Homesteader reduced water usage by 90% | Hacker News Reader

Homesteader reduced water usage by 90%

worldwaterreserve.com

> every large structure on our land has a water catchment system so I can water trees, veggies and animals with free water that is caught close to where it’s used. That is mostly because I don’t want to dig hundreds of feet of water line or pay for irrigation water, and because I want a relatively clean source of water near the house if the utilities fail.

I've always wondered about this. How clean is water that's run down roofing shingles before it's collected?

Not clean enough to be considered potable, but good enough to water your lawn or use as a separate grey water system if you're set up for it.

A lot of people who do this will have a complete filtration system so it can be used for all of their water needs. Personally, I have some rain barrels for watering my garden and a small emergency filtration kit that I can use in the extremely unlikely situation we need it

It can be very clean, it can be very dirty. It depends on your roof type, weather and local environment. In most cases, it wouldn't pass most country's regulations on safe water quality [1]

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41545-019-0030-5

Note that if you’re in the US there may be some minor legal concerns regarding rainwater collection on your property. It doesn’t appear to be outright illegal anywhere, but there are nuances you may want to be aware of such as collection limits or usage limits.

Please. We shouldn't let these bureaucrats try to own what comes from the sky. Sheesh. Don't indulge them by believing in their silly laws.

Unfortunately, if they are determined enough, bureaucrats can have ways of enforcing their silly laws. Ignoring them is not always a good answer.

I haven't (and won't) opine on whether or not I feel those sorts of laws are reasonable: that's not the point of my original comment. The point of my comment is simply to point out that there may be restrictions in your jurisdiction and you should be aware of them. If you choose to engage in civil disobedience on this topic, that's entirely your choice. But ignorance of the law isn't a great excuse for violating it.

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