Rainwater harvesting & pumping

ed110220

I was out and about for work the other day and saw on an allotment someone was using an IBC (one of those big cube shaped plastic containers in a metal cage) to collect rainwater from their shed roof. What with the heat, dry weather and cost of water I was thinking of something like this at home.

I've never installed a water butt before because my back garden is steeply sloping with the house at the lowest point, so I'd have to carry the water in a watering can, and realistically the amount I'd actually use would be small. But I was thinking of maybe pumping the water up to the top of the garden so I can use gravity for watering. The difference in elevation is approx 4 m. So my main thoughts on the practicality of it would be how much head do you need to use a garden hose and whether algae growth is going to clog it up.

QrizB

4 metres of head is similar to the amount you get at home with a conventional vented hot water system. (It depends on how many floors your house has!) You won't be spraying anything but it should let you gently water your plants.

Algae will only be a problem if sunlight gets in. If you use a black IBC and opaque hose you'll probably be OK.

tacpot12

You only need the water 'head' to be above the highest level you want to be able to use have the hose outlet; so anything above the height of your chest will work. 

Many waterbutts can be purchased with a stand that raise them heigh enough to get a watering can under them, so I think the best solution would be two have two water butts; one at the bottom of the garden and one at the top. with the top on on stand so you can draw water from it to water the top of the garden. You can also connect a hose to the top one to water all by the very top of the garden using a hose. 

If your budget runs to it, you could use a pump like this to pump the water from the butt at the bottom of the garden to the butt at the top: Tallas D-DW 400 - Submersible pump | Waterpump.co.uk

Spikeygran

Theres nothing stopping you putting a greenhouse, or shed at the top of the garden then simple add guttering and direct it to a water butt either side.  Using the roof as a collector.   You'd have to contruct a platform if theres no level ground up there. My greenhouse can 1/2 fill a waterbutt with a good downpour. 

Or go basic and attach a length of polycarbonate to the top fence at a slight slope and fit a gutter.  You would need a simple frame to hold it.  Once you have a couple of water butts full at the top, you can feed it by hose to another water butt lower down.  I've seen someond use an old rowing boat as part decor and water collecting, anything with a surface area will collect something.

Algae is not a huge problem with dark plastic, you could always cover a clear tank.  Occasionally there is a bit of debris on the inside by the tap exit, but I just let out a little into a bucket  before clipping on the hose. You can get a bit of leaf debris floating on top, I just fish it out with the pond net occasionally.  We tend to clean them out (not all at once) every other year.  

The height is a distinct advantage for watering anything downhill, we use our upper waterbutts for topping up the pond which is down at house level. 

Magnitio

The biggest issue is that you need rain. For the last few years, we either get too much or none at all.

EricMears

Magnitio said:

The biggest issue is that you need rain. For the last few years, we either get too much or none at all.

That wouldn't be a problem if you have enough storage !    

QrizB

This thread has prompted me to order a replacement water butt for the one that split in the frost a couple of years ago!