totally off grid, we are unable to be there full time (sigh!).
The land in our location does not lend itself to building an effective septic field, nor do we want one.
Grey (sink) water drains to an earthen sump and (occasional) shower water, similarly. Toilet is a deep pit outhouse. This works for us - your mileage may differ.
Fortunately, most of the time we are able to jump in the ocean for a refreshing dip. Brrrrr.
Thanks for your question, tx. for watching
M
Thanks for watching. Good luck with your cabin project and no problem with copying my set up. One modification I would suggest is to extend the roof area somewhat. This will give you more opportunity to collect water during the dry season (summer) when rain seldom falls (depending on your location).
Best regards,
M
Yeah, wells are expensive....and water falls from the sky! Glad you enjoyed the vid - I'll go in to more detail in future vids as soon as I can. Thanks for watching and good luck with your friend's project.
Regards,
M
Many thanks for your kind words. With encouragement like this, I guess I'll have to make some more vids...and thanks for the sub!!
Thanks for your comment...
In our urban environment we take so much for granted. Off grid, we have to constantly monitor and adjust our DIY utilities do we not? Luckily I have never had to deal with a giant ice cube, as you describe.
Hey, & thanks again for the sub!
Cheers,
M
I dig your setup. I watch a lot of these types of videos because my dream is to eventually move to an off-grid location.
Hi & thanks for your query.
I am not full time at my place in the woods and not usually there during occasional freezing cold weather. Winters here on the Pacific coast are typically mild but if we get a blast of Canadian arctic air (sometimes -10 degrees centigrade or 14 Fahrenheit) the water in the tank will certainly freeze...but not in a solid block! In twenty years, the polyethylene tank has proven resilient in all kinds of weather with absolutely no trouble.
Thanks for the sub!
Regards
M
Hey Mitchell,
Thanks for watching and your comment. I'm not full time off grid...yet...but I have over twenty years occupying an off grid cabin in all weather, year round. Please check out my playlist: Out In The Woods - Off Grid for more vids.
ruclips.net/p/PLQDJTgvXoAZUIrP2-CiAAX3vm9CT4OTmt
If you subscribe, RUclips will notify you every time I upload a new vid...and there are many more to come :-)
Best regards,
M
That is a fantastic set up. And you are right about the pressure - it's .433 PSI per foot (minus any friction loss from the pipe). You have a good 40 PSI like you said. I am on flat land so I am stuck using a 12 volt on-demand pressure pump to move water from my water barrels to the house but it works well also. Great video.
Hey, thanks for your kind words. I have neighbours who use pumps for moving water around, despite the fact they could have gravity feed from up the hill. As long as it works, that's all that counts :-)
Cheers,
M
Very well done system and video. Well thought out and explained. Thanks so much for sharing. Exactly what I was looking for.
Hi, We live on Waiheke island New Zealand where every one of the 8000 inhabitants collect there own water. Most of us have iron roofs and concrete or plastic water tanks and most have no filtering system at all. I use a 200 gallon tank to collect the water from 2 roofs . Inside this tank I have an electric sump pump hanging about 200 mm from the bottom . When this tank is nearly full this pump starts pumping the water to a large 5500 gallon water tank . The leaves etc. stay in the bottom of the small tank and we get perfectly clean water in our larger storage tank which we use without any further filtration.We add no chemicals to our tank at all and are fairly healthy in our late seventies.
Hello Robvaas. Fantastic to read about where you live. I'm wondering if you could direct me to pictures that show of homes in your area and how the water tanks look? I would love to live entirely on collected rain water (versus digging a well) but would like to set it up in a way that is fairly attractive. Thanks!!
Hi Cheryl I will show you a couple of photo's and will explain how it works on my Facebook site "Tiny houses from rob"
Hi Robvaas;
It wasn't until Cheryl contacted you that I realised that somehow I missed your post. Sorry about that - I try hard to answer all my correspondents.
I am aware that lots of people down under collect rainwater for most, if not all of their own needs and it sounds as if you lot have a well developed system that works very well.
We are not off grid full time unfortunately and spend time in town for work and other reasons; treated municipal water is becoming very expensive around here, especially as (astronomic) sewer costs are tied to water use. I feel the need to go back to basics and start collecting rainwater here in town, just like everyone on Waiheke Island :-)
Thanks again for commenting and sorry again that I missed you first time around.
Happy New Year!
M
robvaas Thanks! Will check it out now! :)
Would love to have this system in northern BC Canada but it would have to be underground with a solar pump. Your setup is great and one day hope to set up a small version of your system, thank you for showing it.
Fantastic video, man, If I was old enough, I'd be living like you right now.
You are welcome. One of the great things about RUclips is that it connects us all around the world. I would love to visit Cambodia someday.
Regards,
M
tienes varias gran ideas que pondre en practica..... gracias
...and thanks for watching and your kind words :-)
M
I love your sense of humor. Self extinguishing, indeed. Post more vids, please.
I love your comment. Flattery will get you everywhere,,,
Best Regards,
Thanks indeed for your encouragement...
M
Thanks for all your kind comments...and your interest.
My system was working well until I inadvertently released 2/3 of my tank early this spring. It has been a lean year :-[
Regards,
M
What’s the name of the filters?
Thanks for your comment. My way is not the only way but I just wanted to share what works for me. I'm glad you appreciate my effort and I thank you for watching and commenting :-)
Regards,
M
Wow, it sounds like you will have yourself a luxury system :-) Good luck with everything and thanks for watching & commenting.
Cheers,
M
Hey, thanks for the compliment,for watching and for the sub. I need all the fans I can get!
Full disclosure: we are not full time Out In The Woods. We spend as much time as possible at the cabin but also have a house in town. Specifically, internet access is available via the cell phone network - somewhat tenuous but good enough. Otherwise, as I explain, we are truly "off grid" out there - no ferry, no roads, no power, no stores...nothing...and we love it.
Regards,
M
Great. Thanks for this video. I wanted to know how to harvest rain water for my garden and house plants. Now I know how to clean it so I can consume it.
...and build extra capacity as you may need it. Adding extra tanks is straight forward, as long as you have the cash! Flush toilets and laundry suck a lot of water - conservation may be part of your approach.
Thanks so much for your enquiry and for subbing!
more on my water collecting experience as soon as I can....
Regards,
M
Hey Mark, wow, I've never seen you drinking water lol! Cheers Buddy, hope to see you this summer...
Only in the movies! C U soon :-)
I can't be there full time but I would like to be!
Thanks for watching & thanks again for the sub!
Cheers,
M
Hi Job116;
Thanks for watching and your comments.
I certainly do not have all the answers when it comes to water purification, although I do like to keep things as simple as possible. In the video, I tried to show what works for me, given my circumstances. Your mileage may differ ;-)
I have never used HTH or bromine (although bromine isn't normally used to purify regular drinking water, I see) but thanks for the heads-up....maybe I will give HTH a try!
Cheers!
M
Thank for your kind words.
Good luck with your build - it should be fun!
M
I love it. I live in North Dakota and the winter here would make it difficult to be off the grid. I admire the system you've set up. ~ Jeremy
Unfortunately, we are unable to live here full time, although we do visit through the winter. I have to drain all water lines to protect against freezing when not there.
Thanks for watching & your kind words,
M
Didn't realize this was a music video! Really enjoyed this vid. So far it's the closest I've found to what I'd like to have. Thanks!
Sorry if you didn't like the music :-)
Otherwise, I'm glad you found the vid useful...
Regards,
M
Enjoyed your video. I plan a similar but much smaller system at my home in N.C. if SHTF. Thanks for many tips.
Hey Theodore,
It's not rocket science , but somehow lost on the more paranoid. I'm glad you enjoyed the vid. Not sure about "SHTF" - please let me know...
Cheers,
M
Great video. Thanks for posting it. I got some good ideas for my much smaller planned system. I'm only looking for emergency backup water, but the principles are the same.
Thanks so much for commenting and your kind words.
Regards,
M
Glad you appreciate It & thanks for watching & commenting ;-)
Cheers,
M
I'm not full time at our place in the woods. On departure, a cup of chlorine takes care of what is in the tank and the tab takes care of any incoming. Should there be any residual chlorine, the carbon filter takes care of it prior to consumption. No problem in 20 years. Your mileage may vary.
I grew up in the UK & hopped over to Canada when I was 19 - ten years ago :-) ;-) ;-) Not. The accent is called "mid Atlantic", I believe.
Thanks for your interest. More video coming re water ASAP.
M
Many thanks for your support!
Regards,
M
Great vid. Love the gravity aspect of your system. No pump to break!
KISS :-)
Very well thought out setup. Thanks for sharing that with us 👍🏻. Greetings from Belgium (Europe).
I'm glad you liked it - greetings from Canada's Left Coast :-)
You are welcome...glad you enjoyed it.
Regards,
M
hey man nice set up. iv been off the grid for a small while now and once you learn a little bit about everything its a really nice cool lifestyle. I hunt all year so I always have more then enough meat, I have a huge all year around greenhouse which doesn't take a lot of work such has watering all the time cause I simply have a pipe system that drips the perfect amount of water 247 360 yearly, and so much more. I was never huge on the loud city life so im glad the woods are my home. happy travels...
+brandon shackelford
Wow. Unlike you, I'm not full time in my location. I still have one foot in town & don't know if I will ever escape :-)
Sounds like you have a pretty interesting set up, especially the greenhouse with its watering system.
Thanks for watching & good luck with everything.
Cheers,
M
hey thanks. why wouldn't you go off grid 100%? if you have the right set ups and take your time and do shit right there isn't that much work to do for one person. a couple hunts you have meat all year. a water system = no getting water but maybe couple times a year, greenhouse = can everything, and make your house a set up that's easy for you and works well with everything else. best of luck and I know you will get there soon.
Many thanks for your comment - glad you enjoyed the vid.
Regards,
M
Thanks for watching and your encouragement!
...and thanks for the sub :-)
M
30-35 inches and most of it falls between November and April. I can't recall the brand name of the filter, but it is composed of a single fine mesh washable membrane, housed in a clear see through bowl, for reasons I explain in the video. For a little further detail, please watch Rainwater Harvesting Off Grid 2.
Also, I have lots of info in the video description above - simply click show more.
Thanks for watching,
M
im from durham c ad i live i las vegas thinking about a off the grid home ad this makes me believe that an aoff the grid home will be sweet for me and my family great video
Peter Australia interesting video , I agree with the guy from Australia you don't need chlorine, I am in a suburban area in Melbourne , have done the same as you 30 thousand litres , run it through two in line filters after the tank , and I don't know if they have this sort of thing in the states but it is a heavy duty cloth bag that fits into the top of you tank , amazing how much fine dirt it catches .
You're a smart man, no doubt about that. I am impressed as to how you have taken care of your family. I'd say you are a "good catch"! Thanks for the video. Great presentation. Would be great if all men were like you and had the initiative and perseverance that is a part of your character.
Quite right...pressure is excellent and all done with gravity!
I certainly have considered a solar heater for shower/bath use. In my case, a propane heater won the day, when I considered the cost/benefit/maintenance analysis - your mileage may vary :-)
Thanks for watching,
M
Killer setup and a fun video.Thanks for posting!
A fascinating system and a very entertaining, informative video. Thanks so much for posting it.
...and thank you for watching & taking the time to comment :-)
Cheers,
M
Hope you found it useful....and thanks for subscribing :-)
Cheers,
M
Thanks for the sub!
As with all these things off grid, one must be somewhat ingenious and resourceful to figure things out. Everyone's mileage varies....especially when it comes to cash! Your tarp system will work OK for a while. I picked up my metal roofing at a building garage sale for fifty bucks, although a few years ago. Keep your eyes & ears open - there is lots of surplus/cheap material out there.
Good luck with all your projects,
M
Great System For Harvesting and Filtering Rain Water, Sounds and Looks Like It Could Be Of Wonderful Help to Countries and Regions of the Globe Who Have Difficulty, recieving and maintaining Clean Water Solutions, Thank You
This is the best video I've seen on this topic, and I've watched a lot of them recently!! Thank you so much for posting!
Thanks Deanna!
Awesome job there Markerbuoy!
Still a good view, after many years of following you, Markerboy. Even better watching your videos on our Smart TV. More of you to see!
OMG my best fan 😍
People still watching and subscriber numbers rising, even no posts for for years!
@@markerbuoy Time for some fresh material. Maybe recipes from Twitterboy next door.
Really great video. Thanks for making it. cant wait to see some more of your stuff!
Just beginning to research rain harvesting. Great video!
Excellent video. good plan with both filters. Thanks.
....and thank you for watching!
M
great video , one of the best rainwater harvesting videos I have seen
One of the most informative vids iv seen.. I have the same landscape on my property up in northernn Ontario Canada... I'm gonna try the same set up. Thanx so much
Lots of great info!! Thanks. I love the chlorine puck idea.
Thanks for watching!
Cheers,
M
Hi there. I viewed your video with interest. I liked your nice simple and clean system. I myself had wondered about how you diverted large debris before filtration. I don't know if you get fog often, but if you do I got the chance to visit a ranch in Hawaii up in the mountains that had fog everyday. They had a similar system of collection as you, except on the roof they had what looked like a tennis net, but with fine mesh. They had s 5000 gallon tank that had the same size roof roughly as yours but with the net to catch and condense the fog and it would fill that tank in less than 4 days with no actual rain, just that heavy fog. I really liked your plumbing set up and hope it continues to serve you well.
Thanks for watching.
I am aware of systems used to condense dense fog & mist in order to collect water. Definitely an ingenious method if the climate is appropriate. Recently, we had a few days of fog out here on the coast (only happens once or twice per year at sea level) and while I am not set up to trap water from the mist, all the trees did a good job...the forest was dripping with the moisture.
My whole system requires periodic maintenance, including the plumbing. So far, so good :-)
Regards,
M
The only testing I do is at the faucet, where I check for any residual chlorine. I think it would be a good idea to have the water tested in a lab and release the results on RUclips. Thanks for the idea and thanks for watching!
Thanks for Sharing your experience! Cheers, B&M, Vancouver.
awesome, great info. Thank you for teaching me a little more about getting off the grid.
Stay tuned for more water collection vids. Thanks for your sub and kind words!
Best regards,
M
The chlorine puck is simply my first line of defense, as it were. It lasts for a month or two. depending on rainfall/temp. I also chlorinate the stored water; about a cup of bleach, per my 2000 gallon tank, once in a while. Simple testing kits are available to make sure you don't over do it. Remember, an activated charcoal filter removes residual chlorine at point of use....taste chlorine? Change filter:-)
Many thanks for your comments and questions - good luck with your project.
Best Regards,
M
Best video on rain harvesting in RUclips land. Thanks!
+Mike Fay
...and thank you for your kind words :-)
Cheers,
M
Very interesting video.............thank you for sharing the info.................never know when it can come in handy...........Thanks, Gary James
Awesome set up!
very interesting. you open my eyes to knowledge that i can use. do you have more information about off the grid life?
I'm just sharing, what I do, where I am, on Canada's Pacific coast. Your mileage may vary :-)
Other fine folks like yourself have drawn my attention to this U.S. issue in other comments here. It is very interesting and perhaps sad, what governments do when resources become scarce, is it not? Just wait until all the oil is gone!
We are lucky here to have lots of water available. Your comment is valuable in spreading greater awareness. Thanks for watching.
M
Thanks for watching...good luck in your endeavours :-)
Regards,
M
Im working towards living off the grid and appreciate your information.
I'm glad you find my info useful.
Good luck with everything.
M
You doing that good sir, living there must be a blast. That eagle in the tree had me fired up, i loved this upload, thank you.
Very cool! Can you tell me more about the filter and puck you're demonstrating at the 2:30 mark. Thanks!
Excellent info, Alex.
I must say, I am not quite so scientific in my application of chlorine. I am not full time at my place in the woods. Before leaving each time, I essentially "shock" the stored water with about a cupful of chlorine. By the time I return, most serious pathogens (if there are any present) have been destroyed and most excess chlorine has dissipated; the activated charcoal filter takes care of any remainder.
Thanks for commenting and thanks again for the sub!
Cheers,
M
Hi;
Thanks for watching and your comments.
The water pressure is simple physics, given the height of the storage tank above point of use. It's great!
As I mention in the video, I think half the purity battle is won by "scrubbing" the water clean before it enters storage. Very little chlorine is required to kill pathogens (should they be present) and in our case, most added chlorine has a chance to dissipate before we eventually drink it. The charcoal filter takes care of any remainder.
Regards
M
9:52 Oh no! He doesn't actually drinks the water...!!!
Anyway, this is quite a precious video you have here. Thank you for the insights.
Greetings from Portugal.
Full time in winter, the supply lines would have to be buried below the frost line, insulated on entry to the cabin & heat would have to on be 24/7 inside the living space.
Maybe easier to chip some ice off the old block in winter & heat over the stove, as you suggest :-) Whatever works for you - everyone's mileage will vary.
Good luck with your planning...
Cheers,
M
OK, my wife needs to read this!
Thanks for watching and subscribing.
Cheers
M
Superb workmanship...NO...craftsmanship. Exceptional explanation! You should be on dual survival
Haha so funny.
I found this vid right after you published it and lost it/forgot about it
I found it after subscribing to your solar power on a budget video.
Great job on all.
Appreciate the info.
Take care.
Thanks for your kind words :-)
Regards,
M
Average rainfall in these parts is 33" and most of it falls between November and April. Summers can be very dry. I have not seen the "roof wash" system as you describe but I will check it out - thanks for the heads up :-) In any event, water systems (they are mini utilities) need monitoring and maintenance; there is no "set it & forget it"!
Many thanks for watching and for your comment. Comments always welcome.
Regards,
M
"and yummy" that made me laugh. I wasnt expecting to enjoy this video so much! You got yourself a new subscriber! Thank you for putting this information out there.
Great job! Makes me wish I had a good hill on my place, however, we are building on just about the highest place on the property. Guess I'll have to use a pump. Nice view though. Can't have everything, just feel blessed to have what we do. Anyway, I really enjoyed your presentation, and you have a beautiful place!
Hey Sam,
Thanks for your kind words and comments....
I have neighbors with no height/rise. They use 12v pumps to pressurize their systems . Solar powered, no less.
You can do it!
Cheers,
M
It takes sustained, very cold weather to freeze water solid in a 2000 gallon tank - this has never happened to me. However, supply pipes are different matter; We are not permanently off-grid, so living full-time with the system during extremely cold weather is not an issue, personally. I simply drain the system downstream from the storage tank, November thru March (in the Pacific NW) as a precautionary measure.
You're a genius, dear Liza, dear Liza. Now I know what to do! :)
:-) !
Best Regards,
M
I enjoyed the video as it was very informative. Is there anyway you can give a little more explanation or even a demonstration as to how you set up your filter?