I have installed a water butt to collect the rain water from a
flat felted roof over the garage. (Only place I could get to a
downpipe that would not obstruct access).

Now the butt is full, water coming out quite yellowish, so I am
concerned that may be roof felt may contain things harmful to
plant - particularly in my case orchids.

Any one know?


--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

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On 31/05/18 10:41, Roger Tonkin wrote:
I have installed a water butt to collect the rain water from a
flat felted roof over the garage. (Only place I could get to a
downpipe that would not obstruct access).

Now the butt is full, water coming out quite yellowish, so I am
concerned that may be roof felt may contain things harmful to
plant - particularly in my case orchids.

Any one know?

I can't see roof felt being responsible for the colour. Is it a true
water butt, or is it a "recycled" bulk container? Could it have
contained something which is strongly yellow (eg concentrated orange
juice, or is it possible that the yellow colour is from tree pollen,
which has been at its peak for the last week or three, has landed on the
roof, and been washed in by the rain?

If you are concerned that there might be something nasty in the water,
you could always empty the butt and allow it to refill. Or perhaps add
some charcoal to the butt. Charcoal is pretty good at absorbing things
from water.

--

Jeff

On 31/05/2018 10:41, Roger Tonkin wrote:

I have installed a water butt to collect the rain water from a
flat felted roof over the garage. (Only place I could get to a
downpipe that would not obstruct access).

Now the butt is full, water coming out quite yellowish, so I am
concerned that may be roof felt may contain things harmful to
plant - particularly in my case orchids.

Any one know?

Mine runs clear of a clay pantile roof. I have had mine go green if the
lid blows off but it is otherwise pretty clear. Could be rust possibly
as rain brings down iron micrometeorites in the gutter sludge.

You can extract them to look at under a microscope using a small Nd
magnet to grab onto the iron content.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
lid says...

On 31/05/18 10:41, Roger Tonkin wrote:
I have installed a water butt to collect the rain water from a
flat felted roof over the garage. (Only place I could get to a
downpipe that would not obstruct access).

Now the butt is full, water coming out quite yellowish, so I am
concerned that may be roof felt may contain things harmful to
plant - particularly in my case orchids.

Any one know?

I can't see roof felt being responsible for the colour. Is it a true
water butt, or is it a "recycled" bulk container? Could it have
contained something which is strongly yellow (eg concentrated orange
juice, or is it possible that the yellow colour is from tree pollen,
which has been at its peak for the last week or three, has landed on the
roof, and been washed in by the rain?

If you are concerned that there might be something nasty in the water,
you could always empty the butt and allow it to refill. Or perhaps add
some charcoal to the butt. Charcoal is pretty good at absorbing things
from water.

It is a green plasticy type thing, not recycled, bought new.

Don't really want to empty it now, especially if we have a good
summer. Might try the charcoal.

Thanks

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com

On 01/06/2018 16:08, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In article ,
lid says...

On 31/05/18 10:41, Roger Tonkin wrote:
I have installed a water butt to collect the rain water from a
flat felted roof over the garage. (Only place I could get to a
downpipe that would not obstruct access).

Now the butt is full, water coming out quite yellowish, so I am
concerned that may be roof felt may contain things harmful to
plant - particularly in my case orchids.

Any one know?

I can't see roof felt being responsible for the colour. Is it a true
water butt, or is it a "recycled" bulk container? Could it have
contained something which is strongly yellow (eg concentrated orange
juice, or is it possible that the yellow colour is from tree pollen,
which has been at its peak for the last week or three, has landed on the
roof, and been washed in by the rain?

If you are concerned that there might be something nasty in the water,
you could always empty the butt and allow it to refill. Or perhaps add
some charcoal to the butt. Charcoal is pretty good at absorbing things
from water.

It is a green plasticy type thing, not recycled, bought new.

Don't really want to empty it now, especially if we have a good
summer. Might try the charcoal.

Thanks

You don't say how big it is, but you could try adding half a cup of
bleach to the water, should kill most things in it but wont hurt the plants

In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says...

On 01/06/2018 16:08, Roger Tonkin wrote:
In article ,
lid says...

On 31/05/18 10:41, Roger Tonkin wrote:
I have installed a water butt to collect the rain water from a
flat felted roof over the garage. (Only place I could get to a
downpipe that would not obstruct access).

Now the butt is full, water coming out quite yellowish, so I am
concerned that may be roof felt may contain things harmful to
plant - particularly in my case orchids.

Any one know?

I can't see roof felt being responsible for the colour. Is it a true
water butt, or is it a "recycled" bulk container? Could it have
contained something which is strongly yellow (eg concentrated orange
juice, or is it possible that the yellow colour is from tree pollen,
which has been at its peak for the last week or three, has landed on the
roof, and been washed in by the rain?

If you are concerned that there might be something nasty in the water,
you could always empty the butt and allow it to refill. Or perhaps add
some charcoal to the butt. Charcoal is pretty good at absorbing things
from water.

It is a green plasticy type thing, not recycled, bought new.

Don't really want to empty it now, especially if we have a good
summer. Might try the charcoal.

Thanks

You don't say how big it is, but you could try adding half a cup of
bleach to the water, should kill most things in it but wont hurt the plants


It is around 100 litre size.

Interestingly I opened up the lid tonight and found that over
the top of the water there was a thin layer of very fine bits
floating, so may be the tree pollen suggestion hit the mark.

Not sure how to tell what it is tho'


--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

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