Rain Collection

Captain Spaulding

Captain Spaulding

Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
1,140
I have decided to install a garden and due to our water allowance I am going to feed the garden with recycled rain water. This will also double as an emergency water supply in the event that there is a problem with our neighborhood's water source (we live in a small mountain community so this may not be likely but it is definitely a possibility).

Have any of you done this? If so please post up some pics of your handy work. I don't need info that is on the web as I have already spent hours reading all kinds of product info and tutorials. I am more interested in what you all have found to be cost effective, practical, worthless and what creativity you have brought to bear on the problem.

Thanks!:D
 
Careful how you proceed, Captain. Property owners in Colorado don't have the rights to the rain that falls on their land. That means technically no rainbarrels, no graywater recycling systems, not even diversion to gardens. Water must flow unimpeded across the land to the collecting waterways. Something to do with farmers and ranchers and their water rights. Although the law changed recently, so you might need to bone up on the particulars. I believe you can now collect your own rainwater if you live on property that is not serviced by your local water utility. Here's some light reading:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06702.html
http://www.rainwatercollecting.com/blog/2009/03/rainwater-collection-now-legal-for-some-colorado-residents/

I live in CO as well, and was astounded to read of this asinine, archaic law. Hopefully this will be completely overturned in time, we are the only state that has this law. If you ask me if I have rainbarrels, I will tell you no, those are just really big flowerpots by my front door:D
 
raindog101 said:
Careful how you proceed, Captain. Property owners in Colorado don't have the rights to the rain that falls on their land. That means technically no rainbarrels, no graywater recycling systems, not even diversion to gardens. Water must flow unimpeded across the land to the collecting waterways. Something to do with farmers and ranchers and their water rights. Although the law changed recently, so you might need to bone up on the particulars. I believe you can now collect your own rainwater if you live on property that is not serviced by your local water utility. Here's some light reading:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06702.html
http://www.rainwatercollecting.com/blog/2009/03/rainwater-collection-now-legal-for-some-colorado-residents/

I live in CO as well, and was astounded to read of this asinine, archaic law. Hopefully this will be completely overturned in time, we are the only state that has this law. If you ask me if I have rainbarrels, I will tell you no, those are just really big flowerpots by my front door:D
Click to expand...

Great info! I will check it out. That will likely not divert me from my plan. We have fairly harsh winters down here so it will have to be a system that I can disconnect for the winter. We are also coompletely fenced off so the nosey nellies next door can't see into "the compound".

That is hilarious and sickening. That they expect home owners to buy a water collection permit for their roof run off. Found this too, jesus:

http://water.state.co.us/DWRDocs/News/NewsArticles/Pages/RainwaterHarvesting.aspx
 
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Captain Spaulding said:
Great info! I will check it out. That will likely not divert me from my plan. We have fairly harsh winters down here so it will have to be a system that I can disconnect for the winter. We are also coompletely fenced off so the nosey nellies next door can't see into "the compound".
Click to expand...

+1. Go for it. I think it's only enforced in the most extreme and obvious cases. Or if you have vengeful neighbors, or nosy county inspectors. I think most LEO's would laugh it off, as it seems a preposterous law on the surface. Just thought I'd warn you, in case of any police helicopter fly-bys:eek:
 
Raindog101, just about the time I think after 50+ years I have heard everything, something always comes up once again. I fully agree with you & Captain Spaulding, how long has the "law" been on the state/county/township/city/village books?? This has to have been something put into effect back in the 1800's before water systems became the norm.
I'm surprised someone has not went after this to try and get an ammendment or at least changes ammended to it.
Good luck to you both.
Be safe.
 
I added some info to the above post that shows this is not just some oldie time bullshit law. They updated the info on the restrictions last year.

Very odd for a state that is on the verge of passing no permit concealed carry and has medical marijuana on the books.
 
raindog101 said:
Careful how you proceed, Captain. Property owners in Colorado don't have the rights to the rain that falls on their land. That means technically no rainbarrels, no graywater recycling systems, not even diversion to gardens. Water must flow unimpeded across the land to the collecting waterways. Something to do with farmers and ranchers and their water rights. Although the law changed recently, so you might need to bone up on the particulars. I believe you can now collect your own rainwater if you live on property that is not serviced by your local water utility. Here's some light reading:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06702.html
http://www.rainwatercollecting.com/blog/2009/03/rainwater-collection-now-legal-for-some-colorado-residents/

I live in CO as well, and was astounded to read of this asinine, archaic law. Hopefully this will be completely overturned in time, we are the only state that has this law. If you ask me if I have rainbarrels, I will tell you no, those are just really big flowerpots by my front door:D
Click to expand...

Breakin the law breaking the law!!!! :jerkit: I would wait till someone said something that is a BS law no matter if you live in the city or rural! BTW people also speed, and smoke weed, and that's illegal :D
 
I have a regular old 55-gallon rain barrel (would like to get more) - I use it to water the raised bed garden and fruit bushes. It's got a flex hose connected to the down spout, and there is a spigot near the bottom. It's raised on a couple blocks so I can get a bucket under the spigot.

If I needed to use it for human consumption, I would still have to treat it - I've got a few methods to do that, and recommend you have a couple options yourself.
 
tarditi said:
I have a regular old 55-gallon rain barrel (would like to get more) - I use it to water the raised bed garden and fruit bushes. It's got a flex hose connected to the down spout, and there is a spigot near the bottom. It's raised on a couple blocks so I can get a bucket under the spigot.

If I needed to use it for human consumption, I would still have to treat it - I've got a few methods to do that, and recommend you have a couple options yourself.
Click to expand...

Which methods do you use for treating it as a drinking water barrel?
 
for a covert rain collection system one can simply put a larger downpipe OVER the existing downpipe, like a cover......while the original downpipe is rerouted inside the house into the basement collection barrels. ;)
 
Bushman5 said:
for a covert rain collection system one can simply put a larger downpipe OVER the existing downpipe, like a cover......while the original downpipe is rerouted inside the house into the basement collection barrels. ;)
Click to expand...

A difficult proposition...as I have no basement. :)

Purely external and totally closed off by fencing. Impossible to see from outside.
 
I don't do it myself but, consider it a excellent idea. There is a wealth of information at Mother Earth News on collecting and storage of rainwater.
 
I have two fifty five gallon plastic rain barrels attached to the two downspouts of the house. There are filters, mesh screens in the gutters ad well as over the top of the barrels where the water comes in. For human consumption I am leaning towards a big berkley
Good luck with your project.:)
 
Captain Spaulding said:
Which methods do you use for treating it as a drinking water barrel?
Click to expand...

I would only treat the barrel as a source of water in the event of a municipal water source interruption. If we're just hunkering down for a while, I would prefer to use stored, bottled water and a waterbob.

Particulate filter, then use one of the following:
* gravity-fed charcoal-activated filter
* bleach
* boil
* MSR pump filter
* aquamira
 
Make sure your roof material is not toxic, some shingles will poison you.
Can you do an underground systern type container on your property? Divert rain water to that, let the rest flow off.
Hidding barrles on the ground, and near the house might be a challenge. Garage? Build a fake chimney or a fake additon, could get expensive.
 
foxx said:
Make sure your roof material is not toxic, some shingles will poison you.
Click to expand...

Good point - at worst, drink only in the event that you'll die of dehydration (survival rule of "what kills you first"), at best, treat it like pond water, since it will certainly collect dirt, dust, pollen, bugs, and bird droppings, etc. that fall on your roof.
 
Is that allowed? I thought Colorado was one of the states with the funyn water rights laws.

EDIT: Nevermind, i see now it has been covered already. :(

When you move to a state where water storage is legal :D, maybe you would like to try something like this.
 
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