DIY Home Water Filtration System: Rainwater Harvesting with a Biological Sand Filter and Maintenance

[@TheoSmith249]

how many years have you filtered water through the system?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

H A Z M A T i say three years in this video, but it’s actually two years after I looked at the time stamp on some of the old photos. It takes about two weeks to “grow” the biological layer on top of the sand filter to get the full 99% purifying qualities of this filter.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

I've been living off biosand filter water systems, solely, since 2012. This system WORKS for drinking water, and with this gravity-fed underground cistern design, it works to provide all domestic water needs!

[@TheoSmith249]

HeirloomBuilders thank you. Would you say that this type of system would work well in an equatorial climate, say Costa Rica? Meaning does the biolayer get affected by temperatures

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@TheoSmith249 Biosand filters work great in tropical climates like Costa Rica. The bio layer does freeze in extremely cold temps.

[@kn4492]

I’m also from Costa Rica and would like to give it a try. Interested in sharing ideas too..

[@chaoticgood3935]

Look at that frog in the filtration tank! Did anyone else see that little guy? Very nice system! (should've finished the video before commenting 😆)

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@chaoticgood3935 thanks!

[@steffybael1245]

in 1999 we bought a farm in Perry county, Arkansas. the water system was water pumped from our 1 acre STOCK POND(used by horses, cows, goats, dogs, a donkey, etc.... to drink from and wade in) to a 2 chamber sand filter and then pumped directly into the house to drink, shower, flush etc... the filter was 1 large rectangular tank with a divider going to within 4 inches from the bottom and filled to within 8 inches from the top with SAND on one side and only 12 inches deep on the other side. a submersible pump in the pond pumped to the high sand side through a float valve on the side of the tank. from there the water filtered down to the bottom and up into the other side of the tank and the height was the same as the other side. water was piped from the clean side via the intake pipe from a jet pump that went up the outside of the tank over the edge and down into the tank about a foot, where a screen was attached. this sand filter was originally used to filter the well water, but the water table was low, because the highway department had blasted the old bridge and water was flowing from our well out the side of the bank and into the river! we didnt have much water used the filter to filter pond water! before i moved in 2006, we put 3 IBC tanks side beside in a basement addition and then used REVERSE OSMOSIS and DC POWERED UV LAMPS IN HOME MADE MANIFOLD.

[@rongray4118]

I have shared your collection system - hope you don't mind. Best I have seen thus far.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@rongray4118 thank you! I’m developing a slight revision to make it even better. Plans for the revision will be available on our website soon www.heirloombuilders.com

[@adamgregory7205]

Intermediate Bulk Container, for anyone thinking of using these, make sure you get food grade. Many of these totes are used to transport chemicals that can leech into the plastic and contaminate the water.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Adam Gregory good point. Thanks for that clarification!

[@rongray4118]

Deanna and I are headed to the property this weekend and off to a new life. I cam back to review and copy your methods for our water catchment system again! Thank you so much for posting your knowledge and experience!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@rongray4118 that’s great!

[@cambo6911]

Excellent brother thank you so much for sharing, looks like a pre-filter for debris will need to be installed in my future system. Excellent work my friend and thanks again for sharing! May God bless you and yours always

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thank you! The pre-filter is really important to reduce maintenance. Good luck and God bless

[@joneggen1059]

Awesome. One improvement is to divert the "first flush" of water off the roof. Eliminate the dust and pollen and then collect the cleaner water. I dont know the details but they can be basic.

[@rongray4118]

exactly what I was thinking as well. We are very dusty in our mountain area and it does a great job for collecting excess debris and material. The water can be used for garden - problem solved!

[@alexk6745]

The first flush which are sold which can only take 10l are joke. I also think about first flush, but I believe it should be 50 gallons for the first flush. But for now I have 60l drum full of gravel for filtering. The top gravel is 4-8mm. It is not a filter. I call it a sediment trap. I will see how lond this will work. I hope I won't need first flush. If it will last 3 years befroe I need to clean up then no need for the first flush.

[@ovogaming7453]

This is absolutely an amazing video and really appreciated. I wish there was one video showing it actually being built for the newer people trying to do this to copy how it is done.

[@anthonydukes5832]

Excellent ! This is a genuis way of saving our planet it is desperately needed ! Our corrupt politicians are doing a terrible job at saving the environment while good hearted citizens like yourself are trying to help the earth. I don't know why but it makes me cry and I'm not an emotional person but we as a country are in terrible shape ! Thank you !

[@HeirloomBuilders]

We have to take it upon ourselves to create the future we want to see.

[@edvac1]

Good explanation of a slow sand water filter. Very professional set up. Nice deep sand bed. We've Been using slow sand filters here since 2007. The oldest filter from 2007 is still working, crystal clear pure water. These filters work!!!!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks, Dave! Glad to hear your system is still doing well. Where are you located?

[@edvac1]

Northwest Washington state

[@lancekelleykirksharpgoodfr142]

I live Hawaii will try.

[@matthewwilliams3827]

So cool and effective!

[@ThorD4602]

Great video. Great design. And you actually respond to comments. A+.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 😁

[@kbwfgg6400]

Really enjoyed you explaining your system, just what I was looking for. To help with the pollen problem you could try a first flush system sized according to your roof. It is size such that the first minute or so of rain rinses your roof and that water is discarded then the rest of the water is automatically diverted into your filter. You adjust the speed of the drain for your first flush tank so that all the rest of the rain for the same day goes to your filter. But the first flush tank empties in about 12 to 24 hours and then automatically resets to catch the next first flush rinse. It is actually a simple and low maintenance valve to build.

[@titchc]

I love this system. And I've worked for years on a group scheme. We supply around 2000 people in our community with drinking water using slow sand filters. Slow sand filters requires regular cleaning. You should turn off the inlet from the raw water allow the sand filter to work until the sand is dry then with a scraper remove the top layer of dirt. But do not rake or dig into the sand more than necessary, as the top couple of inches of sand, thanks to the bacteria there in, is in fact doing the majority of the cleaning. This should be done periodically.

[@richardblack6569]

Hi, so the only maintenance for the filter tank is just to remove the scum off the top and leave the rest undisturbed?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

You got it! Its the lowest maintenance of any system I know. As long as you can keep debris and pollen out of the raw water that feeds into the sand filter, the maintenance schedule will be VERY minimal. For us, that means cleaning the vortex mesh strainer every couple of rain events (which takes about 60 seconds).

[@louhunt8403]

SUPERIOR video ... especially for us off-gridders! Thank you! :o)

[@carmenortiz5294]

I know there is a cistern under my house and there is a very small door on the floor of my basement. There is a what I believe is a catchment system in front and back of the house (there are layers of rocks and pebble in both places). What I have no idea of is how am I supposed to access the water. It's not like I can ask the builder, the house is close to 100 years old and the previous owner never even notice the door. Very interesting video. I was thinking of how to increase my own system. (I'm just a 74 year old woman, not an expert builder.) They sell those big containers, less than a mile from my house.

[@rongray4118]

If the cistern is still collecting water - a sump pump that can be manually turned on can push water to the filter and storage (IBC) totes.

[@carmenortiz5294]

@@rongray4118 It's in my plans, my issue is that I would need that water tested. My house was build 100 years ago (great shape) I actually have two large blue water barrels in my basement in addition to other water contaners.

[@rongray4118]

@@carmenortiz5294 very smart to have water on hand for an emergency!

[@rongray4118]

@@carmenortiz5294 you should have a few companies/testing labs in your area that can test the water. It is a very standard practice in rural areas. If you call your local/ County Health Administration - they can tell you who the certified testing companies are.

[@carmenortiz5294]

@@rongray4118 Thanks. I'm paranoid, I also have them all alround the house. Every few years we have a drought and are not supposed to use city water to water plants.

[@TrumpTrump-yp9ie]

Perhaps, you need to setup automatic backwash using the filtered rainwater on months when you have excess rains. Set up using a smaller stronger vessel like the swimming pool filtering vessel so that the left 120 gallon tote can be used for storing filtered water. Add an inline pump and an enclosed smaller vessel (with associated valves to direct flow direction) for sand filter that can be backwashed under pressure. The agitation of the backwashing action can remove a lot. Schedule it during the rain event. You would need a decent capacity pump to push all the flocs out. The pool guy can recommend a good pump. The discharge line should be drained away from your house foundation so as not to compromise the foundation. Good design nevertheless 👍

[@Sylvan_dB]

NO, do NOT backwash a slow sand filter! This disturbs the biological activity and mixes the materials which ruins the filter. Backwash is suitable only for a fast sand filter, like a pool filter. That kind of filter is only doing mechanical filteration.

[@jimhood1202]

​@@Sylvan_dB Good catch. A lot of people don't appreciate the different action of a slow sand filter compared with the more common fast same filters used for pools.

[@CJ-so3tt]

GENIUS!!! Exciting! Fascinating. I hope you were able to get the frog out of there. I'd think it would clog up your system too. You have a beautiful home!!!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks C J!!! The frog lives in there and eats mosquito larvae!

[@CJ-so3tt]

@@HeirloomBuilders Cool...you've thought of EVERYTHING!!! Amazing. Love it!!! I'm glad I discovered your channel today. I look forward to seeing more. Thank you for sharing with all of us out here.

[@gerardt.5172]

Thanks for sharing your insight!🙏 Very informative!!!..

[@hafunland894]

You are a practical genius!!! Thanks!!!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching!

[@Amarz2013]

I fully intend, and have made plans to build this at our off grid property in Washington. I love your design and plan to emulate it.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

That’s great! This is the best design I could come up with after years of experimenting with gravity sand filters. And it works really well. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions during the build.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

If you need additional details, plans are now available at www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale/rainwater

[@TheHonestCarpenter]

Lucky to have seen it in person...a totally amazing system!!😀

[@HeirloomBuilders]

The Honest Carpenter thought about your advice a lot making this video: about breaking each of these systems into smaller chunks. Now that I’ve got this system overview video knocked out, I think I’m ready to make shorter vids about each component! Thanks for watching!

[@kc7gynmike-smithvilletn17]

@@HeirloomBuilders Hey, I’d love to see that! I am convinced that this is the off grid system I need to build but have a lot of assumptions about its detailed design that need to be answered. Thanks so much for this GREAT video!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks for the kind words. This system performs really well. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have. Any ideas for specific topics I should cover in the next video?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Hey Mike, Plans are finally available at www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale/rainwater

[@mardistrong]

I've seen a couple gravity fed systems and I think yours would work really good on my property very similar to slightly hilly terrain

[@DoyThinksThis]

I like this system. One day.......=)

[@nbdshb0]

Great video. QQ: how do you keep the clean water tote and cistern clean?

[@leahz3707]

This is wonderful! You’ve done an amazing job! This is exactly what I was looking for! Now the only problem is convincing my parents to let me do this lol

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks, Leah! Start small (a sand filter housed inside a 55 gallon barrel would produce enough water for your whole family). Cheers!

[@lktopview]

Very good video, I like the idea of the iOS and filter, my problem is in Texas we get about half our rain in the spring and half in the fall , usually in bursts, so I wouldn’t get the 300 gallons filtered before I get more rain, so I would have to dump the overflow. Great idea though! I use ozone and a paper filter to clean my water, more maintenance than yours but it can take the bursts of rain that we have here in centralTexas.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Nice! Rainwater harvesting is different in every region. The biosand filter in this video would work for you if you had a larger surge tank capacity than the 300 gallon IBC tote we use. The filter will clean 288 gallons in 24 hours, which works well for the southeast. But actually we’ve been sending the surge tank overflow to the 10,000 gallon cistern also so we don’t have to dump the overflow (we don’t drink the cistern water, only the water In the bottom 300 gallon tank that’s been biosand filtered).

[@lktopview]

Oh, I see, so you use the cistern water for your garden and plants? And use the biosand filtered water to drink? I use my rainwater for everything inside and outside.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

You got it! I’m glad to hear that your setup provides all the water you need for indoor and outdoor use! You must have a giant cistern to get you through the dry seasons!?

[@lktopview]

HeirloomBuilders 12000 gallons of storage, when I planned the system ,I learned that the longest time ever recorded between rains in this area is 4 months, so 12000 gallons is way more than I need to live on for four months. Here it is in August and we have about 10000 gallons in storage. And it has been a pretty warm summer ( 25 days over 100 degrees). We should start getting some rain in September, so we are in pretty good shape.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Bob mack that’s great news! Good planning on your part 💪

[@kristinwood5191]

I just bought the plans… thank you! I didn’t see what type of sand we should use listed on the plans… can you advise what type of sand to use? Thank you!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

I’ll send you a bill of materials with sand specs

[@alexk6745]

I could be wrong as it was not clear the water flow but I beieve it would be benefitial if the water was going from bottom to top. I also would make a sedimaent trap so that I would clean a sediment trap but the thing with sand I do not need to clean. I have made gravel based sediment trap with 60l plastic drum. Works well, not sure how often would require cleaning. But it is better to clean 60l than IBC.

[@shellyshumpert1236]

Thank you so much for your video! I just purchased your plans. I have been searching and searching for where to purchase slow sand or biosand, and all I'm coming up with is premade filters. Where do you get the bags? Thanks again!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Great! The best filter sand I’ve found is at www.redflint.com

[@TheSharlethaG]

U may have answered this, but is there a way to avoid the pollen buildup? I live in Missp, there's ALWAYS pollen during the spring/ summer

[@kn4492]

Great video. Im Looking for a little more specific technical explanation details. Do you have any documents as used in the video (drawings) you could post? Thank you 🙏

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks! I will put the drawings online in the next couple weeks once I dimension everything. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Plans are finally available at www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale/rainwater

[@HabitualButtonPusher]

Hmm would think having a stretched layer(s)of cheese cloth over the top would mitigate any pollen or debris like a pre filter.

[@roscmon]

How to you get such good water pressure at the sink using gravity fed? With the main tank below ground level, how is it able to travel up to the kitchen faucet? Another question... Did you say that if the top tank overflows, it can go down into the main storage tank in the ground? But then that water wouldn't be filtered for drinking?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Correct, the overflow goes into the 5000 gallon cistern. So everything there is only screened for debris with the vortex filter and sieve before going into the surge tank. We use water in the cistern for non-potable purposes like laundry, cleaning dishes, showering, etc. We pump it out of the cistern into a pressure tank to get pressurized water in the house. All our drinking water comes from the clean water tank at the bottom of the filtration setup.

[@roscmon]

@@HeirloomBuilders Ahhh, thank you for clearing up my confusion. Much appreciated.

[@DoyThinksThis]

Can you show the rest of the system?like from the cistern to the house, how do you pump it in? Siphon? Or with an electric pump?

[@erikswanson2371]

so those plastic large water storage containers contain xenoestrogens like BPA, correct?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

If the IBC tote is food grade, it’s supposed to be BPA free.

[@pster222]

This is the first video I’ve seen if yours. I’m looking forward to checking out more of your vids. Awesome content! Inspiring stuff

[@HeirloomBuilders]

HipHopHead91 thanks!!! Here’s one you may like...kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKSonJmcmKqVppY welcome aboard!

[@jimhood1202]

Sorry if I didn't catch this detail in your excellent video but what is the flow rate through the filter. I think your containers are one metre cubes so the surface area of the filter is one meter squared. How many litres/gallons an hour do you have passing through? Thanks for posting. A really inspiring build. I especially like the lack of electric pumps. I am also off grid (down in Panama) and want to add a slow sand filter to my system. Edit: just watched again and caught 4 gallons in 20 mins.

[@captainfaintinggoat]

I may have missed this in the video: What is the appropriate rate of filtration through the sand filter? How long would it take for the full raw water tank to be filtered ( if the post filtration tank was empty) ?

[@CR-gj5un]

The intermediate bulk containers you mentioned in the video - you stated that they're pretty cheap, or something like that. I haven't seen any online for less than about $500. Is this about right?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

If you buy them new, they could cost as much as $500/ea. you can find them used for $100; but just make sure they only had food or something non-toxic in them originally. Mine were used for transporting olive oil.

[@valleriewhetstone6862]

I would love to see an outline/idea/plan if how you can use and reuse water for an of grid house.

[@calebwashburne9572]

Do the excess surge and the excess purified run to the same cistern tank? Would that make the purified water dirty again from the excess surge merging with it?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Yes it does, the piping is set up to divert to irrigate fruit trees or flow to the buried cistern. Now it flows to the cistern, which we pump into the house for domestic purposes aside from drinking. We get our drinking water from the filtered water IBC tote

[@therealdiehl4671]

Mahvelous! I live on a ridge with city water. It has cost thousands of $ in maintenance and repairs. 3/4 of a mile water line a large pump with electric meter and the bills that go with it all. I have been considering a system of this nature and admire your work. I have questions about your cistern, such as build details. Do you have a liner? Do you have a moisture problem in you shed from the storage? What kind of lid do you have on your cistern? What are you using for a water pump to the house? Looks like you have great water pressure.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Oh man! I should do a whole video addressing your questions. The cistern is my pride and joy. There is no liner, just 8” solid concrete wall. We placed concrete as the floor pitched to a drain, with rebar to tie the walls. Then formed up the walls and poured concrete. And then built a deck inside the walls, flush to the top, with plastic over it. Then poured a 4” concrete slab floor with #4 rebar at 24” on center (leaving an opening for access hatch). There’s no moisture issues in the shed, but the 1/8” steel hatch is sealed with an epdm gasket. The pump is a dankoff solar jet pump that is housed in the pump shed on the back of the house (with a 50 gallon pressure tank to keep good pressure)

[@Sylvan_dB]

@@HeirloomBuilders Please do a cistern video! 😁

[@russtre]

Hello...Thanks for this video! I am taking on a project and I'd love to get your guidance if possible

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@russtre you’re welcome! The best way to reach me for dedicated and thoughtful guidance is to book a consultation online heirloombuildersinc.as.me/schedule.php. I look forward to hearing more about your project.

[@tokach]

Hi, simple design that works well. Thank you. One question, could you explain please. Where is inlet to the second cube, at the bottom? And then water is filtering while moving to top? Or it is just flowing on top of sand and if yes where is, in this case, mechanical filtering process made? Or no mechanical filterimg just bacteria work? Thank you in advance

[@chrisniche932]

This is awesome 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@StephenOwings]

Have you created a template of how you built your rain water filtration system. Or do you have tips on finding one.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Sorry this took me so long to get it together.....here they are: www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale/rainwater

[@veronicabullard2694]

Hi. This video is helpful. I appreciate it. What do you do about mosquitos laying their eggs in your water?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

The frog eats mosquito larvae in the sand filter tank. But the clean water drinking reservoir has a screened vent that won’t allow rodents, mosquitos or any other pests inside to contaminate the water

[@jaydubb411]

Hey Logan. Love your videos. And great setup here! I plan to do something very similar with my off grid setup. Only thing is I’m near Vancouver Canada, so will have to incorporate freeze protection. You mentioned uploading more details/specs of the design. I’d be very keen to get my hands on those if and when you do that. Again great content and keep it up! Cheers

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Welcome aboard, Jordan! This system is about as freeze proof as I can think to make it. But i'm sure if I lived in Vancouver, I'd be thinking of how to keep the whole system enclosed and completely protected from freezing. Do you have a basement? I've got the plans for this system pretty close to finished, just need to dimension and label the details. I'll reach out when they're available. Cheers!

[@jaydubb411]

@@HeirloomBuilders Thanks man! Looking forward to seeing them. No basement on my setup. I’m leasing a spot so everything I’m doing is mobile/modular. I’m considering insulating a 20’ shipping container and building in a main holding tank/cistern with a potable vinyl liner and false walls. With enough space left over m to add in your 3 tote bio sand setup. Will be a little more effort and dollars then simple black outdoor poly tanks, but should last the test of time I figure.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@jaydubb411 sounds like a good plan!

[@jaydubb411]

@@HeirloomBuilders Hey Logan. Curious to know what sort of liner you used for the 10,000 gallon cistern? I'm looking at a few different options for my modified shipping container cistern...looking for a liner that will last the test of time.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@jaydubb411 I don’t have a liner in the concrete cistern. But I’ve thought about lining it with copper sheet - just couldn’t stomach the cost. The concrete doesn’t leak so far

[@guillermobeltran7811]

No entendí nada porque no se inglés, pero muchas gracias 🙏 por la información, las imágenes de su vídeo me ayudarán mucho en mi proyecto. gracias por el tiempo que dedicó para hacer el video

[@HeirloomBuilders]

De nada

[@TimothyAldrich-zy5qd]

Hey mate, i was just wondering, what do you have on your outlet at the bottom of the ‘sand filter’ tank where the bottom level of gravel is, that stops the gravel from getting blocked up in the final water product pipe?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Hey! There is nothing there. Just an open pipe. The gravel will not block water flow.

[@jonkarle8670]

What about freezing temperatures in the winter, the coldest our Temps get can be below 0°F. Will this system stay above freezing in this environment?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

I would build this into an insulated and heated pump house in the far north latitudes

[@richardblack6569]

That's one of the best designs I've seen so far, simple is certainly the best. Have you had any water quality test done on the drinking water and how often do you think you'll need to change the sand/gravel in the filter tank?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks! We took a water sample and found no E.coli. There were very small amounts of Calcium and Sodium, which are good. The only downside is that the pH hovers around 5.7-6.0. It’s a little acidic. We have only had to sweep the top layer once a year, which removes about 1/16” of sand. At this rate, we won’t need to replace the sand for at least 15 years. In which case we just add a bag of sand.

[@richardblack6569]

@@HeirloomBuilders that's really good, were looking at going totally off grid in the UK where rain water isn't an issue. Our current water bills are around £600 pa so a system like this would pay for itself in a very short time.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Hi Richard, If you need them, the plans for this system are now available at www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale/rainwater

[@heherttu]

Is that the schmutzdecke that you are removing? Thanks.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Some of it gets removed yes, most of it stays in tact.

[@ThomWalbranA1]

did you not put a ''first flush'' device at the start of the down spout.?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Good question. We use a Wisy vortex filter that keeps ALL debris (except for pollen) out of the tanks.

[@isaaccastro7522]

This is excellent - great system! To eliminate pollen and other debris, are you still happy with the pea gravel fix or maybe a pre-collector that once filled to a certain point would poor off to your mushroom logs and open the valve to your water filtration system?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Good suggestion. I like the pea gravel and screen. It’s stays clean for a long time and if it clogs, i still get all the water overflowing into my cistern. What you are describing sounds like a first flush diverter. I used one for a few years as a pre-filter, but they clog so often that it’s hard to keep up with cleaning. And when they clog, all the unfiltered water goes into the tank and clogs up the mechanical float valve strainer (which is harder to get to in order to clean). We use the vortex style pre-filter now. It’s the black can on top of the system that pre filters the water. If that screen clogs, it just sends water to the ground, instead of clogging the pipes in the filtration system. I’ll put a video out soon about all this.

[@isaaccastro7522]

I can see that. What I had in mind was more rudimentary, like a bucket that once it filled to a certain point would simply dump and allow the rest of the water to flow into your cistern. However, it would require manually resetting after a rain.

[@WomanintheWild]

Would you be willing to sell blueprints for this system? I’m starting my homestead and the first thing on my list is water. I have no experience with water systems. I’m learning as much as I can about them on my own. A blue print would be so helpful in understanding how this system works and how I can effectively execute a similar system on my homestead!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Absolutely, here it is: www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale/rainwater

[@YUNGGOTTIMUSIC]

I'm coming to you when I get my home built. This is awesome 👍

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Sounds good to me! Holler if you have any questions in the meantime.

[@mphotboy22]

smashed the liked button ... good stuff.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@BEAdventurePartners]

@HeirloomBuilders - Did you line your in-ground concrete cistern? Or what did you do to finish it on the interior?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

No liner, just 8” thick solid concrete walls. There were a few small points that weep/leak a little bit that I patched/plastered with hydraulic cement

[@BEAdventurePartners]

@@HeirloomBuilders excellent! We’re about to build a rainwater catchment and a straw bale cabin in the southern Ozarks of Missouri. Found your channel and binge watched almost all the vids on straw bale and pole barn framing. Excellent info! Thanks for responding so quickly! Gratitude! Brian + Erin

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@BEAdventurePartners awesome! Best of luck to you on your building adventure.

[@dagabriel9416]

Was a health permit required in your jurisdiction for this system? Great design.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

The health department here doesn’t have a protocol for unconventional water systems, so we had to drill a well and get that tested for water quality. The wells here are very high in Manganese, which is toxic to the nervous system, especially for small Children. We built and tested this system on our own since the county health department doesn’t have a method to approve this type of system.

[@unEtudiantExperimentateur]

Hey! Very smart, thanks for sharing your experience and feedback. One question though, doesn't the filter need to get some water every day? I have read in a technical pdf from CAWST that water need to be poured every day to keep things running. Where you live, does it happens that it does not rain for days or weeks? How do you handle it? Thanks again anyway

[@HeirloomBuilders]

I have heard that as well, but haven’t done any testing to determine the efficacy or detrimental impacts of adding water daily. We see plenty of time between rain events where the problem would occur, but everything seems fine.

[@deborahamaral4849]

Much admiration for your success with this design, clearly well thought out and executed. I'd been wondering where you got your stainless steel work done, so glad to know it is aluminum cladding, with cubic plastic water tanks inside. Do you have a first-flush diverter? I look forward to the smaller chunks with more details on the separate components.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks Deborah! We had too many maintenance problems with standard first flush diverters. They need to be much more frequently cleaned in order to remove debris and do their job effectively. If they clog, they send dirty water straight to your collection tanks without the diversion, which ultimately clogs your collection tanks faster. We use a vortex filter that I would highly recommend. Costly (~$500), but worth every penny and labor hour saved in reduced maintenance. The vortex is An open bottom canister with screen/filter side walls that harness the power of adhesion (where water "sticks" to the walls of the canister) allowing clean water to pass through the screen in and down into your collection tanks, and letting debris fall through the open bottom without creating a clog to backup the rainwater. All the debris falls out the bottom if the stainless steel screen mesh is clogged. Unfortunately you lose most rainwater collection when the screen gets clogged, but at least it doesn't clog up your tank and create maintenance liability there. We clean the mesh every 3-4 rain events (depending on the season - pollen/etc). And that is a 3 minute task each time. So it's pretty easy to keep the whole system really clean.

[@kaitlynmyran5266]

Bc most of the water sits in a tank before use do you filter it again before it goes into the house ?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

No, it sits in a concrete cistern that helps neutralize the acidity. The water is pumped from a pipe that sits 6” above the bottom of the cistern so it doesn’t pull sediment off the bottom. The plastic tank that holds out drinking water is filtered with a tabletop filter that makes the water more alkaline.

[@MG-eb1jh]

Do you make your sketchup files available for learning purposes

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Sure do! They are available at www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale

[@MG-eb1jh]

@@HeirloomBuilders awesome thank you

[@je189]

Hey HeirloomBuilders, Nice video and good stuff! Just want to add, have you ever thought to add the screen and the gravel setup at the top of the eavestrough as well to help even more of the junk from clogging up the valve. I think that could help big time too if you can start filtering from the top of the eaves. I would assume most of the junk could stay up there too.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Good idea. I’d have to do some thinking about how to rig that up. We love the vortex filter for first flush.

[@excelsiorhome3266]

what about using a hedgehog gutter brush at least to keep the gutters free of larger debris?

[@jus1hawn]

Aloha, I too am looking to do the same thing. A couple of questions: what is the material your roof is made of? Where did you get your sand from? The reason I ask is because I live on the Big Island of Hawai’i and our sand is black due to the lava. Do you think I could use it? Due you sterilize the sand and rocks before you can use them? I must say that I was skimming over KZbin all morning looking for some type of system to use to filter my rain water, when low and behold, I came across your channel. I subscribed. Mahalo (thank you).

[@HeirloomBuilders]

We prefer metal roofing, copper is the best though. I’ve heard that The biosand filter will remove 99% of petroleum residues from asphalt shingles though... As for sand, use 0.20-0.30mm sand with a high coefficient of uniformity from www.redflint.com. This is the best. We needed 25 cubic feet of filter sand and 2 cu ft of 1/4”-1/8” pea gravel, and 2 cu ft of 1/2”-1/4” gravel at the bottom. Not sure if you could use black sand, but I would think it’s probably fine if you can get the right size and uniform grain size. We don’t have to sterilize, but it takes about 2-3 weeks to grow the naturally forming biological layer that does the filtering.

[@fatelis]

volcanic sand is the best sand for water filtration!!!!

[@jonnyreid980]

Great job, thanks very much! Does anyone know if I can use (black volcanic) sand straight off the beach, or would it be too salty/mess up the biological layer?

[@ghalmenschlager]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing that 👍🏻

[@HeirloomBuilders]

You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful.

[@FixItJoeCool]

Great Design!

[@Michelle-jz3rh]

Would putting cheese cloth over where the water feeds in keep pollen out? Or would it back up the water in a heavy rain?

[@kwalding]

Could I use the 275 gallon totes and accomplish the same thing?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Definitely. The pipe locations may be a little different though

[@ChristopherPisz]

What material is the cistern? Did you guys make a concrete room under the ground? Isn't that porous? I wonder how much this would cost to have a contractor do for me if I buy a rural property where wells run dry.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

I built the cistern with a 6” concrete floor, 8” concrete walls and a 4” concrete lid. Is very minimally porous, and barely weeps any water through it (only one little section weeped, but not even enough to drip). We patched that with hydraulic cement. I would budget $10k-15k for a contractor built cistern with todays prices.

[@robertl2274]

Would you consider a need to completely replace the sand in couple of years? Or do you think the bacteria will cleanse it ?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

There is no need to clean anything except the top 1/8” of sand.

[@secretariat6914]

can you drain the biological filter during the winter months?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Sure, but if you do that, you’ll need to re colonize the beneficial bacteria layer again before the filter will operate with full efficacy. That process takes a couple weeks

[@micheledeyoung7882]

Why might you divert the overflow, unfiltered rainwater into your larger holding tank under the shed?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

We divert all the overflow water to the cistern under the shed because we only have 300 gallon rain surge/holding tank. Most of the rain storms we get produce rain faster than the surge tank and sand filter can process it, so we would lose most of the rain if it didn’t flow into the cistern. We could fix this by making a huge 2000 gallon surge tank, but since we only use water in the cistern for showering,laundry, etc, we don’t need it to be sand filtered. We drink water from the lower IBC tote (filtered water) tank only.

[@djprsone]

Bravo good sir!

[@doan-trangnguyen5060]

Could this system like yours be a solution for the 3 cities in Michigan with lead water?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Absolutely! I hope people start building small systems like this to treat their water

[@casonknipe3961]

Is there a purpose for the frog in the filter tank? Or was that a mistake?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

The frog is hopefully eating mosquito larvae! And is not a concern as they won’t do significant damage to the biological film / filter layer.

[@casonknipe3961]

@@HeirloomBuilders that’s pretty cool. I know old time farmers always kept a fish in their spring houses to keep the water “clean” I bet they served the same purpose.

[@eddieco]

at the 7:46 mark, there's what looks like a centrifugal filter. Where in your system is that, what is it called, and where did you get it? Thanks!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Hey Eddie! It’s a Wisy vortex filter. I would highly recommend it over a first flush diverter.

[@eddieco]

@@HeirloomBuilders Thanks for the info! Any idea which model you have? I see a LOT of them...

[@lgwp9246]

I'm looking through comments to see what kind of plans... Paper or digital? Thanks lgwp

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Hi Larry, the plans are digital. They print on regular 8.5”x11” paper.

[@lgwp9246]

I got the drawings, was wondering if there was a material list?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@lgwp9246 hi Larry, there is not a bill of materials on this set of plans, but I will work on that and let you know when it’s available.

[@madmixmusic2549]

Love it! Where did you get the vortex filter and how much do they cost?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Thanks!!! Send me an email and I will forward you a link to the materials for this project. [e-mail]

[@maverickgood5204]

That was amazing. I want to try that. Why build a concrete cistern? Is that cheaper than buying an underground one?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

I built a concrete cistern for a couple reasons. 1. It also serves as the foundation for a storage shed 2. The basic pH nature of concrete helps neutralize the acidity of the rainwater. Since I provided all the labor to build it, the concrete cistern was a little cheaper than buying plastic tanks

[@maverickgood5204]

@@HeirloomBuilders I see. That's interesting. Now all I need is a video showing me how to fill 10,000 gallons of water storage from rain and surface catchment in an area that gets 7" of moisture per year and I'm all set. Thanks!

[@maverickgood5204]

@@HeirloomBuilders Do you have plans available for sale for the concrete cistern?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@maverickgood5204 no, unfortunately we dont have plans available for the cistern

[@micheledeyoung7882]

and how often do you test your water?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Only once so far. I’d like to test it for chemical profile and add carbon, but have not done it yet.

[@jrcan4786]

can i use the output water to my hydroponics system?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Absolutely!

[@PaigeNERHRT]

Looking forward to seeing more detailed videos on this & purchasing plans, it's excellent! For a family using this system without the additional cistern storage I'm wondering how you would keep the clean tank from becoming too full if it was piping directly into the house. Would you put another mechanical flow valve on tank #3? Thank you!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

That’s a good idea! If you want to maximize your useable collection and don’t have the additional cistern beyond tank#3, then yes, put a mechanical float valve on the inlet pipe to tank #3 to keep the water in the surge tank (#1) until you need it to recharge clean water you pipe from tank#3. You would then have 600 gallons of useable water instead of just the 300 gallons in Tank#3. Does that answer the question?

[@PaigeNERHRT]

@@HeirloomBuilders yes thank you for confirming!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Plans are available at www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale/rainwater

[@mrjacoboify]

Do the plans have a list for all the parts you used? I am interested in the swirling filter below the gutter

[@StephenOwings]

Have watched this twice now and really learned a lot. - Can you explain how you get the filtered water into the holding tank for drinking water? Do you have a pump that shoots it up the pipe to go into the holding tank etc.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Hey Stephen! Barometric pressure “pulls” water from the bottom up through the 1” pipe and into the holding tank as more water is added to the unfiltered area on top. It’s kinda one-in/one-out. Hard to explain, but the clean water inside the pipe coming from the bottom of the filter always stays at the level of the water coming in from the surge tank, and so it spills out to the clean water holding tank

[@StephenOwings]

@@HeirloomBuilders ah! So need pump needed!

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@StephenOwings correct. No pump necessary!!!

[@StephenOwings]

@@HeirloomBuilders awesome! Do you happen to have like a set by set how you setup your system. I am familiar with the tanks but typically they do not have big openings, so I find it hard getting it all setup. Did you just cut in a bigger opening ?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@StephenOwings yes. We just cut a bigger opening in the top (on the surge tank and the filter tank - places where it doesn’t matter too much if bugs, frogs, etc explore the tank. The clean water tank we keep sealed up. Working on a step by step plan....

[@googleadoogle]

Hi, I was just wondering, how do you filter out chemicals??

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Most chemicals are filtered out by the sand by way of forces I don’t fully understand. I’m thinking about adding a layer of charcoal to filter some of the more man-made “forever chemicals”.

[@augustwestusa]

Not sure why, I have it in my head, some kind of sand filter cistern that does not catch water from a gutter but just stands alone on a hill, it's funnel shaped, it's on a stand high up....my question is, I'm wondering if it could catch enough water, without a gutter and roof system...simply for drinking...like a back up. Not for whole house use. Not for laundry. maybe it needs a certain climate. And I don't see it covered either. So birds could shit in it! Not sure where I get these ideas. Is it crazy?

[@sii6531]

In some videos it looks like the out pipe up from the gravel to the tap, exits above the sand, dose it matter what hight it is when it exits the barrel? I'm guessing the lower it is on exit, the higher the flow rate ... Dose it matter? Thanks anyone.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

The outflow pipe exits 2” above the top of the sand (so that there is 2” of standing water on top of the sand) to keep the living bio layer alive, but not so deep that oxygen has trouble diffusing into the bacterial layers beneath the surface of the water.

[@sii6531]

Brilliant, thank you. 👍

[@diananeuenschwander5560]

You said the system works in gravity. How do you get water from the systern to the house? What about freezing

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Good question. The filtration and collection all happens by gravity. We pump water from the underground 10,000 gallon cistern in to the house with a jet pump and pressure tank located in the little lean-to shed on the back of the house. We’ve had lots of consecutive days in the single digit temperature (deg F), with no issues freezing. The pipes connecting the tanks together are not welded with PVC glue so they can expand without busting. That only works because the filtration/collection system is not pressurized (its gravity draining tank to tank).

[@eddieco]

Thank you for this video. I';m going off grid in Hawaii, and would love to do this system. My only issue is that the water tank is above ground there. I would love to buy a copy of these plans from you, if you sell them. Thanks

[@HeirloomBuilders]

You’re welcome, Eddie! Plans are available at www.heirloombuilders.com/designs-for-sale

[@eddieco]

@@HeirloomBuilders Yeah, I saw that after I posted.... duh me. LOL Already ordered plans. Thank you. Do you test your water, or have you? My wife of course is skeptical that this works. (I know it does), but if there was some test results of before vs after, that might alleviate her fears.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@eddieco thanks for the order! We tested our water a couple years ago: it showed no coliform bacteria and only small amounts of calcium and sodium (both which are good things). Feel free to email me for a copy of the test results [e-mail]

[@eddieco]

@@HeirloomBuilders Thanks Logan! I sent an email.

[@eddieco]

@@HeirloomBuilders sent you an email Also wanted to ask. The vortex filter. I don't see a link in the description as to where you got it. So, where did you get it? LOL

[@aqotrunnada5243]

Hello sir! This video is amazing!. But I wanna ask something, what is the software that you use in this video to make the model of rain harvesting? Thank you👍

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Aqotrun Nada Thanks for the kind words! SketchUp is the software. Available free online www.sketchup.com/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-free

[@aqotrunnada5243]

@@HeirloomBuilders thank you sir!!🙏

[@sands_ndiamantes8131]

How do get the water from the 10,000 gallon cistern

[@HeirloomBuilders]

We use a dankoff solar jet pump connected to a 1” pipe that is situated 6” off the bottom of the cistern floor and pulls water up to a pressure tank. From there, it’s regular pressurized plumbing into the house

[@lktopview]

How many inches of rain do you get in a year? Texas gets 32 inches/ year.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

We get an average of 42 inches per year. On a 1000 sq ft roof, we collect about 25,200 gallons of rainwater in a year

[@lktopview]

I have a little over 1900 sf of roof, so I get a little under 1200 gals/ inch. I have four 3000 gallon tanks for storage. They are full now,but we going into summer when we won’t be getting much rain. I built my system in 2002 and I will never ever live without rainwater. It truly is the gold standard for water. I always say that I get my water from God, and you can’t do better than that!

[@sherekhan53]

In order for the water to be treated doesn't it need to sink down through the sand and gravel media before flowing into the next tank?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

For sure. The clean water outlet pipe starts at the bottom of the filter tank, goes up to the surface and turns 90 degrees out to the clean water tank (make sure the 90 fitting is glued or soldered together to isolate it from the dirty water at the top of the filter bed)

[@sherekhan53]

Ah ok. The outlet pipe was not in the diagram so I couldn’t tell. Thanks man! Great system!

[@jenniferhoffman5100]

What can I do in an area that freezes in winter? I have IBC tanks for livestock water, but if I don't take the banjo valves off in winter they get freeze damage. I'm in zone 7.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Hey Jennifer! Hmmm. I’ve never had them get damaged - even in the single digits F. Send me a photo of your setup with an explanation of how it works / and what is connected to what. I’m guessing you’ll need to connect a standpipe extending to the top of the IBC that drains all water out of the fitting/bulkhead without draining the whole tank full of water. Email me at [e-mail]

[@tomw5824]

Maybe you did this but the drawing didn't show it so I'll ask ..... Why wouldn't you route the rain water holding tank to the bottom of the filtration tank (instead of the top) so that the rain water would rise through increasingly finer material to get filtered. This is the basic concept of a bog filter and is extremely effective.

[@HeirloomBuilders]

The biological sand filter relies on a layer of beneficial bacteria that digests parasitic bacteria and viruses. In order for the beneficial bacteria to survive they need to be close enough to the surface to get diffused oxygen for aerobic respiration

[@timhill5939]

When u rinsed out your float valve filter I noticed the pressure.. do you do a pvc reducing connection to obtain that? I have a ton of ibc containers and want to do this. I noticed when I've drained them they do have alot of pressure. Does your pressure just come from that or do you reduce the size of ur piping to obtain that? Where do u buy the sand? Can you make it?

[@HeirloomBuilders]

Are you referring to the pressure at the kitchen sink, or the water coming out of the surge tank?

[@timhill5939]

@@HeirloomBuilders the water pressure at the sink when u rinsed the filter screen. I was impressed by the pressure..

[@HeirloomBuilders]

@@timhill5939 that faucet is a commercial kitchen faucet that has a reducing emitter tip to increase the force of water. Regular pressure 50psi. Buy sand from www.redflint.com I tried making the sand with mesh screens but it was super difficult and I ended up just baiting sand with a uniform size.

[@timhill5939]

@@HeirloomBuilders so it's like one of those low pressure shower heads? That's what I originally thought it was. I actually have a couple I've used camping

[@timhill5939]

I contacted the people at the link you provided.. apparently they don't call it biological sand... is it also called... green sand?