Increase your rainwater tank's capacity and uses by Brad Lancaster

Don't hoard rainwater in the rainy season - use it!
And do so in multiple, integrated ways that enables the water to do more for you and produce greater abundance.
This video is about how you can increase your rainwater tank's capacity with multiple strategies such as:
• directing overflow to multi-use rain gardens, so overflow from non-living tank is captured and utilized in living tanks of soil and vegetation (1:45)
• directing overflow to the high point of your landscape for free, gravity-fed distribution of rainwater to maximum area (1:12)
• utilize/consume rainwater from your tanks in multiple ways during the rainy season to drop level of water in tanks, and thereby making more capacity that will be filled in the next rain (2:43).
This can include using rainwater for:
Washing/bathing
Cooking
Drinking (9:45)
Evaporative cooler water supply (rainwater has no salts/minerals, so there is no salt/mineral build up on your evaporative cooler pads, and they last many years longer than they otherwise would). (15:07)
Irrigation (17:29)
This video also shows you how to make your rainwater go further with such strategies as:
• using free power of gravity to distribute your rainwater. So you always have convenient access to the rainwater harvested in your tanks - even if the power goes out. (3:13)
• filtering your rainwater with inexpensive gravity-fed activated carbon water filter so all is safe for drinking and cooking (10:04)
• greywater harvesting. Use your lightly used rainwater AGAIN, by freely directing greywater from sink and shower drains via gravity to various multi-use plantings for free irrigation. (4:45)
• tippy tap rainwater dispenser, which reduces the amount of water used while washing. (18:18)
• how naturally soft (salt- and mineral-free rainwater) can be used as a natural window cleaner and hair conditioner. (12:02 and 12:55)
• subsurface unglazed, low-fired clay irrigation ollas (17:51)
• use of full-port valves to maximize water flow, convenience, and joy. (18:47)
More on full-port valves at: www.harvesting...
Get more info on how to do all this and harvest many other free, on-site waters at:
www.harvesting...
Buy Brad's award-winning books, "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond" at deep discount direct from Brad at:
www.harvesting...
For more info on the community water harvesting and native food forestry work check out:
dunbarspringne...
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For another (earlier) video on this system, including some of its passive water filtering strategies see:
• Overview of Lancaster-...
For source of Solar Chill evaporative coolers see:
southwest-solar...
#rainwater
#waterharvesting
#permaculture
#rainwaterharvesting

[@shrachi91d]

A great practical video with proper guide. Almost every drop is utilized. Thanks a lot.

[@ModestMaker]

You never disappoint Brad- thanks for your inspiration and sharing your passion. I have some plumbing to work on in the new year😊.

[@isoldefrancis2688]

Thank you for the fast shipping of your books! I received them this evening and already started reading. I am super excited. We get very little rain here in the Central Valley of California and I am converting my garden to a permaculture site so I would want to use every drop of rain we would get.

[@l0gic23]

How's it going

[@CraigCrider]

It's good to know you're still using "smeg" in everyday conversation. Good times buddy!

[@b_uppy]

Red Dwarf fanz unite!

[@crpth1]

Simple and simply awesome usage of such a scarce resource! ;-)

[@robertcoogan1070]

I'd get a water level for that Berkey. Ours was overflowing so having a water level helps to prevent that.

[@wilebaldoludwig8953]

Goodness Greatness ! This is the way to go ! Thank you sir for being a great sharer ! Unfortunately in many places on this earth where water is seasonally abundant, like in southeast Mexico where I live, the loss or lack of healthy/intelligent water culture is astounding and depressing. In our rural environment, in almost any stream where there is a natural dam of logs and branches, you will inevitably find hundreds or thousands of plastic bottles of all sorts, plastic bags, styrafoam articles, flip-flop sandles, tennis shoes, insecticide spray cans, all things plastic and garbage and to top it off... even disposable diapers by the large bag-fulls (and of course used), light bulbs etc. , etc. , etc. I must thank you for everything you share and your educational manners. Education IS culture ! Sooo sad when we lose or never acquire proper and caring water culture. Apologies for my rant folks, but I do not exaggerate

[@patblack2291]

Great detailed video about your system!

[@kwlweapons]

Awesome video and great information as always, thank you for all that you do. You are a great teacher and an inspiration, a true leader in earth and resource stewardship. Keep up the great work Brad, I send many blessings to you and yours.

[@ncooty]

You are extremely inspirational and informative, and your books are *tremendously* useful. Thanks for continuing to do what you do.

[@808zhu]

I love listening to you get excited about this stuff.

[@bennielamb8911]

Man can't wait till we FINALLY own!

[@HarvestingRainwater]

For tips for renters see this blog post: www.harvestingrainwater.com/2013/05/28/what-renters-and-non-renters-can-do-to-harvest-and-enhance-water-sun-shade-wind-community-and-more/

[@in9170]

Absolutely brilliant on every level Brad. Thank you!

[@jjs777fzr]

@17:58 Had to lookup Olla pots! Great idea

[@T3hJones]

Wow very nice setup! And thanks for the info!

[@bobbilynngibson302]

Thank you ⚘

[@808zhu]

You the man. 👍

[@UtahSustainGardening]

Rainwater in Utah along the Wasatch front is not soft! Quite often the residue is very salty.

[@HarvestingRainwater]

If that is the case, it is likely due to the salty dust from the exposed flats of Salt Lake getting kicked up into the atmosphere and clouds from the winds preceeding the rains.

[@Kralphrn]

you're videos are so inspiring

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

The metric conversion here is 7'568 liters, or 7.568 (slightly under 7 and three fifths) cubic meters

[@allanegleston4931]

paint that tub black and let the sun heat it. i have a book on energy conservation put out in 1976 and in it there was a story of a lady who painted her tub black and put it in a meadow . when she got home the water was nice and warm.

[@jjs777fzr]

The bad part of harvesting rain water is when you run out during an extended drought and your left realizing you didn’t plan accordingly.

[@JohnMarsing]

Thanks for the video. What soap do you recommend for washing your hands and dishes?

[@HarvestingRainwater]

See the Greywater page of my website HarvestingRainwater.com

[@sskoutofdoors9503]

Hey Brad! Love your videos and have both of your books! Question for you: In such a warm environment, how do you protect your rainwater from bacteria growth? Specifically for longterm during the dry months. Thanks for all the great help and advice you give!

[@HarvestingRainwater]

I've had no problems with bacteria growth. See my principles for harvesting water in tanks in the new full-color edition of my book "Rainwater Harvesting for Dryland and Beyond, Volume 1, 3rd Edition" www.harvestingrainwater.com/product/rainwater-harvesting-for-drylands-and-beyond-volume-1-3rd-edition-new-2019/ And for principles specific to greywater harvesting see my book "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 2, 2nd Edition" www.harvestingrainwater.com/product/rainwater-harvesting-for-drylands-and-beyond-volume-2-3rd-edition-new-2019/

[@allanegleston4931]

me too. raises hand.

[@DoloresMandalay]

I love your enthusiastic and informative videos. However, kitchen greywater can cause issues if you have cooking oil, food particles etc. exiting directly onto the soil. There is the likelihood of soil contamination and it attracts vermin. Wouldn't it be preferable to use a grease-trap first? There are youtube videos describing how to construct a simple greasetrap.

[@janastormont2278]

Hi Brad! Where can we get a water filter like that?

[@kenhunt5153]

Great info. I visit your home & neighborhood when I am in the Old Pueblo. My only recommendation is to move the camera more slowly.

[@jungoogie]

Did you consider slowing the video playback speed on your end?

[@yvonnehyatt8353]

Go to the Leaders of everything country and give them the talk and the messages.also cities leaders counsels.

[@lopezcarlton]

Thanks for the content. Always great and inspiring. How long do those tanks last you during the dry season?

[@mkdorkov123]

Flow/pressure thing at 4:40 in disingenuous or whatever.

[@איילפלד-י3פ]

Grey water should be treated before using it. You can't simply water plants with it.... There are simply natural ways to clean it.

[@HarvestingRainwater]

Greywater does NOT need to be treated before using it if you do not send toxins down the drain, you do NOT tank your greywater (tanking can make it go septic), and you use appropriate soaps and detergents. See link below for greywater-compatible soaps & detergents: www.harvestingrainwater.com/resource/greywater-compatible-soap-detergent-info/ For 30 years the systems we use and those we have installed for our clients have worked wonderfully. All are fully compliant with (and they helped inform) the State of Arizona's greywater guidelines. See link below for the State of Arizona greywater guidelines: www.harvestingrainwater.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Arizona_Greywater_Guidelines_in_English.pdf The soil life is our filter and the vegetation our living pumps. Get more info in the greywater chapter of my book "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 2, 2nd Edition" You can get the book at deep discount, direct from me the author, in the link below: www.harvestingrainwater.com/product/rainwater-harvesting-for-drylands-and-beyond-volume-2-3rd-edition-new-2019/ Additional greywater-harvesting resources: www.harvestingrainwater.com/water-harvesting/harvests-of-different-waters/greywater-harvesting/

[@allanegleston4931]

cool. do you get fog? if so, look into a fog water harvester.

[@part-timeprep5932]

We get humidity, sometimes morning dew, here in Texas sometimes even now during an extreme drought. I haven't seen fog though. Granted I'm not a water collection pro but the only way I've found is available to the public and would work is a dehumidifier run off and solar panel.

[@zukalous]

I love these videos. This video reminds me of that scene from Water World where Kevin Costner drank his own pee. I could watch Brad tour his contraptions all day. The spigot valves repurposed as cabinet handles are awesome. He has a Mad Max back yard.