Renee Puvvada

Sandra Graham wrote:

Renee Puvvada wrote:Hi Cécile,

Author Renee Dang here. Your request has been duly noted! Thank you for that suggestion.

I have received several requests from others in colder climates looking to build these systems either underground or heated. I plan to make this the 3rd book in the series very likely (the 2nd one being about rainwater treatment and purification), but in the meantime, please check out the amazing "Essential Rainwater Harvesting" by Michelle and Rob Avis.

They live in Canada and their book goes through the details for the design details of a system that can withstand freezing temperatures. The only downside of the book may be that there aren't as many details to build a cold-weather rainwater system on a DIY basis, and the book is rather technical, but it is a great starting place nonetheless. They really know what they're talking about.

Hi Renee, I’m especially interested in the book on treatment and purification, any thoughts on when that might hit the shelves? My situation is a little trickier, in that the water collected might sit for six months or so before being used, so safety (and lack of growing things) is of keen interest to me. I know the general principle is to run it through sand and charcoal but I feel like I need to know more about the specifics of a practical system. (And designs that I can copy [with info on possible modifications] would be my dream, as it would allow me to buy and preplan everything before expeditions to the remote site.)

Hi Sandra,

Thank you for your interest! To answer your question now, for water standing for 6 months, it is rather challenging to keep it 100% yuck-free unless the water is completely covered or treated with a strong antibacterial agent (cough cough chlorine bleach cough cough). I would test that water, by sending it to a lab or buying a water testing kit. Some people hate chlorine. You could use a Berkey to see what it does, but I would still test that water. Otherwise I'd drain the tank, clean it, and start over. Personal preference, and you are free to make your own personal decisions. That's just what I would do.

Thanks for the suggestion on designs. The purification book is less focused on design but more on quick solutions and methods for treating and keeping rainwater clean. This book above does have designs, for IBC totes and cisterns, along with parts lists and shopping guides for in-home filtration systems. Check it out!

The purification book is slated to hit the digital shelves before the end of 2023. For anyone interested in the learning process and updates, as well as putting your suggestions in the hat, join the email list at: https://reneedang.com

I hear you Cécile! I wish I could help you with that too (haha)!

Cécile Stelzer Johnson wrote:

Renee Puvvada wrote:Hi Cécile,
Author Renee Dang here. Your request has been duly noted! Thank you for that suggestion.
I have received several requests from others in colder climates looking to build these systems either underground or heated. I plan to make this the 3rd book in the series very likely (the 2nd one being about rainwater treatment and purification), but in the meantime, please check out the amazing "Essential Rainwater Harvesting" by Michelle and Rob Avis.
They live in Canada and their book goes through the details for the design details of a system that can withstand freezing temperatures. The only downside of the book may be that there aren't as many details to build a cold-weather rainwater system on a DIY basis, and the book is rather technical, but it is a great starting place nonetheless. They really know what they're talking about.

Thanks, Renee Yes, I'm aware that building a system underground in zone 4b WI [soon to be zone 5] means that I must consider how deep the frost can reach here [Between 60-70"], and since I am in sand, I must also contend with caving in from the sides, so a cistern would have to be built very sturdy. I am looking to bury septic tanks that would be connecting amongst themselves near the bottom. I like the idea of buried concrete tanks because:
1/ being buried is the intended purpose of a concrete septic tank, so it is made to sustain the sideways forces of the ground.
2/ it is built with an access hatch so a person can enter it to apply some waterproofing layer that will also keep the water drinkable. [I'm researching what is the best waterproofing system and should it be applied to the outside of the tank before it is sunk in the ground?]
3/ I'm hoping that by sinking several tanks side by side, that will also reinforce against the ground pressure from the sides.
4/ The whole system can be buried to respect the frost line requirements.
I'm looking forward to your next bock, and thank you for responding.

You sound like you're well on your way! You seem to have done quite a bit of research... can I ask you, what's keeping you from actualizing the underground system of your dreams? (Time? Money? Too many competing homestead projects?)

Hi Cécile,

Author Renee Dang here. Your request has been duly noted! Thank you for that suggestion.

I have received several requests from others in colder climates looking to build these systems either underground or heated. I plan to make this the 3rd book in the series very likely (the 2nd one being about rainwater treatment and purification), but in the meantime, please check out the amazing "Essential Rainwater Harvesting" by Michelle and Rob Avis.

They live in Canada and their book goes through the details for the design details of a system that can withstand freezing temperatures. The only downside of the book may be that there aren't as many details to build a cold-weather rainwater system on a DIY basis, and the book is rather technical, but it is a great starting place nonetheless. They really know what they're talking about.

I love creating books.

There has never been a more democratized time to publish your own book for the world to know about. The Internet, with print-on-demand services, and eBook distribution services, means there has never been a time in history more primed for the world to know about your message.

You can create steady income from making books as well. For the homesteading folks, there are a lot of questions about "how do you make money on the homestead???" Homesteading folks DEVOUR homesteading books. Why not make your own homesteading book? Bring your homestead that much-needed dough. Share the abundance.

Was just reading "Essential Rainwater Harvesting" (the authors are from Canada), and mention that one of the author's mom grew up in a house where the rain tank was essentially a room in their house (attached to the house via putting the tank inside a room in the house, the room attached to the house). So they incorporated heating the tank in the winter into heating the house.

Makes sense. I assume they had a reliable heating source (what if the electricity goes out the winter? Which it will), but they didn't say what it as.

Hi lovely ladies and gentlemen! I'm new here, longtime lurker but new poster...

My name is Renee and I live in ATL, GA, USA. I'm actually thinking about starting a business in rainwater harvesting, and writing some books for people based on what I've learned so far. I think I have a lot to offer, and I'm really excited to get this whole thing off the ground!

This group includes some really experienced, creative, and hardworking people that I'd love to continue learning from. I'm looking for some feedback on the kinds of books on rainwater harvesting yall want to see out there (considering there are already the greats, like Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond), but what is still missing from the "rainwater harvesting library"?? I'd love to write stuff about helping beginners out when they're struggling, cause I know I did.

I'm thinking of doing a few video interviews or something like that, cause I'd love to get to know the people here. Or, if you'd rather not interview, I can send a quick survey! Whichever yall prefer.

Please comment below if you are interested and want to share your story/experience. Thank you so much.

Echoing what John says.

Does where you live in Turkey freeze ever? If you're going to bury the tank, you'll need to consider the frost line too.

Winterizing your system is a whole topic in of itself. (By the way, if you need a book, Essential Rainwater Harvesting by Avis and Avis is not bad, the authors are from Canada and are pretty experienced with winterizing)

If you're just going with rain barrels, the simplest thing you can do (and is common practice in Canada and other freezing climates) is to just empty it before the first frost enough for expansion. If you have pipes with water sitting in them, drain those. Done.

Alsoooo...Winterizing runs the gamut from burying tanks beneath the frost line to building tanks inside heated homes. I'm thinking in your case, where you'll be watering a garden (will the garden be out of commission in the winter?), the system isn't in use during the winter. I propose draining enough for it to freeze and you'll be good to go. Or just deconstruct for the winter and reconstruct for spring, if I'm reading correctly the system seems fairly non-complex. What do you think about that?

I'm also interested in your materials - what plastic are your rain barrels made of? And what materials are your conduits made of? Those might need to be stored inside during the winter too.

I am too!

Brad's also such a great guy, I watch his vids on Youtube and he's just a great personality to watch and laugh and learn from. I also noticed his book Vol 3 (for the cisterns) has been taken down from Amazon, is that right? Haven't seen too many resources on the cistern/barrel avenue for rainwater catchment.