Rainwater Bladders | Off Grid Living – Learning How to Live Off the Grid

Harvesting Rain and Meltwater Just Makes Sense in Taos, Mexico

Taos, New Mexico – For thousands of years the original inhabitants found a wide variety of brilliant ways to put water to work. Much later, Hispanic colonists did the same with the creation of acequia communities, employing an ancient technique that originated in North Africa and is still in use here today.

Guide to Off Grid Living – Rainwater harvesting isn’t exactly new to New Mexico

Taos, New Mexico – Although the methods have changed and technological advancements offer many more options than were available historically, the importance of rainwater harvesting has only increased. With our normally dry environmental conditions, our frequent cycles of drought and the dire predictions of climate scientists, the collection, storing and utilization of rainwater is perhaps more important now than ever.

Longtime Taos-area contractor Charlee Myers says that, in general, groundwater wells across the county are drawing down. There are more people in the area using more water and the meager snowfall of the last decade has done little to replenish the regional aquifers.

Myers is the owner of Mountain Mesa Construction and sits on the Board of Directors for the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA), a national group that advocates for sustainable rainwater harvesting practices and regulations.

“In a lot of our, county wells are simply too expensive to drill. This is especially true west of the gorge,” says Myers whose home water use is 100 percent from rainwater and snowmelt. Myers says that he has not had any outside water augmentation to his system since 2011. Since then his tanks have remained at least 60 percent full. Our most recent snows brought him up to full capacity. “We go through dry periods in Taos and people wonder how harvesting could work. But even in a drought, when it rains it rains a lot. And with the right size tanks you can take advantage of that.”

It may seem odd to some but New Mexico is actually one of the leaders when it comes to rainwater harvesting. For example, Santa Fe County mandates that new developments and large buildings have catchment systems. A number of subdivisions and communities rely almost exclusively on catchment strategies — the Earthship community for example. This year there is a bill before the state legislature that would give tax credits to people who install rainwater harvesting systems.

Setting Up an Easy to Build Rainwater Harvesting System with a Tin Roof, Rain Gutters, Screens, Chlorine Tablets, Storage Tanks and an Activated Carbon Filter to Ensure Safe, Clean Drinking Water

By Markerbuoy – On Canada’s Left Coast

Canada – Almost twenty years ago, I set up this rainwater collection system out in the woods. Using about three hundred square feet of metal roofing to catch the rainwater, the water is run through a very coarse filter as it exits the gutter.

Before flowing in to the 2,000 gallon storage tank, the water passes through a much finer filter and is chlorinated at the same time, using a slow dissolving chlorine puck normally used in pools and spas.

Thus the collected water is cleansed of debris and other nasty stuff before it enters the storage tank. This, I think is key to successful acquisition and storage of rainwater. If the water is not clean before entering storage you are making extra work for yourself “downstream”, assuming you intend to drink it. I have never had to clean the inside of the tank (which can be a dangerous job) or been afraid to drink the water after final treatment and filtration.

Of note, is the fact that the tank is pigmented (green in this case), which helps prevent sunlight activating growth of any kind in the precious water. White or clear tanks are not so great for blocking the harmful effects of sunlight. During warm weather I monitor the chlorine content of the stored water.

With regards to chlorination of water, ScientificAmerican.com states, “Chlorine effectively kills a large variety of microbial water-borne pathogens, including those that can cause typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera and Legionnaires’ disease. Chlorine is widely credited with virtually eliminating outbreaks of water-borne disease in the United States and other developed countries.”

In addition, Life Magazine recently cited the filtration of drinking water and use of chlorine as “Probably the most significant public health advance of the millennium.”

It only takes a cupful of household bleach to effectively “shock” the water free of most pathogens. I usually do this on departure from the cabin and the residual chlorine then has time to dissipate prior to our return. In case there is any residual chlorine in the supply, I again filter the water before use, using an activated charcoal cartridge in my Rainfresh household water filter.

The result is a reliable source of fresh clean drinking water that literally falls out of the sky! No need to drill a well or construct unnecessarily complicated systems, electrical or otherwise.

The whole system runs on gravity; the storage tank is approximately 100′ higher than the cabin.

For every foot of elevation, water pressure below rises by .43 pounds per square inch, resulting in about 43 psi at the cabin level. The pressure is entirely sufficient to run the filtration system, a propane fired demand hot water heater and a hosepipe – all the water amenities of living in town.

Of course, with even a simple system such as this, some degree of maintenance is required. After all, you are running a small utility. Perhaps the biggest concern comes during the winter months, which in our part of the northern hemisphere can become freezing cold at times, potentially causing burst pipes, valves and filter bowls, if they are not properly drained in the fall.

In the woods, tree debris falls on the roof and despite best efforts, gutters always clog too quickly. Water filters have to be exchanged once in a while and attention has to be paid to chlorination. However, basic maintenance is a small price to pay for such a life sustaining benefit.

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