permaculture

["Janet Wyllie" <jwyllie@dcsi.net.au>]

 Yeah, I've used a series of rainwater tanks for 20 years now, in a rural
area.  It sure makes you appreciate your water and use it wisely. If you
don't plan it properly in advance you tend to get pipes going everywhere and
when you have pipes going everywhere, one of them inevitablely springs a
leak and you lose water.  There was a small earthquake here a few years ago
and both of my tanks sprang pressure leaks, that is they fill to a certain
level, about 1/3 in my case and then the pressure causes a leak that you
can't find and the water just maintains at a 1/3 of a tank.  Every year I
would fix the leak, but you have to wait for the rain to see if the fix
worked.  2 years ago in desperation, I installed a grey water recycle system
My shower and washing machine water are now used to flush the toilet, and
the remainder go through a series of filters and then become the water for
stock, or for garden.  Paradoxically, this year it looks like I have finally
managed to fix the tanks,  AND the el nino effect seems to have finished.  I
have huge amounts of water (touch wood) to see me through this years season
Janet