Water management and Strategies for water conservation

[Lacy Blues]

Here is a link to a thread that was done by a man down in Las Vegas, Nevada. He set up a grey water system and using that and lots of mulch was able to grow an orchard in the Nevada desert and he even has worms now! That might not sound like much to you people back east but to get worms here is practically a miracle! I asked him and he did not import them. They just showed up.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/674812/my-greywater-orchard-irrigation-project/20#post_9366682

 

[Beekissed]

Cool - I will need to find some of that Basic H soap.. I wonder if it comes in another name in Canada?

You can buy it from their website and you can also become a distributor and save money on the purchase in that manner. I'd show you the link right now but my PC is acting up and won't load that page. Look for Basic H or Shaklee's Basic H.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Do you have to mulch over the top of the tile....? Can you use gravel?

Also My soil um er dirt has a very high perk rate. I literally can loose 3000 gallons of water in a matter of two or three days without any evidence there was a hole in the hose. Rabbits .... going for water... I need to Put out a rabbit watering hole ...

My dirt is Decomposed granite with very little organic material in it to hold water ..... therefore IF I were to do a garden it will have to be a raised bed affair..... With Hardware cloth on the bottom to keep the digging critters out and Hardware cloth tent to keep the hopping critters out..... But that bed is going to have to be at least ... what.... 18 inches deep So that means my water tank is going to need to be at least elevated 18 inches in order to have good water flow.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

I was catching and using rain water last year but noticed the chickens were having increasing white, runny urates while using the rain water. As soon as I stopped and went back to well water, the stools changed back to normal. That was rain caught off of an old galvanized tin metal roof.

Since then I worry about using rain catchment water due to heavy metals in the rain(chem trails abound!) and possibly from our roofs, without having the ground strata to properly filter the water for consumption. Now I just use our well water and have a communal watering pan for all animals and this cuts down on waste from emptying the bottom water out of multiple waterers and rinsing before refilling. For chicks who cannot access the communal watering pan, I use nipple buckets, which also decrease waste tremendously by keeping the water clean and only dispensing it in droplets.

My grandmother used to do her dishes in dish pans set down into the sink and washed her dishes in lye soap, then would give the dishwater to the hogs and chickens because it often had food particles in it and she said it "kept them healthier"....and she was right. In researching natural antihelmentics, one listed was soap....as a surfactant, it dissolves the oils that serve to protect the skin of intestinal parasites as they dine in the acidic environment found in the small intestine. Once that protective oily coating is dissolved, the digestive acids can effectively kill the worms and their ovum.

This can increase the value of using grey water for watering livestock if one is careful about the types of soap they use. Salatin uses Basic H, a concentrated soap made from two soy proteins and was first used as a dietary supplement for fattening turkeys and cattle in the UK, but then was discovered to be a very powerful soap/cleanser as well. Using it in the water to provide the antihelmintic affect as well as to improve conditioning of the animals, while getting the cleansing power for one's clothing and dishes would seem to be a win/win/win situation.

I've used Basic H for cows and sheep with good effect....and have even tried it on myself!

Just a couple of the ideas and ways I try to conserve and how they conserved in the past that may tie into attempts to conserve now. Another way is if you are allowed to have an outhouse where you live, it can save you tons on water usage if you utilize it to its fullest.

Great thread, Deb!!

I think this is going to be more and more pertinent as weather patterns become more severe.

Oh I forgot about Basic H that came out in the early Seventies when i was in High school. I was hoping someone would make me remember that. I was wondering about todays trends for soaps being biodegradeable.... I suspect that while they are there are a few things in there that I would not want doing a through put through the livestock....

Making a note of that.... Thanks BEE.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Yep thats the one I was reading about. Its amazing how much people spend to "Clean" the water out when it only takes a graded system of rocks with a mechanical washable filter on top.... and let the bacteria do the work.

BTW the septic needs a certain amount of water to do its job.... Part of what we humans deposit is fat or oils. They rise to the surface.... I have seen my septic guy hop into the tank and walk on the mat that develops on top. This needs to be removed periodically you dont want that to go out into your leach field because it will clog it. The leach field takes the liquid effluent out and delivers it to nature where it can percolate down and get completely clean in the soil.

With my low producing well I have a Water tank... (required for fire service in the back country here) Theroretically I have it set up to trickle fill. It is 3000 gallons And Galvanized. I have the irrigaton set up on that. This means an hose bib in the yard as well as the ablilty to switch to that for the livestock. Which I had for many years. Low producing wells need some recovery time so if you can set up your trickle fill to fill at night when you dont use much water then you can trickle fill it till thepump saver switch turns your well pump off.... Or set it on a timer for what ever amount works for you. Then you can use the water for the house delivered by booster pump at the water tank. Other wise the water pressure will be only good for trickle watering....

I have a pump switch to change out and some other electrical and plumbing issues to sort before I can hook it up to my house. Right now my well is pumping directly to the house through 1000 feet of pipe...

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: awesome!

I think unless your shingles are brand new there is very little concern.... except for the little bits of sand that are always being shed by shingles... for the most part I suspect they are benign. Easy to filter out and many many ways to do that.

I think the litmus test is that gold fish. Fat and healthy is a very good sign. I have a big tank of water for my horse that is fed by a trickle of water that comes through a float valve. I keep three or four gold fish in there for the same reason. I know Carp in general are a dirtier fish than others but they handle a very wide swing of water temps and salinity... If the water is deep enough they will over winter in an environment that would freeze the water a good six inches deep. I was told by an aquarium keeper that green algae is also a good sign of a healthy environment, So having fish in there to graze the Algae and any insects that take up residence is a very good idea.

IF you see Blue algae.... You will know the difference its less velvety and harder to scrape off stuff like rocks and tub walls. That is not a good sign. Blue Algae... Um er... Blue green.... Is not Algae at all but a cyanobacteria.... Some of it is poisonous.... Some of it like Spirulina Are actually good for us... Knowing the difference.... better safe than sorry in the home enviironment.

I would love to hear more about water treatment for water that comes off the roof. My years of working with aquariums tell me it would be a simple process of good filtration to make the water off the roof drink able.... for anyone.

Does your well water have an odor? Mine does and I drink it to no ill effect.... I am told its due to bacteria that take up residence in the pipes and their by product is a gas that smells like rotten eggs. my research tells me I need to bleach the well.... Havent done that yet.

deb

can you show your tank set up for the horses ? I would love to see how you provide for the fish as well! sounds very cool!
Tank setup for the horse is a 110 gallon plastic tank.... Filled to the brim in order to keep other critters from drowning in it.... Sigh IF they can get to the edge and grab hold they can get out.... First year I didnt have this set up and I was drowning a rabbit a day.... so sad.

The fish survive totally on what the tank grows or on what insects drop in.... AND what my horse delivers to it through back wash. Horses will drink their fill and on the last sip will open their mouth to rinse out thier toofies. because that water will have alot of green organic material in it. The fish start out living on that..... After that I am careful not to scrub the sides of the tank too hard while cleaning it out. Fish are incredibly adaptable to their environment. They rarely grow larger than their tank of water will support especially if you change the water only on occasion. My fish will get about three inches long and stop growing. So there is enough food in there to support about four fish....

The tank setup is simple.... Tank and tank valve


These are very roebust and as a matter of fact I also use them for chicken water....

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Here is a link to a thread that was done by a man down in Las Vegas, Nevada. He set up a grey water system and using that and lots of mulch was able to grow an orchard in the Nevada desert and he even has worms now! That might not sound like much to you people back east but to get worms here is practically a miracle! I asked him and he did not import them. They just showed up.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/674812/my-greywater-orchard-irrigation-project/20#post_9366682

I havent seen that thread yet.... Worms is a big deal.... We have them I am sure.... But not in my yard.... Maybe in the horses Bandini pile.... Goto love horses that poo in one spot....

deb "Off to read the thread"

 

[Lacy Blues]

He did throw money at it (if I remember correctly, been a while since I read it) but my main point in sharing it was to show what could be done with grey water. I've also found sites on the internet that have a winding waterway through their yards that has a variety of water plants and rocks and stuff to purify the grey water... much better looking in my opinion but perhaps a lot more work in the initial stages.

 

[perchie.girl]

He did throw money at it (if I remember correctly, been a while since I read it) but my main point in sharing it was to show what could be done with grey water. I've also found sites on the internet that have a winding waterway through their yards that has a variety of water plants and rocks and stuff to purify the grey water... much better looking in my opinion but perhaps a lot more work in the initial stages.

Thats what I want to do after the four water tank purification.... There is alot of fat and oil that come through grey water.... Believe it or not the fat is in the soap.... My personal goal would to be get it pure enough to add to the Aquaponics system which is another goal for me.... since I rely on a rolling walker I am thinking I can turn my green house into a place to grow fish and maybe a few veggies.

deb

 

[sarahsunshine]

Do you have to mulch over the top of the tile....? Can you use gravel?

Also My soil um er dirt has a very high perk rate. I literally can loose 3000 gallons of water in a matter of two or three days without any evidence there was a hole in the hose. Rabbits .... going for water... I need to Put out a rabbit watering hole ...

My dirt is Decomposed granite with very little organic material in it to hold water ..... therefore IF I were to do a garden it will have to be a raised bed affair..... With Hardware cloth on the bottom to keep the digging critters out and Hardware cloth tent to keep the hopping critters out..... But that bed is going to have to be at least ... what.... 18 inches deep So that means my water tank is going to need to be at least elevated 18 inches in order to have good water flow.

deb

Deb,
The more organic matter you add to the soil, the more your soil will hold water. You could theoretically use gravel for your water to percolate through, but the nice thing about the wood chips is that 1) they will hold water better than the gravel and therefore keep the soil moist for longer, 2) they will decompose into soil that you can add to your garden, 3) you don't have to worry about getting tons of pebbles in your soil, 4) they are usually relatively cheap compared to gravel, and 5) they build a really good soil community in terms of mycorrhizae, which can act as a plant immune system and healthier better balanced soil. Of course, gravel works great, but if your issue is to hold water in the soil, I would suggest finding any organic material you can find and composting it/covering your soil with it. DO you have any restaurants nearby that you can get the scraps from to supplement the composted chicken litter? That would be ideal. Adt your litter to the veggie and meat scraps, compost them, leave them and turn them every week or so for a coupe months, and tada - organic material that will hold your water for you.

Also, raised beds may not actually be the best solution. It may be better to dig out a trench, put your organic soil in the trench, and then plant in that. Raised beds may increase the soil temperature and cause the water to evaporate faster. Maybe... Just a thought.