Water storage

[dalkill]

So as day zero draws closer one has to continue to prep for waht seems inevitable now...
I already have two drums setup for my grey water... to use for flushing.

Now i need an idea for storage of clean water for washing machine and shower.
For this water, can one use rain water / water from a spring? as this water is not treated and cannot be stored for longer periods for drinking... will it be OK for washing machine and shower.
DO i need foodgrade flowbin for this purpose? Or is it just better to get foodgrade in one go.

Anybody up north can supply flowbin... here prices gone thru the roof, and that if you can get...

[ThysdJ]

I got 2 1000l flow bins for R250 about a year ago. Now you are lucky if you get 1 for less than R1000!! I now use them for grey water storage to flush loo's and to water the 3 plants we have left in the garden.

Then I also have a 2500l JoJo for rainwater which we use for the washing machine. We are still on potable for washing dishes and showering, but that will change soon, when we get more rain.

I would rather use a JoJo as they are blacked out which will prevent algae growth in your rainwater turning it green and smelly. The water in my flow bins are getting very green, especially when it is hot outside, but every now and then I pour in some "Tank Pong" which clears up the algae and makes the water smell soapy. It is biodegradable and safe to use in the garden. At the same time the water in my JoJo stays crystal clear.

Once the winter sets in and the frenzy is over I will invest in more JoJos to get us completely off the grid. The current pricing is not sustainable.

PS on the other side, the way CoCT is going on with moving Day Zero back every 2 daye I might consider selling my tanks as it seems Day Zero will never happen??

[ismail]

Thys i'll buy your tanks then......

[ThysdJ]

We keep buying each other's stuff..

[Mud Dog]

Borehole water and tanked rain water are usually OK for drinking. One should test borehole water for any unhealthy leachate / chemicals and rainwater lasts well in a tank, especially if the collection roof and gutters are free of debris / plant material.

If tank water is cloudy or very green, 100 grams of aluminium sulphate per 1000lit clears it up quite quickly. If you can't get aluminium sulphate, just use the alum powder that you can buy at any pool shop - same quantity. Both would have to be pre-dissolved in a bucket before adding to the tank water. Do not drink of that water for 36 to 48 hrs. Should also be treated with approx 1 x tablespoon (level) of chlorine after it has cleared - also pre-dissolved before adding to the tank.

If the water is clear but starts to turn green, just do the chlorine treatment only.

[dalkill]

so last night i popped in at the infamous gympie street water point, supplied by the contractors building there.

I assumed it is ground water they hit as they going down, and doing people a favor to pump it for them.

I've heard alot about iron / chalk in borehole / groundwater.
I would just like to use this for the biggest water user in the house... the washing machine. Not for drinking or showering.

Is there an inexpensive way to go about removing iron/chalk from this water.
Don't wanna invest thousands in a reverse osmosis filter or something like that. Some sort of home made filter jobbie maybe.
Anything water related in CT has just quadrupled in price.

I heard the chlorine will also remove iron from the water?

[dalkill]

Eish... R33K ...

https://www.theforumsa.co.za/forums/sho ... post143449

[dalkill]

is this a water pump?
the fan blades inside seem to the closed type impeller, but that exhaust on the output side got me confused

[Mud Dog]

Could be mistaken but that looks like a blower (air) to me.

[Bosfebok]

Looks like an air blower en not a water pump.

[dalkill]

eish.. was hoping it was water pump of sorts... thought i could save myself R1000+ if it was a water pump