As I get more and more interested in living a self-sufficient lifestyle, I keep coming across things that I would love to incorporate into my home or my "dream homestead". Today I found this:

RAINWATER COLLECTION WATER SYSTEM

Rain Water Collection Made from Food-Grade Recycled Barrels! Cut your water costs, lighten the load on your sewer and municipal system, protect nearby rivers and streams, help recycle industrial food grade barrels, keep water away from your foundation, and come out with a great looking yard and garden to boot - all using the rainwater that falls on your roof. Rainwater is oxygenated, un-chlorinated and (usually) warmer than tap water, which makes the Rain Barrel Rainwater Collection System preferable for watering your plants, garden and lawn, and for adding moisture to compost. Our rain barrel is childproof and animal-proof. Features and Benefits: Source of natural water storage Recycled Food Grade Barrel Fully enclosed unit to be child proof and for pest control Expandable capacity Buffer storage for drip irrigation system Includes Splash Screen Lid to reduce splashing water and keep large debris from entering the barrel Many homes with downspouts in certain metro areas are now (or soon will be) required to disconnect from the sewer and storm drain systems to splash blocks. As in most urban areas, this will become a mandated environmental protection policy to help protect our rivers and streams. You can be proactive by switching to the Recycled Rain Barrel Rainwater Collection System.

The 57 gallon (approximately) rain barrels (recycled food grade barrels recycled) catch and store rainwater from your downspout. A brass spigot at the base is ideal for either connecting a watering hose or irrigation system. There is a 1.25" overflow tube on both sides at the mid section of the unit to connect a hose to redirect rainwater into flower beds, a garden, dry well, other barrels for storage, or our gravity-fed irrigation system. Our linking kit connects multiple barrels for water storage that can be expanded to approximately 114 gallons, 171 gallons, or even more.

1 inch of rain on a 1000 sq ft roof yields 623 gallons of water. If you multiply the square footage of your roof by 623 and divide by 1000, you will know your yield.

Made using a recycled 55-57 gallon commodities barrel (food grade) made of 5/16" UV protected Plastic. Since recycled commodity barrels are used as they become available, color and exact dimensions may vary somewhat Amount of rainwater saved Height: 39" Width: 23.25" Weight: 23 lbs. Capacity: 57 gallons Warranty: 10 yr Expand your water storage to approximately 114 gallons, 171 gallons or more. Recycled Rain Barrel Rainwater Collection System Linking Kit enables you to connect two rain barrels together for more storage capacity. You can link as many barrels together as you wish as long as you keep them on a solid level surface and all at the same elevation. One linking kit is needed per every additional barrel. This kit contains a PVC connection with rubber gaskets for the additional barrel and a length of 1.5" hose to connect the two units Spigot Kit Demo" SpigotIrrigation Kit Water Diversion soaker hose.
We recommend that you drill the holes using the provided drill bit after you layout and stake down the poly-hose sections where you want them. This allows you to put the holes where your plants are and avoid areas that need less moisture. You may also want to vary the size of the holes. Having 1/16" holes drilled every five inches or so will usually keep up with even a heavy rainstorm. This varies greatly depending on the roof surface that leads to your downspout.

Note that this kit connects to the six-foot overflow hose that comes with the Rain Barrel. If six feet is not long enough, you will need to purchase addition 1.25" hose as needed. A number of local home/building supply retailers carry this hose, or you can order extra lengths from us. Extension orders will include a connector and stainless steal clamps to connect to the end of the six-foot section you already have The Recycled Rain Barrel Rainwater Collection System and all connecting hoses must be drained during freezing weather to avoid damage. In many cases leaving the spigot at the bottom of the barrel open to prevent water from remaining in the barrel should work. In climates with very hard freezes, we recommend draining, removing, and storing the barrel with hoses in a protected area. The Recycled Rain Barrel Rainwater Collection System is warranted for 10 years to the original owner covering materials and workmanship. Damage resulting from improper use or care are not covered. It is important to read and follow the product information listed above and the instructions that come with the unit.

Price: $139.95

I would like to do something like that. But I would have to find a cheaper way. Maybe find some free barrels on freecycle. That would be a start. I can always use a bucket to scoop out the water to water my garden.

o check your zoning laws before you buy rain storage equipment. It is illegal to store rain water, in some areas of the country.

Do you have any idea on where I can find some info on where it is legal/illegal to store rainwater? I'd love to see a website that has more info on that. Just seems crazy to be illegal to store water like that.

That's crazy if you can't store rainwater! That system is such a great idea too.


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Carpet Cleaning Liverpool

I got a 250 gal. white plastic tank off of craigslist for $30. It has a spigot at the base. I went to the hardware store and picked up a brass reducer ($6.00) to take it down to garden hose size. I'm lucky in that the tank is about 10' higher than the garden because of the lay of the land so I am able to use it without a pump. The top of the tank has a hole about 10" in diameter. I covered this with window screen (to keep out the mosquitoes) which I cut a hole in just large enough to slip the downspout through. Much cheaper than the ready-to-install systems.

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck following up on this claim. I find it unlikely to be true, but we are dealing with governmental agencies here.

And that's a bargain for that storage container!

Yes. It is true but some laws are changing. My brother is in Colorado and up until this past summer it was illegal to collect rainwater from your roof. You are now permitted to collect and store up to 2500 gal. of water however you need a permit to do so. It's mostly the western states that have these types of laws.