DIY Rainwater Collection

[Swiss]

When my husband and I move into our new house, we want to do rainwater collection for watering the garden. My main question is about distance, since the garden is going to be pretty far from the house (I don't currently have any measurements about distance or garden size). Should we install the barrels on carts that can be pulled by the lawn mower down to the garden (would that even be cost effective)? Are we able to use hoses to get the water that far? Would a pump be needed? Would I be able to do drip irrigation?
Does anyone have experience with kits or DIY?
Any information/advice about rainwater collection and usage would be greatly appreciated!

 

[neo71665]

I use a pump. Picked one up from harbor freight a few years back.

Moving a barrel full of water around would get real old real fast. You will drain 55 gallons in short order using it to water a garden.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

How far is the garden exactly? Is it uphill? Do you have a coop or shed that is closer that you could collect water off of?

 

[Swiss]

I use a pump. Picked one up from harbor freight a few years back.

Moving a barrel full of water around would get real old real fast. You will drain 55 gallons in short order using it to water a garden.

That makes sense. And I plan on having a large garden, so having to do it multiple times would become a pain, or so it sounds.

How far is the garden exactly? Is it uphill? Do you have a coop or shed that is closer that you could collect water off of?

The garden is downhill, and probably 150-200 feet away from the closest structure (the house).
ETA: The distance is still just a guesstimate.

 

[neo71665]

Depending on how downhill (grade) it is you might not have enough pressure to do anything after about a half a drum. I have a 400 gallon tank, flat ground about 20 feet away, and the pressure is next to nothing with soaker hose. My garden is only about an acre and I can drain that tank in a week or 2 during the dry season. Been working on getting a 2nd tank for about 2 years.

My dog, 2 coons, and 12 chickens can drain a 55 gallon barrel in about 3 weeks while it's dry. A garden is basically a water leak so I know that will drain it.

 

[Elyrian1]

If you want to do drip, and no pump, make sure you get the kind of hoses that are rated for no pressure. Most drip irrigation lines require a certain psi to operate, but they do make some that don't require anything more than a little gravity.

Even though you're capturing rainwater, put at least a basic debris filter on the capture portion so you don't clog the outlet in your barrel. It'll be a real pain to clean if the barrel is full of water, gunk has taken over the outflow, and you have to figure out how the heck to get it cleaned off while trying not to spill the barrel or, you know, totally soaking yourself in the process.

You can run rigid lines, something like pex but made for outdoor use so it doesn't leach, downhill for hundreds of feet without issue. Make sure that the lower end of all lines have a bleed valve, so you can empty the entire system any time a frost/freeze is forecast. Otherwise... well, you know.