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My books, movies, videos, podcasts, events ... the big collection of paul wheaton stuff!
monica_jenkins wrote:
but I am hesitant about the quality of the water
[img]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n52/havlik1/permie%20pics2/permiepotrait3pdd.jpg[/img]
"One cannot help an involuntary process. The point is not to disturb it. - Dr. Michel Odent
My books, movies, videos, podcasts, events ... the big collection of paul wheaton stuff!
[img]http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n52/havlik1/permie%20pics2/permiepotrait3pdd.jpg[/img]
"One cannot help an involuntary process. The point is not to disturb it. - Dr. Michel Odent
LM McWilliams
Farside Farm, New England
ravis Hatfield wrote:In Canada we have a lot of tar shingles, if I collect water off of that type of roof will the water be polluted? If it is, would I have to make a biological water treatment system using reeds?
Has anyone ever tested the water coming off of a similar roof?
Rob
Lucy Elder wrote:I caught water for many years (until Chernobyl) off a slate tiled roof but it was not suitable
for drinking. Useful though for watering and when there was a lot of rain it was clean enough for washing. Smoke
from my chimneys added to the pollution content but the ashes were probably good for the plants..
LM McWilliams
Farside Farm, New England
Lm McWilliams wrote:
Lucy Elder wrote:I caught water for many years (until Chernobyl) off a slate tiled roof but it was not suitable
for drinking. Useful though for watering and when there was a lot of rain it was clean enough for washing. Smoke
from my chimneys added to the pollution content but the ashes were probably good for the plants..
Interesting. Of course the quality of the rain is something we always need to keep in mind. Not just Chernobl, but
later the Japanese nuclear disaster- and industrial pollution. But it sounds like the slate roof was not contributing to
the pollution in the water off that roof, right? Unlike asphalt shingles, which add a depressing list of contaminates to
the water coming off a roof covered in them. (Not to mention the pollution created during their manufacture and
disposal, in stark contrast to slate.)
Anyone here collecting water from a tile roof?
An aside: we were startled to learn that wood shingles in our climate last at least as long as asphalt. NOT suitable for dry
climates with a high fire risk, of course! In this region wood shingles are typically made from Eastern white cedar, but
apparently other woods can work, too. Bonus: they can be made by hand on the farmstead. There are some interesting
videos on YouTube on this topic. Much more renewable than asphalt shingles.
(Further off topic, I recently heard that a renewed interest in traditional thatched roofs in England has created a market for
straw grown organically, or at least without chemical nitrogen fertilizer, since that straw has proven to last significantly longer.
But water reed (Phragmities australis) from waters not polluted with fertilizer run-off can last up to 60 years- according to
The Thatch Company in the UK. Any asphalt shingles rated for that long?
Sorry if this info is available elsewhere; havn't yet had the time to read all the topics in detail.)
LM McWilliams
Farside Farm, New England
Lm McWilliams wrote:Hi Lucy Elder,
Geoff Lawton talks about algae in water storage tanks, and says that a small amount of green
algae in water storage tanks or barrels is actually a good thing. He says the algae helps purify
the water by consuming the small amounts of organic matter in the rainwater. Have you seen
the video where he talks about this?
Geoff also talks about how heavy metal contaminants do not dissolve in rainwater (or any water)
with a high enough pH. He also talks about using limestome, dolomite, or even oyster shells to
raise the pH of the rainwater if it is too low; having the tap high enough on the tank to allow
particulates/contaminants to fallout, etc.
I don't have any experience with storing rainwater for any length of time, as we are blessed
with ample and regular rainfall, but we want to make the best use of every resource.
I've also wondered if terracotta tiles are still being made in the USA, or if all the 'roof tiles' are
now concrete (which strike me as much less eco-friendly).
Best wishes-
Medicinal herbs, kitchen herbs, perennial edibles and berries: https://mountainherbs.net/ grown in the Blue Mountains, Australia
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A rocket mass heater is the most sustainable way to heat a conventional home
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