rain water collection

A good thing about the North East is rain - we seem to get plenty of it.
Over the years I have been successfully installing rainwater collection systems - gutters and drains that lead to a 55 gallon drum with two spigots - one for draining and one for overflow. I have done this to the shed and the outhouse, and this year the studio.

 The studio roof is roughly 12' by 16', so I will be able to harvest more water than I will ever need. I had bought gutters to put on the cabin, but realized the maintenance of gutters 22' off the ground would be difficult, if not impossible.

 I attached the down spout to the rear wall and pitched it into 55 gallon drum. The drum was used for tomato paste, and I buy the empty drums from a tomato sauce factory near by. Yes, there is such a thing as a tomato sauce factory. The picture doesn't show the lid, but I cut an opening and lined it with mosquito netting - I'll take a picture on the next visit.

 

 The height is new for me - this is 4' off the ground. I built it with four 4" by 4" lengths of pressure treated lumber, capped with 1" by 6" pressure treated lumber on both the top and bottom. 

Why four feet off the ground? To pipe into the sink of course!

everybody needs a sink!

The sink is attached to a drainpipe that is about 15' long and connected to T junction with 10' of drilled pipe. My hope is that this will spread the water out.
So now I wait. I have been busy working downstate, but have heard of mighty rains this Spring - I will see if this is successful on the next trip up.

The cabin on a glorious spring morning May, 2013

the view from the cabin, early spring 2013