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Set up a sophisticated rainwater collection system - plumbing.straw.sophisticatedrain PEP BB

BB plumbing and hot water - straw badge

posted 4 years ago

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This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum. Completing this BB is part of getting the straw badge in Plumbing.

In this Badge Bit, you will build a sophisticated rainwater harvesting system. Need a bunch of water and have a roof handy? Let's collect some of it!

Here's one:

The point range is from 2-8 for this BB based on complexity and size. Multiple tanks require more plumbing, thus more points. Connecting multiple roofs is worth more. More volume is worth more. An average "sophisticated" system will earn 3 points.

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
- create a sophisticated way to collect rainwater and make it usable
- plan for overflow
- plan for keeping junk out of the tank(s)
- more than 500 gallons
- easy to winterize
- stable

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, provide proof of the following as pics or video (less than two minutes):
- the location before you start
- the construction underway
- the finished rain water collection system
- view of the overflow
- view of how you keep junk out of the tank(s)

COMMENTS:

Mike Haasl

steward

Posts: 15517

Location: Northern WI (zone 4)

4852

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posted 2 years ago

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Approved submission

Ok, I think I have a fairly sophisticated rainwater collection system completed. I had rainwater collection on my sugar shack but when I added a lean-to it was undone. So I got to set it up all over again and this time for the BB :)

The sophisticated parts are that it uses multiple IBC tanks (280 gallon cage totes) and it collects from both roof planes without a downspout traveling across a wall. Gutters on both sides have screens to keep most of the junk out. On the East side it drops down into flexible hose that is water tight and runs across on the ground next to the building where it connects to the bottom of the totes. All the totes are connected at their exit valves so they act like one tank.

The gutter on the West side drops into the top of the first tote. As it fills faster, the water moves out the bottom of it to level up the remaining 4 tanks. All tanks have breather holes in the top to let air in and out so they equalize.

From the last tote, the line runs about 100 feet to my greenhouse, coming in under the insulated foundation wall. In there I have a big whole house water filter to get the remaining junk out before it goes into a pump.

The overflow is where the West side gutter drops into the first tote. There's a backwards facing Tee that shunts water off the tote towards the woods if it gets completely full. The ground is sloped to the west so it could overflow for days and not cause a problem. If I had a bit more hose I'd've run it farther but I didn't want to buy another chunk of the stuff.

Winterizing: As the water line runs towards the greenhouse, there's a low spot where it makes a 90 degree bend. I have a garden hose spigot at that corner. To winterize I open that valve to drain the tanks, I open a valve in the greenhouse to drain from there to the low spot, I move the West downspout so it won't fill the first tote and I pop the downspout off the East side so it won't collect water.

New-roof-makes-old-rainwater-system-defunct.jpg