Started a project worried about the expense. I'm over $600 so far. Wondering if it was worth it. Maybe. Maybe I'll never need the surplus water. But I guess it's good to have it in case it's needed.

Got the first of four sets of saddles done. Only three sets more to build. FYI: I plan on having two barrel stacks (four barrels in total).

 

Is your lumber treated, for outdoor use? If not I recommend treating it. I used a little untreated wood for a project and regret it now. After just a few years it's almost gone.

 

Pressure treated. And the cuts will get treated before it goes into service.

 

Hello, B ... here's a LinkedIn post I thought you might find interesting:

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Not sure just what became city law. Was it illegal when he did it and they changed the law to allow it? Or did he do it and they changed the law to ban it?

 

Not sure just what became city law. Was it illegal when he did it and they changed the law to allow it? Or did he do it and they changed the law to ban it?

I think it was the first:

Rather than punish him, Tucson eventually legalized the practice, then built an entire city program around it, called Storm to Shade, offering homeowners a $2,000 rebate to install the same kind of basins.

 

I think it was the first:

Rather than punish him, Tucson eventually legalized the practice, then built an entire city program around it, called Storm to Shade, offering homeowners a $2,000 rebate to install the same kind of basins.

Thanks. Since I don't have an active LinkedIn account, I could only go off the graphic you posted.

 

Interesting article cmartinez. Also important was what a commenter said about road salts in cold climates. Arizona probably doesn't see much if any snow, let alone the need to spread salt to melt snow/ice. Around here it's the farmers who complain about rainwater harvesting. They have water rights that include whatever falls on my property. It's probably a good reason why harvesting should be limited to some reasonable level. I don't know that I would be using 200 gallons (four 55 gallon barrels that don't completely fill) on a regular basis. But having it to use to water our garden during years like this one has been, dry and far below average rainfall, having that water to keep the pond full and the garden green makes sense. I've let my grass go brown. In a normal rainfall year I have to cut the grass every week. And then it fills up the green waste bin. this year I've filled the green bin twice so far. I expect maybe one or two more times before the growing season concludes.

I've done my part to cut down on water use. And with minimal rainfall most of the summer I've harvested just 200 gallons this year, filling my two 55's and draining them each only twice. Still, I pay for water I've not used from the city supply. I pay for 10,000 gallons every month all year long. I get no credit for water savings, which makes me wonder even more about why I spent so much money to save a couple hundred gallons per summer year.

Anyway, it's a venture I undertook. It's only reasonable to see it to fruition. When done I'll do a calculation of all monies spent to achieve this goal and post it. I expect it to be over $800 (including barrels, plumbing and wood supports).

 

Two saddles built and sealed against the weather. Two to go. Then the plumbing begins.