Sad realization about my rain barrel.

I found out something about my rain barrels this year. I found that when I really needed water because things were drying up there was no water in my barrel because it hadn't rained. The only way to really make it work is to have large enough storage to last for when it does get dry.

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

In much of country Australia, houses outside towns that have a reticulated water supply rely for the most part on rain water, and due to the erratic nature of rainfall here, it is normal for those houses to have fairly large storage tanks.
I'm just going to dig through my library to find the calculations used to determine the size of tank needed by a household, but at this point I'm just reserving a spot under Beeman's post. Hope the search won't take too long.

Edited to add: Sorry, it took longer than I thought - too many interuptions.

When designing a system for water harvesting, use, recycling and disposal you need to take into consideration factors such as the source of your supply, the potential amount available, and your usage rate. This particular article is based on the use of tanks for harvesting and storage of rainwater.

The first point to consider is the amount of water you require for use, in the house, the garden, or both, over an extended period. Given the present climatic conditions, and the knowledge that things are going to become more difficult, and expensive, one year is not being unrealistic. To do this first we need to do an audit on our current usage. Rule up a piece of paper with a broad column on the left, where you list, vertically down the page, all the purposes for which water is needed: Hand Washing; Showering; Teeth brushing; Toilet; Washing machine; Dish washer; Drinking and cooking; Garden; Misc. (washing the car or the dog etc.)
Next, draw eight vertical columns; one for each day of the week, and one for totals. Also do a totals line along the bottom.

Now we need to calculate our storage needs:

1. Using our water audit from above, we now calculate the approximate amount of water we use in a year. (Don’t worry – our tank won’t need to hold that amount.)

2. Next, find the average rainfall for your area.

3. Now calculate the surface area of your roof capable of catching rainwater for storage. (Ignore any roof angles; just use the measurements of a plan view. i.e.: Length X Width)

4. Multiply your average rainfall by the surface area of your roof, which will give you the theoretical amount of rainwater that you can collect for storage.

5. Find out the average longest period between good falls of rain.

6. Now, by calculating how much water you would use during this dry period, you will have a good idea of the size of tank you will need. Note: This would be a minimum amount. It would be better to allow for extra to cover seasonal variations and unforseen emergencies, particularly if your tank is fitted with a coupling for a fire pump.

Finally, it is worthwhile considering the use of treated grey-water in your plan. For example, car washing, flush toilets, flower gardens, and fruit trees can all utilise this particular resource.

Shin

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BIDADISNDAT: Aiming to Live a Good Life of Near Self Sufficiency on a Permaculture Based Organic Home Farm

Cistern type systems are common in many parts of the world where water is in short supply. Water for household needs isn't too bad but when you start trying to water large quantities of plants or even small quantities of livestock you start having problems. We've had drought so bad that this year many ponds and springs have dried up. A lot of ponds were used for livestock drinking and they drank it dry along with the evaporation. The initial cost of a holding system is aleways the drawback. Many times you're doing things to save money because you don't have money so you don't have money to invest in a system that saves money long term. That makes no sense but it basically should be the definition of this fake homesteading thing we dream about. You want to "homestead"? Become a millionaire and you can save a couple of dollars!

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"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost

I didnt bother to read all the post so excuse me if this has already been stated.
But I can water everyday with city or county water and my plants "live"
but I get one good day of rain and they just dont live they look healthier, sprout and grow more, and so on.
It has to do with whats in the water.
My rain barrell water does alot more for my plants than the city/county water.
Even better than my well water.

That's because city water is treated with chlorine, which destroys a lot of the matrix surrounding the fine hair-like roots on plants, thus making it very difficult for them to absorb their full requirement of minerals. Rainwater on the other hand has no chlorine and is loaded with nitrogen that it has gathered from the air when falling, resulting in stronger plant growth. There is a problem sometimes when there is rain during times when the air is heavily polluted with industrial smog, as this can create 'acid' rain. A 'first flush diverter', built with off-the-shelf parts from your local hardware store, can prevent the problem of acid rain and roof contaminants entering your tank water.

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BIDADISNDAT: Aiming to Live a Good Life of Near Self Sufficiency on a Permaculture Based Organic Home Farm

Same here....once the drought takes hold,everything dries up....rain barrels,wells,creeks,etc.
It's absolute truth that rain water will help a garden in a way that no other water can...but it's just not always possible if you raise a good sized plot. I hold off as long as I can,but usually end up hooking up to my Aunt's city water supply atleast once. I hate to put that water on my plants but it's been a must the last few years.

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When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee ~ Isaiah 43:2

Doesn't anybody here have water wells?

As families get older and the "children move away", some families want to get rid of their above ground pools. Many are still usable and have working filters. Why not put up a notice on the supermarket bulletin board if available. Say you will take it down and cart it away for free "after the owner empties it". As the weather changes this makes it a good time to "get'ter done".

The cost will be your time and gas to and from. You will need a friend to help you but that will only cost you a good home cooked meal and a 12 pack. Good luck, NJ Rich

Got to admit that that's a lot cheaper than buying a large water tank!
If you do manage to get an AG pool, see if you can score a cover as well - an amazing ammount of H2O is lost to evaporation. (A silver coloured tarp supported by bubble wrap makes an effective cover.)
Don't know about your situation in the US, but here in Oz we have to have a fence around any swimming pool, including above-ground types.
Would you believe it? -If you decide to use the pool for purposes other than swimming, you still need a fence because of the pool's original designed use! (Bureaucracy gone mad.)
May be an idea to check out your local regs.

Edited to add: If you scroll up to post #22, I've included a method of calculating the size of a water tank depending on your requirements.

Shin

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BIDADISNDAT: Aiming to Live a Good Life of Near Self Sufficiency on a Permaculture Based Organic Home Farm

I was sitting here this morning while my girlfriend had the Early Show on. They were talking about rain barrels and all the great and novel uses for them. They guy they had on the show was pushing the prefab rainbarrel, saying it was a great way to save water. It looked like about 55 gallons and only cost $156!!!

I think you did alright with your $7 barrel.

:-)

I prefer to look at this as a happy realization about public water supplies, which really are about the best deal going.

Public water supplies, if available, are the absolute cheapest solution.

If you like an unreliable water supply....

If you like poisons introduced to iffy water to make it semi safe to drink. Our county water system use to just use chlorine for their water. Which was cool... you could let the water sit in a pitcher for a day or two, and all of the chlorine would dissipate. Couple years ago, they started adding ammonia to the chlorine... it bound each other together, so it would never dissipate. Claimed it was safe. Of course they were using it on lake water...not the cleanest source.

Our community got off the county system... started their own... drilled a couple wells, the water was nasty tasting... which was bad enough, until they sent out letters saying the water was toxic, and don't drink it under any circumstances.

I think any owner controlled water source beats all community systems... there are the maintenance issues, but water security is worth it.

If I lived in a desert or drought prone area (or Aussie land) I'd have a cistern large enough to hold a years worth of water.

My well went dry back in 97. I built a reservoir above my home large enough to hold many years worth of water.

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Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

W are planning on building an above ground cistern (conrete filled blocks) to catch water from our 10,000 sq ft barn. I m scared of the water here (city) from years of the mills and now abandoned mills. I am afraid to fish or swim.. spent too long in mountain streams where all was good. I may just be paranoid.. but I would like to at least be able to water the garden free of charge. We have an old well, but the pump runs, but doesn't pump. I can see the water in it..etc... don't know how safe.
I would like to have some feeder fish for the chickens as well as some duckweed. But like many of you...it must rain to fill it and our 55 gal rain drums. sigh

Thats right thats why I was thinking of getting 40 of those $7 barrells and connecting them, I live on a slope so could have one lower than the other I guess I would need two pipes connecting them one on top and one on the bottom, I was worried about all those connections leaking. I would just dig a pond the problem is no space just 2 acres and I am farming ever bit of it.Even those barrells will take up needed space.

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marching to the beat of a different drummer

Got one and just got a pump its going to be hooked up by next spring. will go dry in a bad drought but will sure help. Also mulching the garden helps a lot of the amount of water it takes to keep things growing.

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marching to the beat of a different drummer

I have a well and its way better than city/county water in the area.
But it still doesnt perform like natural rain does for growing.
I use well water to water when I dont have rain water.
I try to collect as much rain water as I can since it does better and my plants like it better.