Rainwater Catchment System Works Year-Round
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We live in a semi-arid area of southern Colorado. Good quality well water is mostly unavailable. To meet our daily needs we designed a rainwater catchment system that works year-round – winter and summer. We couldn’t use gutters because when we do get ice, it tears them off the roof.
So we set up Y-shaped “gutter walls” down below the edge of the roof that catch not only the rain but snow and ice that comes off the roof. The gutter walls also serve as decorative backing for raised flower beds that run the length of the house.
We made the walls out of Rastra foam blocks that can be easily carved and shaped, and then covered in cement stucco.
Water flows down the gutter wall to two interconnected 1,200-gal. underground tanks that act as cisterns. Because we have a large home, there’s about 5,000 sq. ft. of roof area, which means 1/2-in. of rain will fill our 2,400 gal. of storage. Of course, we filter and purify the water before it comes into our home. This system provides all the water we need, except in a drought.
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Rainwater Catchment System Works Year-Round FARM HOME Miscellaneous We live in a semi-arid area of southern Colorado Good quality well water is mostly unavailable To meet our daily needs we designed a rainwater catchment system that works year-round – winter and summer We couldn’t use gutters because when we do get ice it tears them off the roof So we set up Y-shaped “gutter walls” down below the edge of the roof that catch not only the rain but snow and ice that comes off the roof The gutter walls also serve as decorative backing for raised flower beds that run the length of the house We made the walls out of Rastra foam blocks that can be easily carved and shaped and then covered in cement stucco Water flows down the gutter wall to two interconnected 1 200-gal underground tanks that act as cisterns Because we have a large home there’s about 5 000 sq ft of roof area which means 1/2-in of rain will fill our 2 400 gal of storage Of course we filter and purify the water before it comes into our home This system provides all the water we need except in a drought
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