our water management methods

[gardenlen]

g'day friends,

at last the tank was delivered on the 31 st of august just as that period of rain ended, but since then we have had 55mm or rain app' and that has given us about 3.5k litres of water in the tank (because of design inadequacy we can't get all roof water to the tank these complex gable roofs don't allow for good water management), enough for us to prime the pump and get some good clean sweet drinking water at the very least.

just as a re-hash the tank is a 24,500 litre (5,400 imp/gal) model.

the pump is a 4 tap capacity model that will service the whole house if we go that way.

and at last the pool is finished we have installed a 1,800 litre rainwater tank in the system to capture back flush water, or to create extra rainwater reserve fro topping up whatever, we invisage using this system never to ahve to use a lot of added chemical (salt mainly) again, nor once all is upand running should we need to use town water to top up with. plus we will be diverting at least 1 downpipe to the pool.

we are going to be putting some (6) of those plastic 44 gallon (220 litre) drums under the un-managed downpipes, and this water can be utilised for washing machine, gardens and pool.

the only extra to buy now is a good little in-expensive submersable pump.

and as shower water in this modern monolythic poorly designed macmansion can't be managed/captured, we will be retro-fitting a flexible shower head unit to the bath tub tap with a rose that has a push button on demand water supply, that way then we can scavenge the bath water for gardens etc.,.

this is one family that will ahve to be dragged kicking and screaming to drink that recycled effluent that is intended for all water supply systems.

and if we get enough rain over a period of time to justify it we have a home already for another twin tank.

also even if just for me to use a small composting toilet, this should save around 20 to 30 litres of water a day, more if other family members use it as well.

we've done quiet a lot of revamping on our web site so you are invited as always to have a look.

len :lol: :D 8) :wink:

p.s since the new layout the heat has disspeared from this group hey?? :?: :oops:

[FREE Permaculture]

yeah it has, probably 'cos it neither here nor there, dunno.

that sounds like a mean tank, some pictures would be good :)
24k litres is a lot of water.
here's me bragging about my 1,100 litre capacity from 5 points :)
how much did you pay for the tank? that'd be what like 24 tonne full?
did you need to put it on a slab?

[gardenlen]

g'day chickadee,

pic's will come got a lot of work on at present but soon i will do some update pics for the site as well.

yeh that is a 5,400 imp/gallon tanks, reckon if you do your math a good size for a family that wants to be more self reliant on water. our recommendations are generally nothing under 3,400 imp/gal (14,500 litre) size just not going to do much realy, then the per litre set up cost between the 3 and the 5 gets better with the bigger tank.

anyhow the tank bare with brass gate valve and colour around $2550, with diverters and suitable pump all up $3100 all AUD rate. and delivered and set where you want it.

we have cement no need to though could use compacted sandy laom or anything with no sharp stones in it, decomposed granite even. the weight is irrelevent once in place and full.

len

[gardenlen]

we currently have 10,000 litres of water in the tank.

we currently have 2 out of the 5 of the 44 gal drums fitted to downpipes, 1 already filled and we used that for washing cloths.

the backflush tank for the pool is full (1800 litres)

at last the auto washing machine karked it, we now have a 4 kilo' twin tub, we use around 80 litres of water to do 3 lots of clothes in total.

that's it for now

hey chickadee di you see our pictorial post:

http://forums.permaculture.org.au/viewtopic.php?t=3665

len

[gardenlen]

just an update:

since last i was here we have recieved the $1k rebate from the state gov' for our water tank which has arouinf 12k litres in it now we only had 7 days of rain last month for a total of 56mm, had a storm last night which delivered 14mm.

all 5 X 44gal' drums are now installed and after last nights storm are all full, so that gives us app' 1100 litres of water primarily to be used for washing clothes.

the downside of the twin tub wash machine is that the amount of grey water from that source is greatly reduced, as for 3 complete loads of washing we use around 90 litres in total of water, not the 135 lts/full load the little auto used, can't understand in this manipulative beauraucracy(spelling?) why twin tubs can't draw a rebate like those inefficent front loaders? (my opinion but i smell a rat).

so we are using 2 buckets in each shower at present to collect what we can there, until we can fit a shower hose to the bath tub.

the bilge pump works well though a bit on the slow side, oh well if nothing else some of this info may help others, so go for a pump that pumps more than 700lt/hr.

we lost some water from the pool due to evaporation on those high humidity days but last nights storm topped that nicely, plus we still have the backflush tank full of water anyway.

so onward and upward and the seasons greetings to one and all and have safe family gatherings.

len

[hedwig]

Would be interesting to know what the AVERAGE costs of such a system are.
And if it would cost more or less (if every household had such a system ) than all the strange ideas of the government (sewage/dams/desalination)

[gardenlen]

g'day hedwig,

maybe you can extrapolate it out hey?

here goes:

the 25k/lt tank and pump $3100
5 X 44 gallon drums $125
1800 lt tank for pool $600
sundry plumbing $100

by our reckoning putting tanks into schools and all homes plus modifying mass use toilets with waterless urinals and a few other simple ideas it would be a whole lot more efficient and healthier.

but then waht i'd suggest won't make profits for the profit makers which is waht all this water thing is about that and the need for newclear power stations.

len

[Anastasia]

Len, have you plumbed the rainwater throughout the house? A GCCC person I spoke to said that if you are connected to townwater then you can't use tank water for anything other than laundry and toilet (I think that was it). Some crap story about if the facilities are there you are required to use them so that it is cost effective yada yada yada crap blah. Sounded like stupidity to me.

[Richard on Maui]

Len, if you're not careful someone will take up your rather brilliant spelling of newclear and use it in a newspeak marketing campaign!

[gardenlen]

g'day anastasia,

not plumbed to the house yet but infrastructure there in place to do so.

with these modern inefficient mamansions it is almost impossible (well without a big bank account) to slelctively plumb to say laundry and/or toilet, so when we do connect it will be to the whole house (just think they give themselves industry awards for these dumps hey?)

doesn't matter hos littel water we use from the mains even if we use none at all the system is set to penalise not reward, just have a look at the current rebates nothing there to encourage biting the bullet just all feel good stuff, with warm fuzzy hearts attached.

if the rest of the community was fair dinkum people like ourselves who are putting in the effort should be show cased to encourage others to raise their own personnal bars. but in the mean time tax payer dollars are poorly spent as is the norm'.

yes richard i guess so mate,

just don't want to cause any red lights to flash or bells to ring in a main frame somewhere!!

but anyway as our little bespectacled g/nome says the source is green green green, and anyway he is going to make coal fired power so expensive for the consumer that this new power will seem cheap, and we pay them handsomely to work those things out reckon paying peanuts to mokees will give the same result a whole lot cheaper.

that doesn' take into account as many don't!? that those down the lower end of the socio economic scale won't be able to afford the source or whatever it makes, but so long as it feels good hey?

len

[fastback]

For those interested I have a two rain water tanks for sale and advertised here: Rain Water Tanks - Brisbane (http://brisbane.gumtree.com.au/brisbane/08/6957308.html)