Rainwater Catchment vs. Water Wells | Pros & Cons

[@michaelbandeko3519]

In my area it runs about $8000-10,000 to drill, case and cap a well. I installed my rain water catchment system with all the bells and whistles for $2000. I have a 1550 gallon above ground tank and 3 stage filtration to the house. With an Aquacera filter for drinking water. Once a month I do shock my tank with bleach. Never has anybody been sick from drinking my rainwater.

[@dvdrwsor]

I always see the bleach method. UV is very effective, cheap and safe. Why not use that?

[@JoeWehry]

Thanks for this. I've been searching through tons of channels on tiny homes, home building, etc., and your series is one of the best. Great practical information, honestly presented with a touch of humor. Keep up the great work.

[@offthegridbuild]

hey joe, that comment gave us collective tingles. thanks! we shall carry on!

[@dslynx]

Good info. Everything is so specific, it's really hard to tell. Before we bought our current house, we had the water tested and I pulled the well records of all the houses around me. Turns out, my well is almost 200 feet deeper than my neighbors, so they will run out of water way before I do. I also researched the aquifer and again, mine is huge, going all the way up to Denver. At the same time, some laws are completely stupid. If I remember correct, for me to be able to do water catchment, I need to have a well. That could be wrong though. I know prior to 2009, nobody was allowed to do water catchment and then they changed it so that if you aren't using city supplied water, you can do water catchment. So people in town are still not allowed to do water catchment.. So they can charge you money to water your lawn and then spend a bunch of money on billboards telling you to conserve water and not to water your lawn. I mean, it's just dumb.

[@offthegridbuild]

+James Zawacki thanks for the comment james. Ur always there w us, bud

[@user-io3hy4zb4s]

It seems to me that if one can swing it financially, one would be better served by having both options, along with the ability to fill the rain water tanks with water from elsewhere if need be. That way you have the security of redundant systems and if you find yourself without electricity you can still easily (relatively) pump it into your house. We HAVE to have water. We can't do without it.

[@offthegridbuild]

+J chuch

[@fabricer.9426]

I agree, rain water harvesting is more sustainable, and more independent of your neighbourhood, so it is better. On the other hand, aquifer is a better tank than a barrel... I will try both ! 🤣

[@ryn76]

My grandpa hand dug a deep cistern lined with clay bricks. He made a gravel and sand filter several feet deep where rain water from his roof drained. It went from the homemade filter straight to the cistern. The cistern was also charged from the aquifer when the ground water was higher which was most of the time. It is still working 60 years later flawlessly. In all his brilliance with this project he still had asphalt shingles LOL. The water really tastes amazing though. I don't know if he put any charcoal in the homemade filter but I think I would

[@jasonnicholas8270]

awesome! tell me more!

[@quincyberman5629]

I do both, I can't collect enough water to get through the dry season. I am looking into another method of growing rice that won't require flooding the fields.

[@trukeesey8715]

What county?

[@MosaicHomestead]

I'm in the tropics in a rainforest, I have been on rain water for 2 years, my pumping system is 12v that's powered by wind and solar, my shed now also has its own system as well.

[@bryankrauss6393]

Please no one will answer can you have indoor tanks with a water catchment system ty

[@imiy]

What about sand filters for rain water

[@captainquint]

I use well, rainwater catchment and rural water. The well water is used for livestock as it is an older well and not readily accessible to the house. I have rainwater catchment for livestock and emergency household use and for pressure washing, gardening etc. After figuring the cost of a new well, the measures needed to make it potable, ongoing maintenance and testing it was purely a financial decision to go with the local rural water system for household use even after paying to have the line run. I filter for taste but the rural water we get is higher quality than anything I can pull out of the ground here. Just couldn't justify the cost of a new well as much as I wanted to be "off grid" in that regard.

[@offthegridbuild]

+captainquint cool!

[@JuliaB1955]

I'm out in Two Peaks, living with no running water. If I wanted to get a large cistern to catch rainwater just to do dishes and bathe, how much filtering would I need? I won't even have any plumbing. The haul to the sink would be a lot closer than going into town to fill 5-gallon cisterns.

[@phu185]

Appreciate your insight and thoughts.

[@lordmavbmp]

are u saying there are some places where its illegal to gather your own water

[@LordJesusChrist1968]

yes

[@nadersherif5742]

Believe it or not Yes! Pure insanity!

[@maxhuang6990]

Do I still need to filter out rain water if Im only going to use it for washing dishes, bathing, washing clothes, etc?

[@ABetterLifeInc]

I vote for well water but having both if possible is best. My house is located in a southern state out in the county with my own well and potable. A home water purification system is in my future just as an extra precaution. Like you said. Wells can go dry and that happened to my cousin. Think they were trying to fill an above ground pool. The only thing we have to mainly look out for when having a well initially drilled is if they go to deep looking for the water table. They can hit water too high with iron deposits. That’s no good. I have yet to check if I can collect my own rain water but I’ve got asphalt shingles. Not sure if I trust watering my garden with that either. Maybe someday I’ll find a sturdy enough metal roof that holds up in my area.

[@thebirdsnest9396]

Just wondering...Which is most environmentally friendly? Or is there no difference. Its confusing. I have to consider manufacturing of the storage tanks and longevity of the system too. Maybe I should have a living roof with a well? Would that have more of a positive impact on the environment?

[@MadnomadM]

I'd like to end up living at higher elevation so will likely not have a choice and have to go with rain water. If I had a choice I'd go with a well as I'd like to live more southwest where there's not a lot of rain. Have a well right now (for the past 24 yrs) in SE WI. With a well you'd have to have the energy available to pump it out though.... guess it would depend how much energy is required when off grid.

[@samwell707]

Why not both?

[@316mbaz]

Manure can easily contaminate well water in many areas. So filtering is probably needed no matter where you are at least to some extent.

[@offthegridbuild]

no doubt

[@Lmiller201]

most state regulations require 150' up hill from septic leach lines and 200' from cow pastures. filtering not required and generally not needed. is this a problem you've had?

[@offthegridbuild]

Correct, if you are doing a shallow dug well in the overburden, but lots of wells here go down to bedrock, often hundreds of feet deep. Many have no bacteria in them and are ready for consumption with no filtering.

[@316mbaz]

No I have not had this problem but it was an issue in a number of counties in the state that I live in.

[@kodyherbst8876]

I agree that rainwater is better and has a greater probability of being less expensive, only problem is keeping it a liquid during winter. Anyone know any good ways to keep water unfrozen in winter?

[@tstax3939]

Kody Herbst bury it

[@trodengore]

been drinking unfiltered rain water all my life, i won't drink that swill that comes out off a tap, and i will drink from a shallow well before i ever trust bore water.

[@offthegridbuild]

+trodengore what do u dislike about bore water?

[@slowjamcdub]

So that’s why you have 3 ears ok

[@JuliaB1955]

Thanks for these vids. They're terrific!

[@offthegridbuild]

thanks for wauchen

[@byates59]

I don't need rain or well water, I just need lots and lots of beer! LOL

[@offthegridbuild]

joo can do it!

[@mnshp7548]

i think a well is a better option, because i used to try using rainwater to water my garden and it was never enough, i would use around 200l and then run out, with a well there will always be water there where i live ( 300m from a river and 40m from a stream ) and unlike rainwater where birds poop, acid rain happens and dirt gets on ur roof, a well is alot more sterile and better for most peoples use

[@PalmSandsRanch]

@OGB I'm very interested in building an earthship but just not sure about costs, it seems like it could be very expensive, curious if it's doable pay as you build scenario?

[@offthegridbuild]

if u have a lot of pay, ya

[@offthegridbuild]

its the same price as a regular house

[@LovingTheCountryLife-Paradise]

We have a well, and we did go very deep, 275 ft. i would suggest to also get a hand pump on the well. it is costly but when the electricity went out, we still had water.

[@Nctbgs]

Deep ? Wells in my area are 750-800 feet deep . 275 is very shallow in my area .

[@klimber10001]

Any well water Ive ever been exposed to stinks. I live in a rainy region and I'll take rain water first!

[@bounchofbeaners6627]

yea, ill pass on all the legal stuff. ima build a rain catching system regardless.with an RO filter. IF they ever have the nerve to snoop on my property then ill just say i use it for my garden.🤣

[@frugaldrew5187]

Great video idea!

[@frugaldrew5187]

hahah wasn't a dumb way to end

[@offthegridbuild]

we are the borg. we are stupid

[@Cyberdog22]

Thank you for this. I never new there were legalities for this basic human necessity. I'm clear where I live, thank god.

[@gabebruce6780]

Baking soda and vinegar will lower and rise the pH

[@mikej5571]

never let the government tell you you cant store rainwater

[@julianokhoshaba1]

Rain is supposed to be a little on the acidic side that's not bad for you !

[@michaelsimon2880]

I'am planing my rainwatercatchment for next year! Ich say rain ;-)

[@offthegridbuild]

guten

[@michaelsimon2880]

Oh my german auto correction ;-)

[@mahmoodsahab7321]

Rain water is the only option se ya

[@aj2674]

Considering a good friend of mine owns "Climate, inc" a rainwater catchment company, I say rain, lol.

[@offthegridbuild]

excellent! why the name ""climate"?

[@aj2674]

It's funny you asked, I've never asked him, lol. His name is Rex Hayes. If you're interested, tell him Andy Jamerson told you to call. Here's the site. www.climateincorp.com/about-climate-inc/ I am sure you're wanting to do this, like many things on your own, but maybe there's some sort of mutually beneficial partnership opportunity for both of you? I would imagine your only issue is that the size of your house will limit the amount of surface area you can harvest from. I say that knowing very little about the process and set up, but know they can calculate your approximate useable water based on roof square footage and region/climate. Hmm, perhaps that's the answer to your question 😁

[@mikemakuh5319]

Have you considered or possibally researched the problem of the "chemtrails" and how to remove these nano particles?