Rain Collection on Shalom Farm

1. We found (4) used food grade 275 gallon commercial liquid storage tanks that (seemed to) used to have contained vinegar before. We found them by asking those we knew in our Amish Community and they referred us to a farmer who gets them and resells them. $30 each. They made of white translucent plastic and sitting in a metal cage. (The tank can be removed from the cage, but the cage reinforces the tank when full of liquid.)


2. We painted them reflective silver paint (used for tin barn roofs). We did this to create an opaque tank that would not allow light to enter so that the water could be stored in a light free environment (so no algae/bacteria would form). We also placed the tanks on the North side of the barn (which conveniently, is the back side - so appeals to Momma's aesthetic needs - YES!).


3. Pappa built a strong table to place the tanks on, so they could be raised 4ft feet high to increase our water pressure that would come out of the hose when it is used for garden and animals. This was done by used materials we had on the farm.
4. Pappa also installed 40 ft of gutter on one side of the barn to collect the water from one half of the barn's tin roof. ($125 for materials) He ran a downspout from the gutter to the tank and cut a hole (with a utility knife) in the top corner of the closest tank to the barn (it created a snug fit and did a nice job stabilizing the downspout). There was a spout in the center of the container, but it would have required elbowing and angling the downspout and Ben thought a direct flow would be wiser.

5. Pappa plumbed the original container spigots together with pvc pipe, caulk and rubber gaskets so there is one central spout to empty both tanks simultaneously. This also causes them to fill simultaneously as well. As the water enters into the first container through the downspout, it goes down to the lowest point (the bar connecting the two containers) and enters the second container. This could be down for any number of containers - so one's storage capacity could easy increase with more tanks. Lastly, Pappa put another hole in the top of the second tank at the top and fitted a simple small angled pipe as a spout OUT of the that container, in case our water collection from that side of the barn would exceed our storage capacity, it will just drain our that little spout instead of backing up to the gutter. This keeps moving water away from the barn's foundation (and the chicken's coop entrance!)
We have the materials and intent to do this on BOTH sides of the barn, which will give us 1050 gallons of rain water storage. However, we are planning on building a lean-to on the other side of the barn first, the gutters will be affixed to that and collect water from the double roof on that side. So...the completion of our entire rain collection plan will not com to pass until that "middle project" is. We hope to complete them both this year though.

We shared this post at Simple Lives Thursdays and Preparedness Challenge