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water My small rainwater collection system

For a little backstory - Atlanta has some of the highest water rates in the country.  We also have hot summers and can easily go a month with no rain some years.  We are almost always under some kind of drought advisory restricting our outdoor use of water.  While vegetable gardens are exempt from these restrictions, I also have lots of landscaping and nursery pots I like to keep watered.  So, how to combat both problems with one stone?
 
 
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Four 330 gallon IBC totes.  Seems large but it really isn't - I am planning on adding six more at some later point.  Because I run a lot of this H2O through automated irrigation, I need a pump to pressurize the system.  From the output side of the pump, pvc runs to a hose bib and a valve box.  90% of the water I use during normal times goes to my veggies.  During droughts, I begin to use it more and more for ornamental plantings and general outdoor use (pressure washing, etc).
 
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I keep it clean with two disc filters.  I only have to flush the system once, maybe twice a year.
 
 
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The most common question I get is how do I vent the bottom tanks when filling them.
 
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There are a few variations of IBC totes - the ones with blue tops are great. They have a plastic insert in the middle which has 3/4 NPT (could be 1/2 inch, but I recall 3/4) threads in the center. Just some basic parts from the Depot  and you can take NPT to PVC. The PVC is then run up behind the totes to a level above the top. This picture is taken in between the two levels, facing towards the back. You can see the pipe threaded into the screw tops and then run to the back.
 
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Water enters the top right tank from the gutters. Obviously, it then starts to fill the bottom totes. Air is pushed out the PVC pipe until the two ground level tanks are full and then it fills with water to the exact level as the top tanks. In a heavy rain, you can feel the air being pushed out.
 
I see lots of 55 gallon drum systems.  They don't get you any meaningful storage, they don't stack well, they take up too much space.  IBC totes are just leaps and bounds more useful.  Hit me up with any questions.
 
Collecting rainwater is a great idea, if you can do it, I highly recommend it.
 
I myself have a 10,000 litre/2,641 gallon tank and it was all I used for water last season. 
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The lowest it got down to was about 1/3 full. I run all the water off a large shed straight into the tank passing through a filter at the top of the tank and a second filter just before my water pump.
 
Those IBC totes can allow algae to grow inside because they let some light in. Also, the plastic some are made of isn't UV stable and can make them brittle after exposure to the sun. You can combat both these issues by painting them black, or another dark colour of your choosing. Covering them will also have the same effect. 
 
Great work LTCM, thanks for sharing.
 
SR. 
 
Nice i think rain harvesting should be on every house in world,currently were i'm from we have a huge problem and might run out of water soon,we are currently only left with 12% water in our dams
due to not getting proper rains.
 
Our winter is about to start,but we just don't get enough rain at all,we will need 2-3 years of really good winters to fill our dams.
 
Gonzo said:
Nice i think rain harvesting should be on every house in world,currently were i'm from we have a huge problem and might run out of water soon,we are currently only left with 12% water in our dams
due to not getting proper rains.
 
Our winter is about to start,but we just don't get enough rain at all,we will need 2-3 years of really good winters to fill our dams.
I could not agree more , every house should have rain water collection.
 
Gonzo , you must be a Capetonian.
 
Mr.CtChilihead said:
Love it..I need bigger containers I have two 50 gallon barrels..I have a shallow well and can drain my well dry on dry years..
 
I'd kill for any kind of well at my property.  To get a well with decent production costs $12,000 up to $18,000 - with no guarantee you will hit water at all.  You have to drill through 100s of ft of granite rock and then possibly have to hydro-frack.  That just isn't in the cards for my family right now.  As crazy as it sounds, if you do the math, paying that for a well can pay off if you do a lot of watering.   
 
ShowMeDaSauce said:
Thanks for the idea. Just found some in my old neighborhood for $60 in the 275gal size.
 
That's a good price, at least for my area.  I went with the larger 330 gal size only because I had the vertical room.  330s are about the same size footprint, just a little taller.  But they are much more rare.
 
Shorerider said:
Collecting rainwater is a great idea, if you can do it, I highly recommend it.
 
I myself have a 10,000 litre/2,641 gallon tank and it was all I used for water last season. 
 
 
The lowest it got down to was about 1/3 full. I run all the water off a large shed straight into the tank passing through a filter at the top of the tank and a second filter just before my water pump.
 
Those IBC totes can allow algae to grow inside because they let some light in. Also, the plastic some are made of isn't UV stable and can make them brittle after exposure to the sun. You can combat both these issues by painting them black, or another dark colour of your choosing. Covering them will also have the same effect. 
 
Great work LTCM, thanks for sharing.
 
SR. 
 
I actually looked at water tanks, but went with the IBC totes for a couple a reasons.  Costs are less than a 1/3 the price, they are orders of magnitude easier to move, they are modular, and I can isolate tanks for brews and such.  These tanks sit on the north side of my house and are mostly covered by my roof.  They don't ever receive direct sunlight and have 4 coats of paint all over as I removed them from the cages before painting.  Going into my third year and absolutely no algae or UV degradation yet.
 
But yea, I completely agree.  Water tanks are much preferred if they fit your property.  The totes do have advantages in certain applications, most notable ease of movement.
 
Gonzo said:
Nice i think rain harvesting should be on every house in world,currently were i'm from we have a huge problem and might run out of water soon,we are currently only left with 12% water in our dams
due to not getting proper rains.
 
Our winter is about to start,but we just don't get enough rain at all,we will need 2-3 years of really good winters to fill our dams.
 
12% of storage left is insane.  If our reservoirs got that low it would start panics.  Our average is about 45 inch/115 cm of rain per year.  But our area is hilly, has no ground water, and isn't blessed with any nature reservoirs.  We do have some man made lakes, but most of our rain just washes into a few rivers and is lost to the sea.
 
LTCM said:
 
 
 
12% of storage left is insane.  If our reservoirs got that low it would start panics.  Our average is about 45 inch/115 cm of rain per year.  But our area is hilly, has no ground water, and isn't blessed with any nature reservoirs.  We do have some man made lakes, but most of our rain just washes into a few rivers and is lost to the sea
 
 
We are actually heading into level 4 warning very soon,which means DON'T USE WATER only use it for drinking. There is definitely panic,people are trying their best and many households actually reduced their water bills to zero,but as you know..humans will simply not listen and there are still people washing cars,watering gardens,showering for hours etc etc. And the crazy thing is there are countless springs that wash away fresh water into sea everyday,it's really sad. 
 
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