The irony of water

[Mouse]

We are on a well here. We don't have a sufficient generator (yet) to power the well. We also garden a lot. Given these factoids, I found a good deal on some water totes (275 gallon tanks in a cage thingies). The plan is to make water catchments off the roofs for rain, and so there should be enough water to help with gardening, and for a use if there is a power problem. Nothing fancy, just run a makeshift roof wash, then into the container, with overflow out of the container into the existing downspouts.

I got the containers home and unloaded to clean them. First one did two days ago, no problem - ran about total of 150 gallons through it to clean out the syrup that had been in there, leveled it where I wanted it and good to go. Second tank had been used for something toxic and had leaves and stuff in it. It was a disaster to even try to clean. I had to pick up the two other tanks so I took this one back to the guy and he exchanged it. So today I have all the tanks, went to clean out two more. Used about 250 gallons in an hour or so. Got the tanks clean, but I am rinsing the last one out and there is murky water. I sat there for about a minute spraying water all over ....hmmm what the heck is rinsing off this clean looking tank.....I pull the hose out and the damn water coming out the hose is murky. I used enough water to just about dry out my well in just that short a period.

We have had a serious drought here, but I have never had any problem with this well. Now, apparently due to my trying to make sure there is enough water for preps, I am drinking water.....from my preps. The water is still murky and only good for washing.

Just goes to show......if you think you are prepped, you are not. If you try to prep more, you will realize you were never prepped to begin with.

I hope it rains soon and hope I have at least one of my catchers operational by then. I had the silly idea that...if I have the tanks planted and there is no rain I can just fill em up out of the well. I guess not.

[Heimdhal]

Steal the neighbors hose and just let it run on top of your well!

Sorry, thats only advice I had.

You make a great point and its somethign for everyone to consider. However, 250 gallons in a matter of hours is A LOT of water to use. If a true SHTF you'd be rationing it down so much that 250 gallons would stretch you out hopefully between rain storms. The more people you have obviously the more youll use.

I might be off on the exacty number, but from what I've read 1,000 sq feet of area will accumulate 600 gallons of water in one minute. Thats a pretty big area, but if youre using your roof and maybe some extra tarps if things are that bad, that's alot of water. Most people couldnt hold nearly that much though, so thats also something to consider.

[zap]

We are on a well here. We don't have a sufficient generator (yet) to power the well. We also garden a lot. Given these factoids, I found a good deal on some water totes (275 gallon tanks in a cage thingies). The plan is to make water catchments off the roofs for rain, and so there should be enough water to help with gardening, and for a use if there is a power problem. Nothing fancy, just run a makeshift roof wash, then into the container, with overflow out of the container into the existing downspouts.

I got the containers home and unloaded to clean them. First one did two days ago, no problem - ran about total of 150 gallons through it to clean out the syrup that had been in there, leveled it where I wanted it and good to go. Second tank had been used for something toxic and had leaves and stuff in it. It was a disaster to even try to clean. I had to pick up the two other tanks so I took this one back to the guy and he exchanged it. So today I have all the tanks, went to clean out two more. Used about 250 gallons in an hour or so. Got the tanks clean, but I am rinsing the last one out and there is murky water. I sat there for about a minute spraying water all over ....hmmm what the heck is rinsing off this clean looking tank.....I pull the hose out and the damn water coming out the hose is murky. I used enough water to just about dry out my well in just that short a period.

We have had a serious drought here, but I have never had any problem with this well. Now, apparently due to my trying to make sure there is enough water for preps, I am drinking water.....from my preps. The water is still murky and only good for washing.

Just goes to show......if you think you are prepped, you are not. If you try to prep more, you will realize you were never prepped to begin with.

I hope it rains soon and hope I have at least one of my catchers operational by then. I had the silly idea that...if I have the tanks planted and there is no rain I can just fill em up out of the well. I guess not.


I feel for you Mouse been there done that,
Our roof is metal so after it rained a bit we would just remove a downspout and screw a piece of flex pipe to the outlet, back a flatbed truck up to it and we had 2 - 300 gal tanks on it, then we would haul that up the hill and pump it into the main tank, I think the most I ever got in one day was 7 loads, thats alot of water when your well is dry though.

I hope you get some rain soon. :)

[Mouse]

I was using the well water with the pump and electricity. The point of the roof water system was if the well fails....which it did, just trying to get the tanks clean that would be the backup plan. Don't know if that helps. Nearest neighbor is way farther than a hose. I have a pond which would be the next source of water......

I still have silty murky water coming into my house. Need to go research. I don't need to be digging a well right now as I am not flush with cash flow.

[ximmy]

Mouse, according to your first post, you used a lot of water from your primary well to clean the totes... If your well is depleted and should only take a few days to replenish itself... depends on how deep it is... I guess I wouldn't be too concerned about it... :'(
I hope for the best for you...
ximy

"I used enough water to just about dry out my well in just that short a period."

ps. I'm considering those totes too, but am first experimenting with 55 gal drums... on rollers with spigots ;)

[Mouse]

Hey ximmy,

You got it. I am just going to be chill on water consumption for a couple days and see what happens. I think I drained the reserves and started stirring up shiit.

The ibc totes are nice. I got these at $60 each which is way less than any other tanks or barrels I could find. They are in metal pallet cages. Empty weight is about 150, once you get them off the truck you can move em around by yourself. They have ball valves on them that are readily converted to whatever size. If you don't mind having a tank that's obvious, they are a killer deal. These things cost the food companies $800 each when they are new.

My research inicates that I ran the well too fast for too long and ran it down, which would make sense given the drought we are in. Thanks

[AOW]

Off topic - I live in an area that has mandatory recycling which I have no problem with, but they require your recyclables be clean when you put them in the bin and out on the curb. I think of all the water I waste cleaning my recyclables and then think of how many people do this daily and I'm really wondering if they thought this out before implementing the rule.

[Mouse]

Water is clearing up. I ran it faster than it refills. That was quite a scare. The rainwater tanks are setup at the garage roof, one on the house and one will be on the shop. I had to buy gutters for the shop, which was expensive. I should have probably put the other tank somewhere else on the house where there were existing, but they aren't real pretty and the shop has good elevation and proximity to the garden spot.

Getting the supplies tomorrow and will be putting this stuff together in the next week or two and testing it out. It's going to be a lot of fly by night, the guy at the store was good with my drawings and helped me get most of it, but there are still a lot of variables, so it will be interesting to see what I can figure out. I suspect many trips to the building store for this or that, but it shouldn't be very expensive. I am trying to make at least one of the systems reasonably potable, so I will have to put a roof wash tank in - that's where the big not yet designed part comes in. I have made overfow valves out of plant pots that were lying around for the collectors on the intake to the tanks, and they will direct overflow out where I want it or for the shop, it will just overflow because I don't care :)

I am using three of four tanks initially. I decided to use the fourth for diesel. I just need to make sure the fuel guys will deliver to that kind of a container. 275 gallons of diesel would be a good thing to have around and these tanks should be okay to store it. I scoped out a spot where I can put that and kind of hide it some where it will be up high enough to get a truck in to fill up.

I really started tripping on the water security as this drought has my pond about 5 feet low right now and the spring running into it has been dry for months. It will probably take me years and years in electricity to recoup the rain setups, but I like the idea of having more than 55 gallons of easy to get to, once through the filter drinkable water on hand, that doesn't have to be pumped to it's location. I will probably trickle feed with well water to get them all filled up once I have tested the systems and then I will be "better" with water situation if a power outtage happens.

[ximmy]

It's been dry that's for sure Mouse, fortunately we have access to a spring a couple miles away that works as a backup. We don't have a well drilled yet, approx. $15,000, for the well and casing, so we have treated water delivered, 100.00 for 2500 gals. We have the same setup for water collection off the metal roofs as you.


Amazing to see that Hugginator... we take so much for granted in the city... :-\
ximmy

[Mouse]

Nice spring! Wish I had something like that

[hoarder]

Off topic..
Those pallet cages would be handy for firewood if you found some without the water tanks. If you had forks for your front end loader you could throw the cord wood in as you cut it, stack them wherever you can, then bring them up to the house one at a time as you need them in the winter. The problem with wood heating is the number of times you pick up and handle each piece of firewood.

[Mouse]

interesting idea, but I think too much investment for that. The local recycling center has these totes stacked up like mad. I asked them if they could give or sell, and they laughed at me. They cut the tops out of them and then use them for material handling as well. They won't part with them and are always looking for more.

I don't have a forklift or a tractor/front loader setup so I handle my firewood multiple times like everyone else. If i had a bunch of them, they would probably be worth more to sell than to destroy for making firewood pallets. There's guys around here that handle them in pallets but they just stack really careful and a couple bale/cargo straps on them.

These tanks are for water or fuel and very valuable for that use.