Rainwater Collection: Who’s Actually Using It Long-Term?
Been steadily collecting rainwater for the last 3 years—barrels, old cisterns, even a clay jar experiment last summer. It's legal here, but I know that's not the case everywhere. What I've found is storage and filtering are WAY bigger headaches than most folks realize. Algae in barrels, mosquito larvae if you slack off on screens, and in winter the ice can split plastic tanks if you're not careful.
For those who have stuck with rain catchment long-term, what's your maintenance routine actually look like? Are you going with basic sand/charcoal filters or investing in more serious filtration? Anyone had issues with metal roof runoff (zinc, lead, etc), and how did you handle it? I prefer low-tech solutions rooted in old methods, but don’t want to risk making myself sick.
Would also love to hear if anyone's using stored rain for things beyond gardening—drinking, showers, laundry? Any big successes or nasty surprises after a couple years? Sometimes it feels like the more you learn, the more hazards there
For those who have stuck with rain catchment long-term, what's your maintenance routine actually look like? Are you going with basic sand/charcoal filters or investing in more serious filtration? Anyone had issues with metal roof runoff (zinc, lead, etc), and how did you handle it? I prefer low-tech solutions rooted in old methods, but don’t want to risk making myself sick.
Would also love to hear if anyone's using stored rain for things beyond gardening—drinking, showers, laundry? Any big successes or nasty surprises after a couple years? Sometimes it feels like the more you learn, the more hazards there