Using Runoff from a shingled roof

[Stoney22]

can i use this to water my hens and ducks. the shingles are a few years old 5+ so the oils and such are probably out of it, we use it to water plants without a problem and paying for water is an issue so im wondering if the rain water i collected today would be fine to use in the duck pool?

 

[kello500]

I have been thinking about the same thing for my chickens. I have rain barrels by my house and have been using that to water my plants. I have a bowl under one of the barrels for the dogs and cats to get a drink when they are outside. I have been letting them drink that water for 6+ months and haven't had any issues. One of my dogs is a German Shepherd Dog and they are known for having intestinal tracts that are easily upset. The shingles on my house have been up there since 2009. I only have to clean out the grit in the bottom of the barrels from time to time.

I would think you'd be okay to use it. Maybe someone else on here has been using runoff from shingles longer than I have?

 

[Stoney22]

thanks for the info, i figured it would be ok since if there was a high concentration of oil in it it would kill plants.

 

[jesss]

Generally, I don't use water from my asphalt roof for drinking (humans or animals) or anything I'm going to eat. There is a lot of nasty stuff in asphalt roofing. I use it for stuff like watering ornamental plants, washing the car, etc. Our chicken coop's roof is made from clear corrugated plastic roof panels, which are safer to drink from, so we do plan to use that once we get more rain barrels hooked up out there. And if we ever replace the roof on the house, we're getting a metal roof so we can use the water!

If you think your roof is old enough that the water might be safe, you can have the run-off analyzed by your local water testing laboratory. If you decide to have this water sample analyzed, have it analyzed for contaminants such as zinc, lead, chromium, arsenic, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, fecal coliform, and E. coli. Call your local extension for help finding the local water lab nearest you. It's usually not terribly expensive to have a water sample analyzed, so for me the peace of mind would be worth it.

 

[GLBRWyans]

For the garden it would be okay . I know several that do it , know some that have plumbed sink water to run to the garden also .

 

[5chicks4us]

I wouldn't use it to feed my chickens. Using it for a garden is different for me because the ground can filter out some of the chemicals etc.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
See my BYC page for pics. I've been using the rainwater runoff to a stock tank for chicken water for nearly twenty years now. I do keep goldfish in the tank to prevent mosquitoes and keep the algae under control. Been working fine. No problems noted, I used a lot of salvage material to build my coop and the asphalt shingles included. I've heard a lot of negative concepts about using runoff of roofs with asphalt shingles----I haven't seen any scientific results, only opinions. Mine has been working fine.

 

[BoltonChicken]

You got to remember.... chickens in the past were wild birds. Yep, even your little darlings. If they need to, they will drink mud, sewer water,
dew on leaves, cooling water from nuclear plants. They will also EAT any and everything. Think of the most disgusting thing you can
think of. They will eat that too. These guys derive from the raptor dinosaurs and are tough. Sometimes we worry too much.

 

[jesss]

If you choose to do it, that's your decision. No one is policing what anyone does with their rooftop rain water so far as I can tell. If it is a subject that concerns you, there is plenty of information from your local extension or land grant university, just google it. And yes, there is some real science, too. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110307142229.htm

The risks may be negligible or acceptable for some people. There's no way to tell someone it's perfectly safe, because that's untrue.

 

[RaZ]

That was a good link. In fact, I can use it in a water quality research project I'm working on.

Several years ago I had a house that harvested all of the roof rainwater into a cistern that we used to suppliment the well. We had a filter to keep out particulate matter.
We never had a problem with water quality. The cistern was underground so there was no algae growth or mosquitos.