Posts: 6,214
Threads: 354
Joined: Feb 2006
Terracore, some of the Golden Oldies on checking catchment level (this comes up during big droughts)
http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20630
http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17912
ADD:
Nifty YouTube on how to do water tank indicator:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPV7ENlh3h0
and a pricey store bought indicator:
http://www.rainharvest.com/levetator-wat...icator.asp
CTHAR catchment brochure for lots of water tank info
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/rm-12.pdf
Amazon assortment
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=water+tank+level+gauge&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=83516539693&hvpos=1o3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=867162796533718883&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8x8df0qij0_b
Posts: 926
Threads: 131
Joined: Mar 2012
I seem to recall that we've had winter droughts for at least the last 3 winters. Last winter or the one before it was a 7 week drought. This winter seems to be right inline with what has been the norm.
Lots of stories of people running out of water in their catchment tanks again this winter.
We also have a 10k tank.
After hearing that a friend had to have a load of water brought in I checked ours a couple of days ago.
The water is only about 1/2" below the intake of the overflow pipe, ~8" below a full, overflowing tank full.
The 7 week drought had us down about 2-1/2' from full.
Plus, I had vacuumed the tank out during that drought period.
Are we just frugal with our water?
- - - - - - - - - - -
Was a Democrat until gun control became a knee jerk, then a Republican until the crazies took over, back to being a nonpartisan again.
This time, I can no longer participate in the primary.
Posts: 1,179
Threads: 7
Joined: Jul 2012
what Tink said, add a clear plastic tube to outside of tank and visually see the level of water, no guess work... cheep and easy fix
otherwise tapping the tank w/knuckles can sometime tell the level when the noise of thump changes
aloha
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
Posts: 4,344
Threads: 100
Joined: Mar 2014
Are we just frugal with our water?
-------
I think you are normal. I can't understand why people with 7500 gallon plus tanks cannot go 6-8 weeks without running low on water. Either they have leaks, run massively long showers/baths or simply have way to small of roof being used for catchment. We got close once, a few years ago when we had a leak combined with a drought period, but still didn't need to buy water.
Say they have a usable 9000 gallons and it doesn't rain for 6 weeks. That is 1500 gallons a week, or over 200 gallons a day. Standard shower heads are 2.5 gpm or less and a toilet takes 2 gallons or less to flush. So yes, where is all their water going?
Posts: 1,219
Threads: 52
Joined: Dec 2014
I don't know many people with 9000 gallon tanks, unless you are living in a brand new house. Most of the people I know who are running low in water live in older rentals with tanks no bigger than 5000 gallons and older plumbing fixtures that are no water efficient. So if you combine a large family with a small roof and a small tank, you are going to run low on water. We have a household of 3 people right now, and are only down about a third of the way on our tank, but the roof is big and we don't waste water.
Posts: 1,247
Threads: 7
Joined: Sep 2014
We're doing good too on a 3500 gal. House tank. Only 1 rung down, 14 to go. Never HAD to fill the tank in decades, but sometimes we fill up so we can keep things alive around the house.The back yard is crunchy dry. Going to drain the tank this week watering and fill up next week. Lost too many beautiful things last draught. We conserve but the plants and animals are drinking a lot of water..
Looking forward to the rains when they get here!
Posts: 735
Threads: 20
Joined: May 2006
I noticed the pH of my tank water changed from 6.2 on Friday to 5.2 today. Must be the vog combined with the tiny amount of rain we got. I think this concentrates the acid going into the tank. Either that or it could be all the dust going on the roof.
Posts: 2,906
Threads: 490
Joined: Mar 2006
Heavy rain forecast for the Big Island Tuesday night/Wednesday. Could be enough to fill our catchments.
Posts: 5,638
Threads: 101
Joined: Dec 2008
Yeah, they predicted that last week too!
Posts: 1,070
Threads: 9
Joined: Mar 2014
In the fall we had days n days / months of rain .
many grumbled about when will it cease.
Typical weather systems of El Nino / La Nina.
If memory serves us , around Christmas the rains come to an end.
From Jan 10th to around March 10th to 18th the rains return but not the normal 2 and half inches a day or the nightly rains ,sunny days kine.
By april usually we will have once again the regular trades back .And by June for sure will have normal inch or 2 a day kineand this current short dry spell will be just a memory .
We have over 50K gallons in 5 under ground tanks and never have run out .
It is always wise to have 30K gallon plus of water stored just in case of typical dry spells that do occur every few years .
In the late 1940s it did not rain for over 9 months - in the mid 1950s was about 6 months of zero rain.
In the 1970s was a 8 month drought and after that drought was over it dumped 10 inches a day on average for 9 weeks straight and some days were 15 to 20 inches in a 24 hour period .
This current dry spell is a short span compared to past dry spells .
Luckily for all,the water spigots are far more plentiful than even in the 1970s and before and there is no limit of that gallons one can haul daily .
In the 1970s a 50 gallon limit was set in place and the water police were at the spigots monitoring every person and their amounts .
Who here remembers those times ?
Mrs . Mimosa
