Rainwater

Over the last few years, the Red River Valley has had its fare share of floods. Every spring flooding becomes a major concern for the people of the valley. According to Joseph Littbarski, (nd) the climate of the Red River Valley goes through cycles of wet and dry periods. Currently the valley is in the wet cycle. Ed Steadman quoted in Littbarski article states “in spite of the devastating effect of reoccurring floods in recent history, a long-term drought will be far more catastrophic to our region.” The residents of the Fargo area ought to start thinking about rainwater collection. The collection will not only help conserve water, but it will also reduce the amount of flooding on a small scale. The collection of rainwater on a large scale will help the Fargo area get ready for the dry cycles in the future. I will first talk about the benefits that rainwater collection has. Then I will tell you about the different storage options and what options are best for the Fargo area. Closing I will tell you why it is important to collect rainwater.

Sarah Mauel

Benefits According to” Benefits of Rain Water Harvesting” (nd) from Urban Garden Solution, rainwater collection benefits the environment and homeowners pocketbook. I have selected a nine reasons why the Fargo area should collect rainwater. •Free- Collecting rainwater has no cost•Happier Plants- Rainwater is free of chlorine, fluoride and other minerals that are added to municipal water. •Reduce Urban Flooding- “Helps mitigate urban flooding by reduced storm drainage load and flooding of the city streets during heavy downpours.”•Improve Groundwater Quality and Water Quality of our Lakes, Rivers and Oceans- “By reducing the amount of runoff to the street helps prevent pesticides, fertilizers and oil residues for our cars making its way into the drains that lead to our river and oceans.” •Water Independence- By capture your own water you are able to do what you want with that water. •Lower Water Cost- in the US water is about $1.50 for every 1000 gallons. Today that is cheap, but water prices are expected to rise. In collecting your own water can lower the demand for local water and keep the price low. Incentives like tax credits and lowering water bills for drainage fees and rebates may be found if you install a rainwater harvesting system. •Flexibility – there is a wide range of options for rainwater storage in the color, and sizes. •Less Demand- You will have a less demand on the local municipal water supply. •Sustainable Living- Cost a lot of energy to transport water to our homes. In using rainwater collected less municipal water will be used.

Rain Barrels and Systems: Small Scale

Figure 1 Plastic Rain barrel Figure 2 Painted Rain barrel

Figure 3 Rain Tank System

Stated in Harvest the Rain (nd), rain barrels are the simplest rainwater device. Rain barrels are a great option for beginner rainwater collector, or for people just wanting to collect a small amount of water. Barrels are mostly made from plastic, (Figure 1) but they can be made from other materials like polyester. In looking at simplyrainbarrels.com I found that rain barrels comes in a variety of

shapes, styles and sizes that can be incorporated into anyone yard. The barrels can hold anywhere from 50 to 300 gallons of water. The price can range from about $110 to as much as $1,000. If you are the more do it yourself person making your own rain barrel is also a great option. In looking at Garden Web blogs, I found that people have used trash cans, food grade barrels from soft drink companies and some have just used buckets. These make shift rain barrels are cheaper

than the manufactured rain barrels. These can be easily painted to add a personal touch to anyone’s yard shown in figure 2.

Another option is rain tank system. (Figure 3). These tanks are similar to rain barrels except that they incorporate a pump for quick and easy water distribution. The tanks are made from Polymer Alloy which adds durability and UV protection to the tank. The sizes can range from 250 to 2,400 gallons or more. These tanks are extremely durable and are made to be outdoors. These can either be above or below ground and can run anywhere from $1,800 to $2,600. (simplyrainbarrels.com) Either of these tanks are a great options to add to your yard to collect rainwater.

Storage Types: Large scale

Pushard’s (nd) article lays out seven options when it comes to storing rainwater. There are many options

that can fit anyone budget or any amount of rainfall. It is very important to pick a storage option that works for the area that you live in. When picking out the size of the tank or the cistern there are a

few things that need to be taken into consideration; the amount of local rainfall, the length of dry spell,

aesthetics and the catchment surface area. The tanks can be either is above the ground or below, this is

determined by the soil, outside temperature range and the cost. The Fargo area should use an above

ground tank because of the clay soil that expands and contracts throughout the year. The follow tanks are used for more large scale water collection compared to the rain barrels and are more expensive . Pushard

also gives details

about different storage solutions listed below are some of the different storage solutions that he listed in his article that could work in the Fargo area.

•Fiberglass- light-weight, reasonably priced and long lasting. Sizes range from 50 gallon barrels 15,000 gallon tanks. Vertical cylinder and low-horizontal are available. These tanks have been proven to be last for years and can be easily repaired. •Polyethylene- Is the most common type of tank being used. They can be found at most farm, ranch supply and large landscape retailers. They come in many shape, color and size ranging from 50 to 10,000 gallons tank. This tank can be either above or below ground. These tanks are inexpensive and lightweight and long lasting. Shown in figure 6. •Wood- are used for aesthetic appeal. Similar to water towers at railroad depots. The tanks are made from pine, cedar or cypress wrapped with steel tension cables. The tank is lined with plastic

Figure 4 Metal Solution

Figure 5 Wood Solution

to increase the longevity. Redwood tanks are resistant to insects and decay and are a good insulator to keep water cool in the summer and protects water from freezing in the water. Redwood is very expensive so pine is commonly used. Wood tanks sizes vary from 700- 37,000 gallon tanks. These tanks are built by skilled technicians and are placed above ground and should not be used in dry and hot climates. Shown in figure 5. •Metal- These tanks are made from corrugated galvanized steel ranging in size from 150-2,500 gallon tank. These tanks are lightweight and easy to relocate. This tank is above ground use. The tanks should be lined with food grade liner like polyethylene or PVC or epoxy paint. This will extend the life of the metal. Shown in figure 4. •Concrete- are versatile tank. They can be poured in place or prefabricated. Above or below ground. Can be very attractive and easily integrated into new construction. They can be placed

under a patio or a basement. These are considered permanent. Underground concrete tanks are prone to cracking and leaking, especially in clay soil. •Stone and Mason- Not as common anymore. It keeps water cool in hot climates and are very attractive. Theses taken need to be taken care of so that toxic materials don’t mix with the water. •Plastered Tire Cistern- hand-made tanks. The tank is made from a circle of buried tires with wire mesh inside covered with plaster. This tank will need periodic maintenance to repair cracks on the inside. These buried tanks are very economical if they are 10,000+ gallons. These tanks become part of the home and can prevent cooling in hot climates. In cooler climates the top side should be insulated to prevent cooling. These tanks are custom built so they can be any size and shape. If properly constructed and maintained, will last for decades.

Figure 6 Polyethylene Solution

Real World comments Hot or Not? Rainwater collection systemsOn Toolmonger blog people answered the question Hot or Not? Rainwater Collection System ? Listed below are what people said is Hot about rain water collection systems.

Hot. I live in the Midwest, and we get more than our fair share of water (especially last year when we had flooding), but the summer months get kind of lean and I have a garden. Why not use the spring rain for summer watering? Kurt Schwind January 15, 2009

Hot. Why spray treated water meant for drinking on your lawn. Greg Smith January 15, 2009 The Midwest might be a better fit for these, since you get summer storms that could fill up your barrels in an afternoon, thus giving you several convenient refills during the dry season. Jonno January 15, 2009

Hot. I wouldn’t buy one but have a free source of plastic 55 gallon barrels. Put it up on a couple landscape blocks for some elevation and run the hose to the garden. Open the tap let it trickle in there. Easy. Jeff January 15, 2009 If you know any farmers outside the city a bit, they usually have a number of barrels that their herbicide comes in. Just make sure you clean them out really well or the first few barrels might not help your plants grow.

The following comments are responses to Dana Healer question on a Garden Web blog: “I need very cheap ideas for rain water collection and please share your experience. I want to reduce the amount of city water I use to water my garden; it is mostly edibles so grey water is out. Any ideas?”

Dtkaty: I have 3, 40 gal trash can with wheels that I set out when it starts pouring rain. So far, these have worked great.

Belgianpup: A quick and cheap way to catch water (esp for emergency drinking water) is to suspend a clean new plastic tarp between two poles set in the ground (tall fence post work fine).Set a clean garbage can nearby, and let the water run from the angled tarp into the can. Lining the can with a food grade plastic bag would be preferable. Sue

Mid tn mama: We got our food grade barrels free from a soft drink bottling company. Had to clean out all of the syrup first. We built frames so they sit about a foot off the ground and thereby have gravity to feed water to soaker hoses in the garden quite a distance away.

What other people have said

After researching rainwater collection, I think that it’s not only a good idea for the Fargo area, but for everyone to collect water because of 5 reasons. •Collecting rainwater is free •Lowering your sewer water bill •Reducing urban flooding •Contributing to a sustainable lifestyle •Building and installing is easyI am not saying go out and buy the biggest and most expensive system right away. Starting out with a rain barrel is an inexpensive way to start conserving water. If you find that you like using the rain barrels and you need more storage; go out and buy a larger system that fits your water needs.

A rain barrel might seem like a small drop in a large river, but if thousands of homeowners in the Fargo area collect rainwater it will make a big splash in our fight against water.

Source

s Littbarski, J. (n.d.). HarvestH2O.com :: The Online Rainwater Harvesting Community. The Rainwater Harvesting Community :HarvestH2O.com. Retrieved March 5, 2010, from http://www.harvesth2o.com/climateswing.shtml

Benefits of Rain Water Harvesting - Urban Garden Solutions. (n.d.). Urban Garden Solutions-Organic gardening supplies & solutions for small space, eco-conscious city gardener! Raised garden beds, compost bins, organic seeds & fertilizers, hydro-ponics, indoor gardening, grow lights, rain barrels, seed starting supplies, gr. Retrieved February 26, 2010, from http://www.urbangardensolutions.com/Benefits-of-Rain-Water-Harvesting-a/155.htm

(2003). Harvest the Rain. Mother Earth News, (199), 42. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Rain Barrels & Rain Water Tanks On Sale and Shipped Quickly. (n.d.). Rain Barrels & Rain Water Tanks On Sale and Shipped Quickly. Retrieved March 8, 2010, from http://www.simplyrainbarrels.co

Pushard, D. (n.d.). Rainwater Harvesting: Comparing Storage Solutions :: HarvestH2o.com. The Rainwater Harvesting Com-munity :: HarvestH2O.com. Retrieved February 26, 2010, from http://www.harvesth2o.com/rainwaterstorage.shtml#top

logic, t., & shouldn&. (n.d.). Toolmonger » Blog Archive » Hot or Not? Rainwater Collection System. Toolmonger . Retrieved March 11, 2010, from http://toolmonger.com/2009/01/15/hot-or-not-rainwater-collection-system/

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