Rain water

lemmy714

lemmy714

Well-Known Member
mudballs said:
lemmy congrats on trying to use more mother nature. the roof would be fine no matter what material it is (shingles, metal, vinyl, terra cotta) and it's great stuff for plants. the only thing people generally worry about is called 'first flush'. the first few minutes of a rain storm flushes lots of unwanted stuff from the roof such as dead bugs, bird shit, sticks, loose roof debris, etc. the reason they care is usually they go on to further process it. you don't have to worry about it so much maybe just wait a few minutes then start collecting. less twigs and crap to deal with. the discoloration is tanic water with just a bunch of minerals dissolved.99% of time is fine but you never know.bacteria can be an issue...should be great water think about it, wouldn't all of nature show signs of problems? that's the only source they have.i really want to get more involved in 'rain harvesting' texas summers are really brutal with not much rain but you can get 1000 gallons per month from an avg house roof.
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Nice...I'm glad to hear someone knows why the water is discolored.This was puzzling me. I figured that it was due to pollen possibly. This is now our 4th straight day of rain in Cali, so the water should be pretty clean. I just couldn't figure out why it is so discolored.
 
mudballs

mudballs

Well-Known Member
well now that you mention it there are other things rain can carry. in south Florida we had to wash the boats everyday because pollutants get airborne from large cities and rain and heavy dew mornings will deposit that crap all over the boats. so if you're near a very large metropolis or industrial area you might have some real nasty chemical molecules in that rainwater. just a heads up on that...boiling won't remove all of it. not trying to scare you but if you have too high a concentration of those chems it will screw with your plants. tanic water is different and usually good like a dirty river rich in organics. i feel bad now that i said it's tanic without saying it could also contain the nasties. forgive me this is my attempt to correct my error and inform a fellow burner. i would think it's too late in yr for pollen but could be wrong
 
dbkick

dbkick

Well-Known Member
mudballs said:
http://www.enlight-inc.com/blog/?p=1036

i wouldn't say outright illegal more appropriately it is heavily regulated in certain areas.
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this right here from your link says pretty much illegal....

Update February 19, 2014 regarding Colorado: back to top So far, Colorado is the only state I have found that still makes it undeniably against state law for some people to collect rain water, even in small amounts for personal use.
 
justugh

justugh

Well-Known Member
rain water is not all that good

and in city areas or close to major roadways/railtrack even worst

pollen in the air no pollen it does not matter ..........take a glass next time it rains and collect it
smell the water
test the PH of it

do u really want to give that to the plant if u can avoid it ................it is getting more acidic each year it is where all these sink holes are coming from the rain is eatting away weaker rocks (Hannibal and vinegar crossing the mountains with elephants)...could be Alexander the great i am terrible with names i just rem the stories and lessons remove boulders with vinegar
 
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mudballs

mudballs

Well-Known Member
dbkick said:
this right here from your link says pretty much illegal....

Update February 19, 2014 regarding Colorado: back to top So far, Colorado is the only state I have found that still makes it undeniably against state law for some people to collect rain water, even in small amounts for personal use.
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how's that for evidence of how fukt up and twisted this world is. the leader in legalizing mother natures bounty in the same breath says you can't collect the single most important substance for sustaining life.
 
B

brimck325

Well-Known Member
if the water has been sitting in leaves and such, the ph has probably changed somewhat...
don't boil the water.
 
C

CC Dobbs

Well-Known Member
lemmy714 said:
So I've used a pillow case to collect rain water by setting the pillow case on the ground and letting it absorb with water which I then ring out into a bucket. I've collected over a gallon so far during a hard rain. Is this water ok to water plants with.
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The rain water is great but it is probably best to not use a pillow case. The action of the rain water coming in contact with the fibers of the pillow cases can cause a reaction making tetramethosphylan which can kill your plants.
 
lemmy714

lemmy714

Well-Known Member
CC Dobbs said:
The rain water is great but it is probably best to not use a pillow case. The action of the rain water coming in contact with the fibers of the pillow cases can cause a reaction making tetramethosphylan which can kill your plants.
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Good thing I didn't use that water. I dumped it last night and collected water with my bucket from off the roof. It was crystal clear.
 
lemmy714

lemmy714

Well-Known Member
mudballs said:
well now that you mention it there are other things rain can carry. in south Florida we had to wash the boats everyday because pollutants get airborne from large cities and rain and heavy dew mornings will deposit that crap all over the boats. so if you're near a very large metropolis or industrial area you might have some real nasty chemical molecules in that rainwater. just a heads up on that...boiling won't remove all of it. not trying to scare you but if you have too high a concentration of those chems it will screw with your plants. tanic water is different and usually good like a dirty river rich in organics. i feel bad now that i said it's tanic without saying it could also contain the nasties. forgive me this is my attempt to correct my error and inform a fellow burner. i would think it's too late in yr for pollen but could be wrong
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I live in a very clean area with great air quality. Its a rich person city (I am not rich, just lucky to have girlfriend with rich mom), and its near laguna beach.
 
lemmy714

lemmy714

Well-Known Member
Anyways, new water I collected is crystal clear and thanks for the concern over what you said earlier.
 
whitebb2727

whitebb2727

Well-Known Member
It is good. So good I am thinking about buying a 2500-5000 gallon tank from Tractor Supply for the garden.
 
lemmy714

lemmy714

Well-Known Member
If you live in the state of Ca, there is a program called Hero that will install a rainwater catchment system with no money down, then you add the cost to your property taxes. You can create your own payment, just as long as you pay it off in 20 years. The interest in tax deductible.
 
lemmy714

lemmy714

Well-Known Member
If you live in the country, you can even get a well. High population cities won't allow the well
 
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