Storing Rainwater

[Aint_ur_Bizniz]

I have searched everywhere found ways to make rain systems found some cool ones I could purchase. But I am collecting it in a bucket and saving it in Plastic bottles I save from juice exc. I would like to store enough up to make it thru the winter but I dont want it to go stagnant so what should I use in it to prevent that without harming my plants or a way to freshen it back up if I do start to see floaties in my water.  I am growing Organically do not use ph or anything and this is the biggest reason I want to continue to use rainwater, my home water has a lot of calcium and who knows what else. So Any help would be great  TY

[zachw]

I have searched everywhere found ways to make rain systems found some cool ones I could purchase. But I am collecting it in a bucket and saving it in Plastic bottles I save from juice exc. I would like to store enough up to make it thru the winter but I dont want it to go stagnant so what should I use in it to prevent that without harming my plants or a way to freshen it back up if I do start to see floaties in my water.  I am growing Organically do not use ph or anything and this is the biggest reason I want to continue to use rainwater, my home water has a lot of calcium and who knows what else. So Any help would be great  TY

 

Sounds like a LOT of water to store! Have you estimated how many gallons you'll need? You may have to store in in 55 gallon barrels. Tap water will last about 6 months because of the chlorine; obviously rain water will go bad from bacteria & such much sooner. No clue as to how to determine when stored water for plants becomes problematic.

Edited August 14, 2016 by zachw

[t-pain]

there are some options.

 

they use rainwater catchment systems on hawaii. then they have filters , uv light, ozone treatment, etc.

 

as for keeping water over the winter, well. you will need a huge cistern/tank.

 

 

it might be cheaper and easier to just make a pond outside and then just pump water from that. let nature filter the water for your plants. unless you want to spend $$$$ for a whole system.

 

 

theres also aquaponics, if you want tanks in your house. aquaponics can mix plants, nutrients, even go crazy and put fish in there.

 

you could also build or buy a slow sand filter

http://www.cdc.gov/safewater/sand-filtration.html

 

 

you can get free barrels and even large plastic liquid containers on craigslist, if you are near any big cities usually.

 

good luck.

most people use RO and tap water, or drill a well, or just tap+carbon filter.

[t-pain]

rain water and snow water both work great for plants though. foliar feed!!!

[AmishRnot4ganja]

Get a water softener. Plants love it and you will have an unlimited, fresh supply. You have to add a calcium-magnesium supplement (CalMag) to your nutrient mix though.

[shishka]

I store enough water to last me the winter months of Dec-Feb(when I can't use my hose). For my situation I store RO water from my well in 275 gallon ibc totes. I have five of these I top off in Nov and continue to top off until a hard freeze forces me to remove the hose from the hose bib. The first year I added chlorine bleach to each but have since stopped that and have no problems with the water going "bad".

 

I do draw water 24 hours in advance everyday and oxygenate it

[bax]

can oxygenate water with air stone or ozone or waterfall

[GrowGoddess]

I have searched everywhere found ways to make rain systems found some cool ones I could purchase. But I am collecting it in a bucket and saving it in Plastic bottles I save from juice exc. I would like to store enough up to make it thru the winter but I dont want it to go stagnant so what should I use in it to prevent that without harming my plants or a way to freshen it back up if I do start to see floaties in my water.  I am growing Organically do not use ph or anything and this is the biggest reason I want to continue to use rainwater, my home water has a lot of calcium and who knows what else. So Any help would be great  TY

 

All I use is rainwater. In the winter I will melt snow. If there is no option, I will use RO filtered water. (Keep in mind, you can get polluted rainfalls, so you do need to be picky with the rainwater). I usually just store it in those 7 gallon drinking water jugs, I get the cube shaped ones. However, I may be downsizing to the 5 gallon jugs, they are getting heavy for me. I usually store at least around 100 gallons. There have been a few times where I have run out. There are a lot better methods. I have stored my rain water for up to a year without any noticeable problems. You can always add a couple of drops of bleach which will help preserve it. If you are looking for some really good ideas, check out my blog entry about prepping, there are some nice videos and links about water storage. http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/blog/532/entry-1161-prepping-for-disasters-economic-collapse-long-term-food-storage-a-necessary-life-skill-best-hand-pump-for-water-wells/

[t-pain]

iodine is another way to keep water potable.

 

as well as h2o2 (hydrogen peroxide)

 

both are safe treatments for water, and are safe for plants in small amounts.

 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1744-7348.1924.tb05695.x/abstract

 

iodine is found in seaweed and a few other plants. so if you use seaweed/kelp meal , its nothing new.

[budpuffer]

i use rain water in gallon water jugs,,,20 of them...with 2 -30 gallon plastic barrels as back up..i haven't had any trouble collecting it during the winter..i have a down spout into a tub when it freezes i drag it in the house let it thaw filter into the gallon jugs...you still need to adj. ph..bp  ps water collected before the freeze may have mosquito larva in it..

[Highlander]

Kinda off topic a bit, but since my dad was a depression kid I always look for easy ways to save a buck. I save rainwater, usually in the multitudes of General Hydroponics heavy plastic six-gallon jugs I buy nutrients in. During the cold months, I keep about four one-gallon jugs of water outside so they freeze overnight. In the morning I put them in the fridge to save a few a cents on electricity. Rinse and repeat.

[bax]

you could just turn off the fridge and put the food outside! haw haw.

 

but yes, freezing the water will kill some bacteria as well.

Edited August 16, 2016 by bax