I have two 1000 litre storage tanks which collect water from the roof, and I then use to water our vegatable garden.

Obviously these are used and topped up on a continual basis, so the water is both recent and old.

The water will contain whatever is washed off the roof, including bird droppings etc.

I am not worried about using this water on root crops, but what is the risk to health from using this water on leafed vegetables ?

Of course we wash all leaves, lettuce etc, before consumption.

In article , joggerman.6606528
@gardenbanter.co.uk says...

I have two 1000 litre storage tanks which collect water from the roof,
and I then use to water our vegatable garden.

Obviously these are used and topped up on a continual basis, so the
water is both recent and old.

The water will contain whatever is washed off the roof, including bird
droppings etc.

I am not worried about using this water on root crops, but what is the
risk to health from using this water on leafed vegetables ?

Of course we wash all leaves, lettuce etc, before consumption.

If you're comfortable with using captured water for root crops, then you
should have no problem with using it for leaf vegetables -- but water
the soil and not the leaves.

We view captured water as preferable to using tap water and tap water
that's had time to offgas the chlorine as preferable to watering
directly from the tap. ...never had a problem with aged water or even
fermented aged water. -- In fact we like captured water so much that I
intend to put a 1500 gallon or better, cistern underground ASAP and
augment that with rain barrels... or vice versa ...not to get too ahead
of myself.

We have a cedar shake roof, btw so there are no appreciable sediment
problems.

A neighbour of ours built a stepped settling system of buckets for his
rain catchment. By the time the water got to the last step, it was
clear.

In article , joggerman.6606528
@gardenbanter.co.uk says...

I have two 1000 litre storage tanks which collect water from the roof,
and I then use to water our vegatable garden.

....

The water will contain whatever is washed off the roof, including bird
droppings etc.


In my enthusiasm I missed the volume of your tanks and didn't ask if you
have a bird-roosting problem on the roof.

g'day joggerman,

seems to be a bit of hype around about roof water usage, the major
contributor will be the sort of cladding you have on your roof, most
have clay tiles or metal so be no problems with that water even for
drinking.

as for what is in the rain well that can be another story, might be
some factors in nearness to industry belching out pollution or major
thoroughfares with their pollution.

i cannot see any problem using rain water collected for vegetables for
one whatever is in rain water for the main settles to the bottom of
teh tank out of harms way, and is any of it realy in a solluable for
to be taken up by plants through the mycorzoria or worms actions?

anoteh with the watering process with vegetables we only ever water
the root zones of plants not over the foliage as wetting the foliage
can cause other issues like encuraging mildews etc.,. also root zone
watering is the most efficient use of water along with mulch to keep
that water from evaporating.

we use rain water some for drinking our tank 22.5k/litre size as
sedimanet in the bottom as did our tanks on our our previous property
we don't routinely get sick.

i would suggest as their may be pollutant matter falling onto you
garden anyway again depending on your proximity to a polluting factor,
that for above ground leaf and fruit crops you simply wash them before
eating them raw. my sugestion also would be anything that may be left
on those above ground crops from your watering would be washed away
with the next shower of rain.



On Wed, 12 May 2010 06:46:38 -0400, joggerman
wrote:

snipped
--

Matthew 25:13 KJV
"Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son
of man cometh"

len

With peace and brightest of blessings,

"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

Anybody ???????

Does anyone use this type of stored water?

In article ,
joggerman wrote:

Anybody ???????

Does anyone use this type of stored water?

If you are worried about it, throw some chlorine bleach in the water
first (1/8 c per 5 gal). That's what our water company does to keep the
dead birds in our water reservoirs from killing us (
--
- Billy
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arn3lF5XSUg
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/HZinn_page.html

joggerman wrote:
I have two 1000 litre storage tanks which collect water from the roof,
and I then use to water our vegatable garden.

Obviously these are used and topped up on a continual basis, so the
water is both recent and old.

The water will contain whatever is washed off the roof, including bird
droppings etc.

I am not worried about using this water on root crops, but what is the
risk to health from using this water on leafed vegetables ?

Of course we wash all leaves, lettuce etc, before consumption.

It will be fine for the garden unless you live in a *highly* polluted area
with much chemicals, smog etc in the air or if you have reguilar dust
storms. But then you are breathing it all anyway so eating it off your
veges will only shorten your life marginally. The solution would be to move
rather than stop gardening with roof water.

At my place this is what we drink, that is all my household water is
collected from the roof. This applies to thousands of homes in rural
Australia. Generally this water is better than reticulated city water
unless you don't care for your tanks.

David

Thanks to all, for the replies and advice.

we do and as mentiojned in my earlier post have done for a long tme
now.

On Wed, 12 May 2010 14:25:47 -0400, joggerman
wrote:
snipped
--

Matthew 25:13 KJV
"Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son
of man cometh"

len

With peace and brightest of blessings,

"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

"joggerman" wrote in message
...

I have two 1000 litre storage tanks which collect water from the roof,
and I then use to water our vegatable garden.

Obviously these are used and topped up on a continual basis, so the
water is both recent and old.

The water will contain whatever is washed off the roof, including bird
droppings etc.

I am not worried about using this water on root crops, but what is the
risk to health from using this water on leafed vegetables ?

Of course we wash all leaves, lettuce etc, before consumption.

LOL. You've just described the collection system for the water that I have
been drinking for 5 decades. Much of the world drinks water collected
straight from a roof and with no filtration or treatment.

"joggerman" wrote in message
...

Anybody ???????

Does anyone use this type of stored water?

A huge number of people in the world. In rural Australia, then anyone who
is not in a place with a town water supply drinks such water. And even if
there is a town water suply, it's sometimes safer to drink one's own water
collected off the roof than from the town supply.

In article ,
phorbin wrote:

In article ,
says...

phorbin wrote:

A neighbour of ours built a stepped settling system of buckets for his
rain catchment. By the time the water got to the last step, it was
clear.
You don't, by chance, have details or a link to photos do you? I'm
considering such a tiered settling system myself for use with a roof
catchment and above-ground storage.

Was going over draft postings and found this.

Afraid Walt's long gone and so is the system...

It harvested the water from his garage.

It was a pretty simple 2x4 somewhat overbuilt structure supporting 2
banks of 4 or 5 salvaged food grade 5 gallon buckets with each bank
stairstepping down from 2 downspouts toward the middle at about 8 inches
a step.

--Except for the catchment each bucket had a 2 inch plastic pipe set
into it below the lip which poured into the next bucket. The pipe may
have been sealed in place with silicone sealant.

What I felt was missing was some way of excluding insects and
critters.

I'd guess that there's an optimum bucket size and number to allow
settling and not retain too much water in the system.

Of possible interest.

http://www.harvesth2o.com/rainwaterstorage.shtml

--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden
What use one more wake up call?

In article ,
says...

phorbin wrote:

A neighbour of ours built a stepped settling system of buckets for his
rain catchment. By the time the water got to the last step, it was
clear.
You don't, by chance, have details or a link to photos do you? I'm
considering such a tiered settling system myself for use with a roof
catchment and above-ground storage.

Was going over draft postings and found this.

Afraid Walt's long gone and so is the system...

It harvested the water from his garage.

It was a pretty simple 2x4 somewhat overbuilt structure supporting 2
banks of 4 or 5 salvaged food grade 5 gallon buckets with each bank
stairstepping down from 2 downspouts toward the middle at about 8 inches
a step.

--Except for the catchment each bucket had a 2 inch plastic pipe set
into it below the lip which poured into the next bucket. The pipe may
have been sealed in place with silicone sealant.

What I felt was missing was some way of excluding insects and
critters.

I'd guess that there's an optimum bucket size and number to allow
settling and not retain too much water in the system.

In article ,
says...

What I have in mind is cascading 55-60 gal (U.S.) polyethelene
barrels delivering into an inexpensive above-ground pool installed
partly below ground. Although that represents significant residual
water, I can't imagine 5-gal buckets providing enough buffering to allow
junk to settle.

It seemed to work well enough. The last step produced no gravel or
leaves and the first, lots.

Have you thought of installing drains in the barrels so you can let out
the sediment and/or the water without having to work too hard?