015 Collecting Rainwater Illegal or Legal and Conserving Graywater - The Prepper Podcast
Summary: I discuss collecting rainwater, whether it is illegal or legal in your area (I don't care). I also talk about reclaimed water in a graywater (or greywater, however you may spell it) system. Housekeeping: Social Media Links: type in theprepperpodcast.com/TheNameOfTheSocialMediaSite (eg. theprepperpodcast.com/facebook) Prepper Podcast Call-In line: (978) KNOWS-IT or (978) 566-9748 Next week will be a special episode, I will be interviewed by another big name in the survival industry. Listener call in: Michael from Mississippi Discussion: Collecting Rainwater and Conserving Graywater I tell people to collect water in soda bottles, because they are great and extremely cheap Stacks well Durable 2-liter bottles can keep freezer cold Great in coolers Thaw, now drinkable water We begin working on bottles but other stuff as well As time goes up in a disaster, so does the need for water storage, jugs don’t last too long. After starting the bottles, work on other stuff Rain Barrels 50 bucks at Lowes <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001P5HMAK?tag=cleversurviv-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B001P5HMAK&adid=1FXRQHD943G6BVCPCPE7&">Here’s one on Amazon with hose connection and overflow for &69</a> Place under downspouts Screen on top for mosquitos Can get some chemicals from shingles Use a first catch diverter flush method Filter in top of barrel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002R8ON3I?tag=cleversurviv-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=B002R8ON3I&adid=0FPHMDTSDBJPV9HEZK6E&">Berkey Filter on kitchen counter</a> Water great for gardening because rainwater catches nitrogen from the air as it falls Extremely simple Rain Barrel No filter, just a screen No first flow Don’t drink without treating Steps Use barrel, trashcan or Rubbermaid tub Cut hole in lid Place screen over hole and possibly hold with bungee cord Install a spigot on the side and elevate the barrel above a sink Sink then flows into a similar collector made from 5 gallon bucket Close to top of barrel, place a PVC overflow to drain into the sink 50 gallons per barrel, 250 gallons per IBC tote Roof Top calculation If you have 1200 sqft home and only half of it empties into a 50 gallon drum, it would only take .13 inches of rain to fill it up! so the same home would only take .65 inches of rain fall! figure it out on your own: not done in show 1 gallon = 231 cubic inches ≈ .1337 cubic feet 1 square foot = 144 square inches Surface area of the roof draining into barrels (Hint: you do not need to take into account the pitch, or slant, of your roof. You do have to take into account what fraction of your roof is emptying into rain barrels.For example, if you have a simple roof, say a rambler style house, and all the downspots in the back empty into rainbarrels, then the surface area emptying into rain barrels would be approximately 1/2 the width of your house times the length of your house. If you have two downspouts in the back and only one empties into a rain barrel, than it might be more like 1/4 the width times the length.) Equation: (total capacity of barrels in gallons x 231)/(surface area in inches of roof draining into barrels)= # of inches of rainfall to fill Elevation for pressure Typical Tap pressure is 50-70 psi Each foot of height provides 0.43 PSI Need 10 foot of elevation to meet same as city water, but just 5 feet would give near 20 psi, which is plenty. Pressurized cistern with city water, use city water to pressurize it. Water goes out, you have a reserve Pressure Contamination If in attic, remember how heavy water is 8.
