I have a home on the east side of the Big Island in Hawaii. So far this year, about 90 inches of rain has fallen; average is 200+ inches a year. We have a 10,000 gallon tank that almost always stays full. There is some regular maintenance that needs to be done to keep the water clean, but not that much. Our solar/ hydro system powers the electric pump that brings the water into the house. We aren’t hooked up to the County water line.
Any one else use a catchment tank for water? How much rain do you get a year? Just wondering why they aren’t more common in areas that sometimes suffer from drought conditions.
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I have property in the high desert, with no services. I thought about doing a water catchment system, but I haven’t built anything on the land yet (and probably never will). If I fall into money, I might do it.
In my area … 100% of people have rain water tanks … I do live in country Australia (but not a drought/dry area) so there is not really any other option. I do also have bore and well water but the rain water is the nicest. I have 5,000 gallon and 10,000 gallon tanks (plus a smaller one to store the bore water) … by the end of summer they are getting pretty low!
In Australia, even in areas that are connected to town water systems homes often have their own tanks due to water restrictions/costs and also as an environmental way of reducing water usage from reservoirs. Houses in the inner suburbs of the major cities will have water tanks for gardens or other functions. We also have lots of systems to re-use grey water when possible (I have a water treatment system for my septic that recycles water out to the garden).
In some places, Colorado for sure, they are illegal. The state owns the rainfall, and legislates the water rights, and you aren’t allowed to collect it.
Exactly what I was going to post. I’m not in country Australia, but definitely not in a metro area, thus no supplied water. If we want water, we have to get it ourselves.
We’ve got about 45000L of rainwater storage, but we’re planning to put some more tanks in soon-ish. We also have a bore that is into a lovely-tasting aquifer, but have been plagued by pumping issues. Plus, with all the rainwater we have, there’s been no urgency to fix it right now
Parts of he less developed eastern end of our island (Grand Cayman) did not have piped water until the last ten years or so. Prior to that you were dependent on some sort of cistern.
The first apartment I lived in had well water to supplement the rainwater. After a hurricane I moved a short distance and the well water at the new place was horribly sulfuric so much so that bottled water was the only option for consumption.
One more move and I was finally in a place with piped water. Still the house has huge cisterns and the rainwater would be more than enough if the homeowner would repair the pumps. I guess I could do that and save since we are responsible for the water utility bill and the piped water is desalinated seawater and quite costly.
You see them here and there where I live, but not too often. I’ve thought about getting one, but in my area water is cheap and rain water (both in the street and in my gutters) goes directly to the lake. All I’d be doing by getting one is spending, what, $100, plus maintaining it for something that would probably take 5-10 years to pay off.
Pretty much non-existent where I live as well, although I’ve thought about it since we get a fair amount of rain. But then my city water and sewer is very cheap ($30-$35 per month) so not much incentive.
Surburban Sydney and its satellite metro areas have REQUIRED water tanks , not for drinking water, but in order to reduce flash flooding. The maximum intensity of rain has been increased quite a lot… and anyway they wanted to stop flash flooding getting worse when buildings solid surfaces (roof,pavement,etc) dump the rain into the drains … You can use the water to do water the garden.
I was at a newly built house that has a rather large hole in the backyard… its like a swimming pool, but the council says it has to remain empty and sit there as an ugly hole. This was to prevent the rain water causing erosion on the steep sides of the ravine below.
During the 80’s there were some railway washouts where the railway line featured drainage that was too small and the dammed up water then bursts through in a rush… my parents owned a house which got flooded when that happened .
Adelaide, South Australia has such expensive water supply (as in, the water authority sells it, via the pipes. ) everyone , who with access to a roof downpipes not to collect water from the roof for use for washing and filling the WC. That’s with government encouragement… they really have a water shortage, there being no place to build any new dam and the ground water table (Artesian basin and all… ) being depleted.
