Rainwater Analysis
Using roof run-off water – health hazards?
If you live in an area of heavy pollution, you may want to get an analysis of the rainwater performed and then find if there are filters available for those materials. I’m using catchment water exclusively and with a metal roof and a ‘roof washer’, there shouldn’t be too much sediment or bird droppings in the cistern. The filters I will be using are Rusco and then I’ll plumb a ceramic filter for drinking water only.
I found a very inexpensive, elegant idea for a roof washer in a book which I got through Real Goods called “Rain Collection for the Mechanically Challanged”.
The idea is this:
- put a 4″ T in your 4″ pipe that’s going to your cistern a foot or so outside of it.
- Extend the pipe vertically about 8′. The runoff with all of the nasties will run into that first and when it fills up, relatively clean water will flow into your cistern.
- Cap the bottom of the pipe and put a faucet in it to drain after the rain storm or just put a small hole in the cap and the pipe will drain by itself overtime.
One of the Earthship books has a good diagram of the filter system ESSA recommends and you can find out more by going to their web site at:
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