Rainwater harvesting for spraying

Lukehaynes

Member

Location

Surrey

• May 8, 2019

• #1

Evening all,

We are having some new buildings put up this year and the plan is to utilise rainwater for spraying.

Roof is approx 1500m2. I put approx 4000ha on the machine filling from this location. So at 100l/ha we would use 400,000l water.

What size tanks are reasonable for this to be a worthwhile system?

 

Bobthebuilder

Member

Mixed Farmer

Location

northumberland

• May 8, 2019

• #2

Bigger the better then you’ll have plenty if it’s a dry spell for a while and also plenty storage if it’s wet for a while, a filter basket where it goes into tank is handy to catch any debris

 

Kidds

Member

Horticulture

Location

Near Beeston Castle

• May 8, 2019

• #3

My sums say you need 260mm rainfall to get your 400,000litres, assuming you catch every drop and none evaporates.
You need to work out when it is likely to fall and when you are likely to use it. Presumably they are going to be at different times of the year.

 

Robert K

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Essex

• May 8, 2019

• #4

We have just set up two 30000 litre tanks on rainwater harvesting

 

Joseph

Member

Location

Bucks/Oxon

• May 10, 2019

• #5

I have 2 x 30,000 litre tanks at my yard and they regularly run dry if we have a dry period during peak spray timings.

 

Lukehaynes

Member

Location

Surrey

• May 10, 2019

• #6

Joseph said:

I have 2 x 30,000 litre tanks at my yard and they regularly run dry if we have a dry period during peak spray timings.

Click to expand...

Assume you have them plumbed into mains as well for back up. I was thinking two tanks so there would be a buffer

 

Kidds

Member

Horticulture

Location

Near Beeston Castle

• May 11, 2019

• #7

Joseph said:

I have 2 x 30,000 litre tanks at my yard and they regularly run dry if we have a dry period during peak spray timings.

Click to expand...

How often are they full?

 

R

renewablejohn

Member

Location

lancs

• May 11, 2019

• #8

An IBC wall takes up little space. So long as you manifold each level as a separate feed you can draw off at different pressures. Can also autofill each level using a simple downspout flow diveter at each level.

 

Joseph

Member

Location

Bucks/Oxon

• May 11, 2019

• #9

Lukehaynes said:

Assume you have them plumbed into mains as well for back up. I was thinking two tanks so there would be a buffer

Click to expand...

Yes I have a ball valve on a float that only tops up the tanks with mains water when the tank levels drop down.
So I have always got more than enough water to go spraying.

 

Joseph

Member

Location

Bucks/Oxon

• May 11, 2019

• #10

Kidds said:

How often are they full?

Click to expand...

Its difficult to tell really it is all weather dependent and obviously when it's a wet spell we don't tend to be spraying to use it up.

 

L

Lincsman

Member

Arable Farmer

Location

Lincolnshire

• May 19, 2019

• #11

It depends on the year, some years you keep getting a wet spell between spraying periods, others it never rains when you need some, so answer is as big as you can afford / fit in.