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  • From: "Lynda" <lurine AT softcom.net>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Water, water, water, was Ram pump rules of thumb
  • Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 11:43:14 -0700

We don't get much rain, well, except last year but that is the exception, not the rule. So, we have been trying to figure a way to collect the snow that packs on the roof and then somehow transporting it to tanks. Waiting for snow melt isn't an option because by then it is a dirty, pine needle filled and pitchy mess.

We have plenty of water for our current needs with a year-round creek and a seasonal creek. However, we're on a hill and pumping the stuff uphill for 1600 feet is asking a bit from pumps. So, as we are terraced, sort of, we were thinking of using the snow melt water for the top level.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- From: "Gene GeRue" <genegerue AT ruralize.com>


Land seekers: burn this into your brains! Again, again and again. It
is common sense; we all know it, yet again and again we learn of
people whose lives are diminished by lack of sufficient water. Worry
much more about quantity than quality. Quality can be improved.
Quantity often cannot.

That said, Don and I were tossing around the idea of rain water
collection. This subject merits further discussion. I say calculate
your annual water needs, double that, then calculate how large a roof
would be needed to get that much water with your MINIMUM average
annual rainfall. It seems to me that we here can come up with a
very-low-cost roof that puts rainwater into a vessel that sits higher
than our houses and gardens. You flatlanders may have pressure
challenges but at 2.2 feet elevation per pound of pressure, it takes
only a small hill to provide adequate household pressure. Garden
irrigation can be and is often ideal at low pressure.

Now don't let this rainwater collection stuff cause you to lose that
mantra: I need water; I need water; I need water. Repeat regularly.





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