Water management and Strategies for water conservation

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perchie.girl

perchie.girl

RIP 1953-2021
9 Years
Nov 29, 2010
28,492
64,638
1,392
San Diego county High Desert
This discussion is for every one who has water conservation concerns weather they are environmentally or personally driven. This also includes Grey water, Aquaponics, Drip irrigation, and Xeriscaping. Even Septic tanks and alternative toilets

In my case.... My land below survives on 3-10 inches of rain per year.




I live in an arid climate.... San Diego High desert. Normally we get about ten inches of precipitation per year last year we got three. I have a 450 foot deep well that is or has become a low producer.

I would like to discuss different ways to make water usage stretch. from Rain harvesting to Grey water to Hugelkulture... and anything in between. I want to learn more.

I know some areas of the country have strict laws about water harvesting and Grey water usage. for example here in San Diego they have only just now allowed the collection and use of grey water. Colorado has laws that prohibit collecting rain water...

Its only going to get more difficult to keep watering our animals and gardens as we use up the water in the US... Without water we wont be able to "backyard" anything.

Remember there are a hundred different ways to do things all of them right. Just some will be more efficient.

For a list of links click here


deb
 
Last edited:
Somebody was talking about using water caught from a roof with asphalt shingles for drinking water... The house I live and grew up in was built about 1965. My parents had a cistern build as most all houses "out in the country" had. The problem, well one of the problems, with our cistern was that it had a wood cover that finally wore out. Now and then when checking the water level mom would run up on a snake. LOL I suppose they were using the cistern too. For a while, like most everybody else, we had our water hauled from town. I remember it was $15 for a whole truckload. lol Somewhere along the way they come up with the idea of piping the water from the roof to the cistern. That cut way down on buying water. Our water supply was never filtered. I guess the bigger gross stuff just settled to the bottom and I believe every now and then mom would pour in some bleach. I remember one time we were gone a few days and when we got back I went to get a glass of water out of the refrigerator (glass jug). There were mosquito larvea floating all in it. lol None of that ever killed anybody or even made us sick that I know of. My mom is 86 and still going strong and I'm sure all the water she had growing up was about the same. Finally the "water line" was ran out here and we hooked up with it. To be honest, I think the water we were drinking was just as safe or safer than what we get now because of all the mess they intentionally put in it. I wish we had a metal roof and a filter system. I'd go back to catching water instead of buying it.
 
perchie.girl said:
Plumbing is easy to do.... The mechanical part of putting things together. I was told that by a plumber.... Water goes down hill...
lau.gif
LOL he was/is a friend and a smarty. If it were my house I would go a head and have a plumber get in there and do the redirection. Actually thats what I did do.

Yep you will get an odor from the first tank. and it has to have access to air in order for it to work. IF you have to have the main tank near the house Then you can run a vent up above the eves. just like the vents that are on your house now for the toilet. Thats why they are all the way up through the roof. They do the same for out houses too. I suspect the oder from a grey water tank will be NOThing like a septic system though.

With regard to plumbing tools..... Get one of those PVC cutters rather than trying to saw through pipe.... They will cut up to two inch diameter pvc. and I use Red Hot Blue Glue.... rather than the two part glue.

Oh and I just recently found out you dont have to glue at all if everything is free flowing and unpressurized. So you can do a test run before you glue. Also the glue will work on damp PVC.



deb
Click to expand...

Thanks Deb! I talked to a plumber friend of mine about it and he said there are only three things you need to know to be a plumber.

1) Poop flows down hill.
2) Payday is on Friday.
3) Don't chew your fingernails.......

LOL! I'll probably just pay him to do it for me since he's licensed and all.

Thank you again and have a great week.
RichnSteph
 
I don't have a heap to offer, I was just shocked to read in the other thread that is was illegal to catch your own rainwater as 'it was someone elses downstream'

Never in a million years would I have expected to hear that.

He in Australia, water catchment is supported, we are water short. The state and federal governments try to promote this sort of sustainability. They offer rebates for approved rainwater tanks and roof top solar systems, they even buy back any excess power as it's returned to the grid.

I have heard of people diverting some of their grey water (dish sinks and washing machines) onto lawns but I don't do that, I will leave that processing to the sewage treatment plants. I do however divert my air conditioner drain towards the plants, free drip feeder for them providing I pay the power bill.

Here we have a TV show called 'The New Inventors', I have seen some real innovative products launched there, and water conservation always is a big hit. New buildings with eco water systems has been popular, and retro fitting membrane filters to existing buildings is popular too, but both cost a bit, and make it almost out of reach.

This product had a big win, http://www.biolytix.com/how-it-works/

If you already have a tank and like your tech info, this tank monitoring system also rated highly, allows tracking of water in and water out, http://getwatergenie.com/

Personally, if I was to make my own filter, I would have a coarse river sand pre filter, and have a good look at activated charcoal. Incredibly cheap and easy to produce (mostly from coconuts) and has the most surface area of pretty much anything going, exactly what you want in a good filter.
 
Bens-Hens said:
I don't have a heap to offer, I was just shocked to read in the other thread that is was illegal to catch your own rainwater as 'it was someone elses downstream'

Never in a million years would I have expected to hear that.

He in Australia, water catchment is supported, we are water short. The state and federal governments try to promote this sort of sustainability. They offer rebates for approved rainwater tanks and roof top solar systems, they even buy back any excess power as it's returned to the grid.

I have heard of people diverting some of their grey water (dish sinks and washing machines) onto lawns but I don't do that, I will leave that processing to the sewage treatment plants. I do however divert my air conditioner drain towards the plants, free drip feeder for them providing I pay the power bill.

Here we have a TV show called 'The New Inventors', I have seen some real innovative products launched there, and water conservation always is a big hit. New buildings with eco water systems has been popular, and retro fitting membrane filters to existing buildings is popular too, but both cost a bit, and make it almost out of reach.

This product had a big win, http://www.biolytix.com/how-it-works/

If you already have a tank and like your tech info, this tank monitoring system also rated highly, allows tracking of water in and water out, http://getwatergenie.com/

Personally, if I was to make my own filter, I would have a coarse river sand pre filter, and have a good look at activated charcoal. Incredibly cheap and easy to produce (mostly from coconuts) and has the most surface area of pretty much anything going, exactly what you want in a good filter.
Click to expand...
Yep I was stunned about the rules and reges in Colorado.... I was investigating moving up there some years back but that was a deal breaker for me. Another state here you have to be careful of is Arizona.... Some wells there go 1000 feet deep. Prohibitive for any but commercial water access. So many people there use either a Catchment system or Purchase water to be hauled in once a month or so.

I love the graded rock fitler and my experience has been to use a pre filter media that can be pulled and clensed for the first contact with water that has particles in it.... Like leaves and bugs and bits of "stuff" like from the kitchen sink. I know Carbon filter media can be recharged by taking the carbon out rinsing it letting it dry then baking it. In this case it would be for flitration for Grey water The water off the roof... I believe would be a bit cleaner of chemicals and organic material....

Ooh I just read the water genie site.... Excellent. I think I am going to collect those links on a page and make a link in my signature so I dont lose that info and other people can access it. The Biolytix may not be a choice for us in the US.... but I am going to order up the info I am intrigued with the idea of an above ground sceptic system.... OH I read further it is below ground... um er... I ordered the brocheur.

deb
 
OK I have updated my original post to include a link to a page for info so that can be added to periodically Such as links and pointers and bits of info that may get lost during the discussion

I will include that very same link in my signature so it will appear throughout the thread.

deb
 

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