I know that my comment is way too late , but I thought you should know this , for the past couple weeks I went back and watched also (liked) each and every one of your videos and maaaan .....I was amazed with your skills and ingenuity in problem solving , customizing , building , making .... you name it .... these words comes from a person that knows his way with tools and good at using his hands .... learned a lot from your builds ... Thank you.
José Duarte thanks Jose! I try my best but am not able to cover all the info out there...so always do your research regarding catchment and treatment options that work best for you😀
Good video. Made great sense too. Gathering water off the roof reminded me of my grandfather's country gas station in upstate NY back in the early 1950's. He had a leader from a roof gutter feeding a 55 gallon drum with rain water for using it in car batteries because it was naturally distilled. I got in trouble with him one day when I put a corn cob in it from one of our back yard picnics. Never did that again.
haha... I can feel you there... I once pulled the float out of a cattle trough because I couldn't figure out what was floating in there... my grandpa wasn't too pleased ;)
I saw once rain drift harvesting I think it was called, it allowed maximum vertical use of the land available by hanging taught strung windbreak netting 6ft tall and as long as your space allowed. With the bottom of the netting and the straining wire/cord close to the ground positioned in the middle of cheap plastic half round guttering (like used on a roof) it collected loads of rain with very cheap materials. Just posts, wire/cord , netting and guttering. Have a look and see what I mean, it would look like a very long meandering volleyball net! Or similar. it’s another option you might like to try maybe. Slightly envious of the sun there at the moment I must say All the very best to you all and a great video thank you👍
Mike outside most of the time thanks Mike! I’ve seen systems like that for collecting fog/dew...but it would be interesting for rain too! It would be more resilient in the wind too than a solid tarp😀👍
I totally love all your videos. I have incorporated a ton of your projects on my property in south Florida. Keep up the fantastic work and teaching. Thanks
Great information am going to Tanzania this summer on a study abroad program. I am going to share this video with my friends as a way to capture water 💦 safely thx👍🏾👏🏾
I really want to move somewhere warm. Living in the PNW is getting old. So I keep sharing your thoughts and videos with my husband. I follow you on Instagram and just added you to my RU-vid list. Thanks for documenting this
Other than some commercial buildings, there are pretty much no flat roof buildings here in Mississippi. I don't know if it is because we just get too much rain or what. Good information, Joe!
the plant roove are perfect for collecting and they clean the water as well. depeding on what plants ,sand and structure under it to let water go true faster. We had it at our family home.
yes, I think they are a really great surface for homes... and they even have great thermal benefits too :) I was mostly referring to the fact that some of the purpose of the roof would be to keep some of the water on the roof soil for the plants too... so not 100% for collection purposes. But yes, I'm sure they can collect quite a bit too:)
I have thought about that... I saw a set up in Chile i think , for collecting fog...very cool! but here we get fog and that kind of humidity so rarely that I don't know if it would be worth setting up
awesome... I was afraid that part have been boring for a lot of folks... basically being too 'school like' ...lol... but I'm glad you got some interest out of it. I like those kinds of things... the closer look of what composes the roofs :D
Another wonderful video. Please don't apologize for your videos. You do a awesome job of putting out quite educational videos. You have experiences most of us don;'t have. I personally have learned allot from you. At 72 I have learned much from your projects. Who says you cant teach an ole fart new tricks.
I like the tarp & the patio collection ideas... Simple & pretty much anyone can do them. I’ve got to figure out a good way to collect from our metal building. The ribs are really deep, and I’m thinking a trough at the bottom may/may not work. Would have to build it as the building is assembled & find some way to ensure the water wouldn’t seep into the surface at all. Things to ponder! Great video as always, thanks!
thanks Steff! I think the patio idea might work well for your building... I have a similar structure near me and I have often thought if they guttered the area where the metal met the slab... they'd be able to collect runoff
You have a significant amount of roof areas space.. I would think that you would want to try to figure out some kind of a tarp that you can roll out from the peaks of it. Where you could utilize some of the water off of the existing surface areas. Perhaps with a roll-out tarp, that can self store on the Peaks or perhaps easily removable during the dry seasons. This would give you essentially the same volume of water yet made significant amount more potable and usable for vegetables. that's just kind of a thought..
I know you've touched on a lot of those topics in other videos. Would be good for a refresher/ update on how your systems are working, and have the info in a single series. Thanks for all your great tips.
I will update on most of my setups probably through the rest of these rainwater oriented videos. I probably won't update the rainwater garden area until monsoons though... which is when I will maybe do some updates on the house system as thats when the rain is falling most ;)
Yep, I'm thinking fern forest area that is moist near constantly. I work with a lot of wildland guys and they say if there are two homes in fire danger they'll spend there efforts on the non flammable roof homes first... because it doesnt matter how much is cleared around the wood roofed home in regard to the embers that will inevitably fall
As usual, great content. I think, a lot of the time it goes back to common sense, as to where to collect from. I think that another risk in collecting from the flat roof that you showed is that they never tend to fully drain, and you may end up with some stagnant water, also more surface contamination - think bird droppings, trapped rodents, rotting leaves etc
thanks Wayne! yes, common sense is a huge part when deciding harvesting components. I like to say you can probably harvest off of anything... just depends on how much you want to treat and filter
Nicely done presentation Joe. We do take our water off the roof for drinking and it is an asphalt roof. We have a first flush and the cool water we get in the NW should be, in my opinion, adequate for consumption through a ceramic filter or distillation. I wouldn't recommend drinking water off a shingle roof if the water was warm due to the breakdown heat has on materials and may get precipitate in the water, the universal solvent. If concerned, one can send off a sample to a water analysis lab to find all the contaminants if he/she were concerned for a few hundred dollars. Like you said "at your own risk". I have been a water treatment plant operator for several years and know it would be a good idea to test the water for contaminants. We have been doing it for years and haven't died yet but one never knows the long term residual effects of different source waters.
Awesome Mr. Rain! I couldn't have said it better... sounds like you guys are well into the game too :) Thanks for checking it out... more to come on on this topic!
Joe, very interesting as always, even for us in countries where we have an abundance of water. With the strange weather we get now we are seeing summers where a hosepipe ban is a common feature and your tips for garden use makes sense anywhere in the world. Kind regards from a chilly UK.
thanks Tony! you know what, it's actually been chilly hear for a change.. so I feel you! as for water usage in the garden... yes it can be helpful anywhere in the world... part of me wishes I could be in a place where I could just dig a hole and a pond would just appear...but I know that with everything there is a mix of good and bad...lol... thats why I'm committed to use splitting our climates (warm dry AZ weather to use in return for some UK rain and cool foggy days :)
Good day from South Africa 🇿🇦. Love your channel and must say your techniques for collecting water is very interesting. I live in Cape Town and we are now going through one of the worst droughts ever, thus collecting as much rainwater as possible is absolutely a must!!! Keep up the good work, I’m hooked. Regards, Awee van der Merwe (Not a difficult name at all to pronounce for you guys, hahaha!!!)
Hi Awee! Yes, that one might be a bit difficult for me to get right the first time...lol :) Very cool to hear from SA! And I recently just heard about the drought down there and the Cape Town situation. Wow! I hope that you guys will get a relief of rain soon that will help out your reservoirs. I'm guessing even if you do get some much needed rain, that Cape Town residents will be very enthusiastic about continuing the development of rainwater harvesting systems both for residences and maybe even municipally too. Best wishes and Prayers for you guys down there:) Joe
great footage and explanation of all the roof types. always nice to see your work. rain water collection never looked so satisfying until i found your channel lol
awww thanks! it is so cool to see a full tank or pond after a rain! Just wish I had more time and funds to do even more with it...lol... but for now I gotta take it little by little :D
ha, dont we all need more time and funds :P seeing your creations allows me to get some great ideas if i ever happen to own my own property, because i love projects like this.
Bumble Bee Junction thanks Mark! Yes, the billboard tarp is a great system that was very cheap and easy for anyone to do....however, my wife was really concerned when I said I was going to place a billboard tarp on the property...lol...I ensured her it would be not really visible from the ground level😂
Hi Joe, I wanted to thank you for your info regarding standing seam installer Sam. I hired him and he is installing this week. Im having to work out of the area while he is installing it but planning to fly in for the big reveal next weekend. Im so excited to see it and start collecting rain water in the future. Thanks again 👍
This subject fascinates me. Are you the only one around you who collects like you do? Where did you start your search for the various methods? Thanks for anything you can do on this subject!
Hi MD, I'm not the only one around here who collects rainwater... but most don't do it as their primary source of water like I do. However, my wifes grandparents have been collecting rainwater for 40-50 years now. As for info... a lot was me just asking folks, doing internet research and then just figuring a lot out on my own through trial and error..lol
Gregory Thomas absolutely! It is in my planned topics to cover for this series! Everything from the roof and downspouts to filtering, storage and pumping
Super vid and some GREAT ideas about different ways to collect the water. Have you seen the vids on the dew harvesting done in south America? just big sails that collect the dew in the mornings and direct down to trough and then into holding containers. Know that they use to use the sails on old ships to rig up and collect rain water when on long voyages. So many ways to harvest water and even using nature to purify too.
Great video! Thank you 👍 I met with someone who specializes in rain harvesting and they were OK with asphalt roof for drinking water. I wasn't. Not sure what to do since a metal roof is not cheap. Thanks again for helping us all out with your expertise
It all depends on each individual person, their roof surface and what they are comfortable with... and able to filter. Some surfaces are more idea than others in regards to imparting things to the water. My only concern with asphalt is the oils washing into the water. That's not to say it can't be used... but just that it would require a more intensive filtering. Down here in AZ it gets hot and water off of asphalt shingle roofs will have a small film of oil on the top of the water from the asphalt. Maybe in other areas of the country that isn't the case. But in any regard.. each person just has to figure what it right for them and do their own research on their roof. My opinions were more of an overview... and just an opinion...lol... not right or wrong... just my thoughts ;)
Personally I would think asphalt shingles have a lot of fiberglass in them, as they get old those fibers are going to be coming off. I bet if you look in a microscope of a water drop, you might see the fiberglass.
Here in Colorado and many other areas I’ve visited the municipality has developed a storm water tax, or fee we pay monthly based on the square footage of our “hard surfaces” (roof,decking, driveways, and sidewalks) the sales pitch sold to voters was that it would help maintain sewers and drainage ditches in town, but the kicker is they strongly discourage us from collecting rainwater, claiming it increases the mosquito population, and thus the threat of malaria. We are allowed to have ponds in our yards though. Fight the “rain tax” if your officials get the same “great idea” ours did.
Seeing your greenhouse always makes me smile. I love it. I wondered if you ever consider collecting dew? I’m from the Netherlands and we are always (as a country) struggling to keep the water away so I have no hands on experience but from what I have read and seen it is a great option and for a guy like you, with your creative skills and hands on attitude it could be a nice challenge to make it work/work better.
Noeraldin Kabam hi noeraldin! Thanks! I have looked into dew collection ideas but our environment is so dry that we rarely get much dew or fog. It would be too much input for not enough harvested. Also, great to hear from the Netherlands 🇳🇱!!!
K L thanks Kim! The shop has become a good spot for me to work in! Not totally finished quite yet but pretty soon...aww...who am I kidding it’ll never be totally finished...😉
Great video and overview of rainwater harvesting. I see that you don't let hippies in your workshop. but just to let you know this hippie is a happy happy. And by the way you still need a new hat
start your land search as soon as you can.. that's actually one of the most fun parts... .just looking at potential places to live and figuring the pros and cons of each :D
Great video again. I was thinking about soil cement as a relatively low cost solution for a large scale water harvesting collection surface, fed into swales, then into a shallow "settlement area"(an area that would spread out and slow down the water, allowing for heavier particles to settle out), through a screen, then ultimately overflowing into an in-ground concrete cistern.
haha...yes! that is something I've really been considering as a cost effective solution. Obviously a concrete pad would work great too..but it's way more expensive than stabilizing the soil or compacted ground to use as your surface! I like the idea of eventually diverting to a cistern too!
I can't believe I never found your channel before.. (ive been doing vids for years) New sub here.. Lots of info for me to look over.. Looks like I will be here a while,,, lol..
So... I'm getting a small shed (12x24) to live in. I wasn't sure what to do for roofing, even though I had plans to 'collect water' for other use. Watching this video helped me make up my mind on what roofing material to use. So... I'm wondering: Any more info going to be shared? I would really like to see where you go from this video.
One downside to rain water collection system is bird crap contamination. The upside of a living room is the any bird droppings is used by the plants as fertilizer. The water may end up being safer than that collected from other sources. Still it is a good idea to disinfect the water with UV radiation or serious filtration.
Have you ever thought about using a ram pump to pump water into a water tower for so you can use gravity instead of electricity to water your plants for example?
Sceme1991 yes I have but from the research I’ve done is that you have to have a certain amount of distance in relation to the water and the pump being able to pump vertically. Most of my garden plants and other trees are downhill from my storage so I have elevation already built in. But it is something I’d like to explore for my rainwater garden area😀👍
Logic Bob thanks bob! I’ve been in my home 9 years now...yes most all contaminants can be filtered out but it is dependent on what is being filtered. For example dirt and sediment is easy to filter than say oils off a asphalt roof...so yes, anything can be filtered but somethings will require much more intensive and expensive filtering than others to make Water safe
Back on your video from last year, the piano stool. How did you cut the angles of the legs? Not the bottom parts that you dipped in paint which was an awesome idea, but the top part that welds to the shaft the seat screws in. Please help me out, I'm stuck at that part and don't want to waste metal. wasn't cheap LOL
yes they are just a bit. It wasn't actually my plan when we made it...but when I saw the water running off in that spot I figured... 'wow thats a great spot for something...' :)
I have read that asphalt shingle rainwater collection is about as safe as metal roof rainwater collection (Texas A&M I think). I see you have the driveway water collection but do you have an actual rain garden? If you don't you have to build one!! I don't have the cistern collection capacity that you do (1850 gallons for me) and I live in a little wetter area (Dallas, Texas -still on the dry side). But, my little rain garden is the best rain harvesting feature in my control and it requires the least amount of work from me.
Hi Joan, yes I do have a rainwater garden... its from about the august time frame... you can scroll down in my videos tab and see it. Definitely something I want to develop further :D as for the shingle roofs... here is an answer I typed to another comment.. "It all depends on each individual person, their roof surface and what they are comfortable with... and able to filter. Some surfaces are more idea than others in regards to imparting things to the water. My only concern with asphalt is the oils washing into the water. That's not to say it can't be used... but just that it would require a more intensive filtering. Down here in AZ it gets hot and water off of asphalt shingle roofs will have a small film of oil on the top of the water from the asphalt (i've seen this in barrel collection) Maybe in other areas of the country that isn't the case. But in any regard.. each person just has to figure what it right for them and do their own research on their roof. My opinions were more of an overview... and just an opinion...lol... not right or wrong... just my thoughts ; "
If going to filter it before drinking, why can't one collect from any surface? Better question might be ... what kind of filtering will allow one to drinking water collected from all roofs?
JOE TRY A TRAP SYSTEM LIKE THE ONE ON YOUR TRUCK ONLY MAKE IT ON THE TOP OF YOUR EVES AND HAVE A CENSOR DETECT RAIN AND IT ROLLS OUT LIKE A RV AWNING YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THOSE ARE LIKE 10 FOR.99 ON EBAY, NOT THAT YOU WOULD NEED THAT MANY AND A VERY SIMPLE SOLAR PANEL CAN POWER IT. YOU KNOW LIKE ONE OF THOSE CHEAP SOLAR PATH WAY LIGHTS YOU CAN GET ANYWHERE. LOVE THE PLACE CANDIS AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE TREES AND THE BEES IF YOU STILL HAVE SOME. THE BEES ARE A COOL THING, YOUR VERY OWN POLLINATORS FOR FREE TOO HAAHA JUST ASKING OLD ONE LEGGED JOSEPH T RETIRED NAVY
Not sure what your elevation difference is across your property but have you ever looked into hydraulic ram pumps for transferring water from location to location? I recently discovered these pumps and they run with no power needed but do need a little bit of elevation change in order to work from my understanding.
Matt White The biggest problem with ram pumps is that there is a lot of wastage with them. Only a fraction of the water that flows through them actually gets pumped. They're great when you have a creek or stream you want to pump from as the wastage just goes back into the creek/stream. They're not good where every drop counts, such as in his setup. You also need a decent bit of drop before the pump for it to operate.
both good points... yes, I have thought about them... very cool! seen some on wranglerstars channel and a couple others. Super awesome set up... but Tallman1128 makes a good point for the stream aspect and the water usage. If I had the land set up then for sure yes... but currently most of my setup is via hoses and small elevation changes where as I can siphon from one to another where there is just a few feet of elevation change :)
Joe hi there, can I ask you how much you paid for your vinyl ? Maybe cheaper than a pond liner. They have glues that you can join two of them together.
Is there such a thing as a sediment filter to collect rainwater that collects in a stream? The stream is dirty and we don't want to put this water directly in a tank as it might fill the tank with dirt. I noticed there is such a thing as a sediment bag. That is close but I want to use the sediment bag to filter the sediment out of a low spot and pump it in a tank, as oppose to pump dirty water in it. Hopefully the sediment just keep flowing, while clean water goes in a tank.
Another awesome video, thank you so much, Joe!!!! Question about the concrete patio/driveway: does concrete have toxins? I'm assuming it does, but I don't know, on our dream layout we plan to harvest from concrete sidewalks primarily for pasture irrigation and possibly animals' water, but we assumed for the animals we would need a filter system. It would certainly be an excellent source for rainwater and I loved the gutters you had installed! Very best wishes always!
littleflower1826 hi LF.... I would be more worried about anything on the concrete than the concrete itself. Many cisterns and municipal water systems use concrete for storage. But with that said I would always filter before use😀👍
....continued.... many ranchers and agriculture setups use concrete for animals with no effects as well. They are more capable is using less than clean elevated than we are...muddy ponds, streams , etc.
I have the tops of the downspouts fitted with mesh screen...so any bugs, etc, that come from the gutters has room to be washed off while the water flows down. I did this after having some clogged downspouts in my first year of harvesting... works much better for me :D
