| Introduction | | | | cheap and easy to handle and install, but take up |
| The great thing about working to optimize the way | | | | space. Underground tanks are the opposite. |
| you use and collect water for your home, is that you | | | | Getting Started |
| get to feel as though you are doing something | | | | You can calculate the likely rain available using |
| practical to improve the environment without making | | | | information from your local Meteorological Bureau. |
| sacrifices, but actually benefiting your household. | | | | They will give you average rainfall each month. For |
| Background | | | | example, in a location like Melbourne, it rains about |
| Initially I was interested in building DIY solar hot | | | | 600mm each year, with rain pretty much uniform |
| water panels. I found a community group who had a | | | | through the year. If your roof area is 200 square |
| jig made up for pressing the grooves into the copper | | | | metres, and you want to catch it all, and assuming |
| sheet to locate where the copper tubes are to be | | | | you want to store enough to water your garden for |
| soldered. They also had a jig for positioning the | | | | about a month, the tank volume needs to be about |
| ½" holes in the 1" header and footer pipes. | | | | 1,000 x 200 x 0.6 / 12 = 10,000 litres. This gives you |
| This was a great start, and then I silver soldered the | | | | 10,000 / 30 = 333 litres per day. If you add this to |
| risers into the 1" pipes, and soft-soldered the risers | | | | your grey-water, originating from mains water supply, |
| onto the sheets. After painting the copper sheet and | | | | this gives you about 500 litres available for the |
| pipes with black-board paint, I built a box with timber | | | | garden. However, it is less if you use the tank water |
| sides and a plywood back, with fibre-glass insulation, | | | | in the laundry. |
| and assembled it with a glass sheet over the top, | | | | Becoming Proficient |
| sealed with silicone. | | | | It may take a while to get all the skills you need, and |
| I bought a second-hand water tank, and mounted | | | | this is where the net can be useful. There are lots of |
| them all on a frame screwed through the metal roof, | | | | government authority sites with heaps of |
| into the timber roof frame. The panels are still going | | | | information, as well as dedicated societies with lots of |
| strong 30 years later. | | | | technical articles. Just have a go, and get started. |
| Success in Home Water Conservation | | | | The skills will build up as you go. |
| The three main things you need to know in order to | | | | How Much Experience Is Needed? |
| successfully develop your home water program are: | | | | You can do most of this sort of work without any |
| how much water of what quality you need; how to | | | | experience, except for the electrics, that must be |
| harvest and store rain water; and how to safely | | | | left to a qualified electrician, and any plumbing to do |
| re-use waste water. | | | | with sewage. Of course, working at heights, doing |
| While we only need a few litres each of drinking | | | | connections to gutters for example requires good |
| water each day, cooking water should be potable | | | | safety practices. |
| quality, and laundry washing water should be free | | | | Examples |
| from impurities that would stain, such as iron | | | | With my grey-water system, I have a thriving |
| deposits. The next quality down would be | | | | orchard of about 14 trees, providing organic fruit |
| grey-water for vegetables and fruit trees, but only if | | | | over the summer and autumn. The underground |
| it is applies via dripper, and not sprayed. Septic tank | | | | water tank, just coming on line, collected 7,000 litres |
| effluent is suitable for fruit trees, but must be applied | | | | over one weekend of rain, from a roof area of 200 |
| via underground methods, such as gravel trenches, | | | | sq m. |
| covered with soil. Ornamental plants and trees can | | | | The Best-Kept Secret About Home Water |
| use any standard of water in regard to cleanliness, | | | | By zoning your plants in the garden-planning phase, |
| however salt, nutrient, detergent and particulate | | | | you can optimize your water use, by having the |
| content can be problems, as they can also be for the | | | | frequent- drinkers all grouped on the same pipe, and |
| other uses. | | | | the bigger trees on a separate pipe. (I think you |
| A ¼ acre block with a big ornamental garden | | | | should also go for the biggest tank you can afford). |
| of deciduous trees and shrubs in a temperate climate | | | | Common Problems |
| requires about 2,000 litres per week in the summer. | | | | Regulations require that your grey-water doesn't |
| You can calculate the water demand for a tree using | | | | seep onto the public nature-strip or roadway, or onto |
| the British Standard BS5837 1991, which gives a | | | | your neighbour's property. |
| formula including the tree type and canopy diameter, | | | | Evaporation is a huge waste of water in the garden. |
| the local evaporation rate. The watering frequency | | | | A thick layer of mushroom compost and pea-straw is |
| depends on the soil type and how much soil is | | | | best in the vegetable patch and orchard (because |
| available to each tree. Typically, a small tree takes 20 | | | | this will break down fast to provide nutrients for the |
| litres of water a day. Vegetables' water demand | | | | plants), and wood-chips are best for ornamentals. |
| depends very much on the variety and the weather. | | | | Blocked gutters are a problem, and regular |
| Partial shading is recommended for some varieties in | | | | maintenance is needed. Leaf-guard over the gutters |
| the heat of summer. | | | | is great, but quite expensive. In-line leaf-diverters are |
| Grey water systems are reasonably cheap, off the | | | | a good option. But they also need regular clean-outs. |
| shelf, and government rebates help off-set the cost. | | | | Tank systems need mosquito-proof inlets and outlets. |
| However, to qualify, you need a plumber to install it, | | | | If you are going to drink rainwater, your roof can't |
| and that takes up a lot of the rebate. An economical | | | | be zinc-alume, as the aluminium is not good for you. |
| DIY system, which I have found to work very well, | | | | You have to be aware of animal and bird droppings, |
| consists of a 200 litre plastic barrel ($30.00) with a | | | | as well as pollution fallout. A first-flush diverter will |
| pump incorporating a float switch. You cut a hole in | | | | help a bit here. |
| the top and lower in the pump. Locate the barrel | | | | A Great Investment |
| under your discharge pipe from the laundry and | | | | While it may take a bit of planning, money and work |
| bathroom (not the toilet). As a filter, you double up a | | | | to get your system up and running, once it's done, |
| pair of panty-hose to give a two-layer filter, and put | | | | there is just a bit of regular maintenance, and you |
| it over the end of the pipe, taping it in place. Every | | | | have a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, that |
| few months, replace it. The pump is connected to | | | | you are doing your bit, and getting substantial |
| 20mm black poly pipe for distribution to the garden. | | | | benefits as well. |
| A secondary filter - a commercial one- is needed if | | | | Staying On Top |
| you use dripper hose. Don't buy the recycled rubber | | | | To keep on top, you need to monitor your usage, to |
| hose, it goes brittle after a few years, and leaks and | | | | ensure you don't just use more mains supply water |
| breaks. For recycled water, use the purple one, as its | | | | as well as your recycled and harvested water. You |
| holes are bigger, and less likely to clog. Every now | | | | need to keep the system clean: flush the drip lines |
| and then, open the end of the dripper hose, and | | | | and clean the roof gutters regularly. You also want to |
| flush it out. | | | | cycle the roof water with your recycled water, to |
| Rainwater is easy to collect in plastic tanks, which are | | | | reduce the build-up f salts in the soil. |