We have been enjoying many summer showers lately. Compared to last year and the months of drought, I am not complaining about a single drop. Like most homesteaders, we try to make the most of our resources. Rainwater is a great, free resource. (For those of you in locales that have statutes prohibiting the collection of rainwater I am so sorry and irritated for you.)
We have a simple set-up with a recent discovery that keeps the water mostly clear. We have our downspouts stopping high enough to allow a water/stock tank sit below – catching the water. The water tanks we have are very heavy duty plastic with no drains. Depending upon the water flow, we have either a 40 gallon or 100 gallon tank.
This picture shows the 100 gallon after a recent rain. The way our gutters and roof run, it only takes about 1/2 inch of rain to fill this up. Our biggest issue is the little ones dropping things in it or simply playing in it. I have often thought some way to cover it with screen would help with this. Of course, the little ones do eventually grow out of their “need” to play here after some lessons with Mama.
We use a 5 gallon or 2 1/2 gallon pail to scoop out the water to fill chicken waterers or bring to the other animals. The critters that roam freely just help themselves — and that is why I hate to cover the tank. In the winter, we plug-in this submergible tank de-icer and have water for all the animals — no chopping through ice! We have had the same tank and de-icer for 10 years or so with no problems at all. It’s hard to find things that last anymore but these do.
In the summer, we often have algae grow in the water. While I think adding some fish would be a fun way to deal with it, it’s not practical. Remember the playing little ones? That would be too irresistible for them. Having read somewhere that copper does a good job at killing algae (people would apply it to their ponds periodically) I thought I would try some in our rainwater tanks. Having a husband that is an electrical worker, we have some odd ends and bits of copper wire around.
One day after scrubbing the large tank (not my idea of a lovely afternoon) in advance of coming rain, I tossed in one of those bits of copper laying about (My piece of copper is roughly 15″ to 18″ long and many strands of wire.) That was the last time I scrubbed the tank that year. We do still clean out regularly — asphalt shingles leave some nice grit in the bottom — and those sticks, rocks and toy cars need rescued after all. I have been very pleased with our experiment.
Please, do NOT ever try this if you have sheep. Sheep are very sensitive to copper — as in could die with too much. Goats have a higher tolerance, so we have not had issues with them.
