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WATER TANKS
Water tanks are designed specifically for holding
water. They fill easily, have an overflow tap, may be drained from
the bottom, and often have an inspection port or hatch on top which
greatly aids in cleaning of the tank.
Water tanks come in almost any size, style and
capacity you could desire. The largest size that will still fit
under a roof line on a single story house is about a 1250 gallon
vertical tank. The inlet is slightly lower than the rain gutters,
so the tank may be filled with rain water (through a filter) by
gravity flow any time it rains, and the bottom tap can be connected
to the house water system with a drinking water approved (RV supplier)
water hose. A double-female garden hose adapter will connect the
male end of the hose to the male threads on an outside hose bib,
so water will flow backwards through the house water system: sinks
and bathtubs will still fill, toilets will flush and refill normally,
etc.
A properly installed water tank, filled automatically
with rain water and connected to the house plumbing, will make living
much easier in a non electric world. The time and energy required
to lift and carry, then pour, water into containers for use is eliminated,
time and energy that may be utilized for far more important requirements
for living.
Gravity flow water is slow, but sure. Theoretically,
water generates 0.54 pounds per square inch of drop, but with line
loss friction a figure of a half pound of pressure per foot of drop
is more realistic. So with a tall water tank holding water at an
elevation of 6 feet, for example, the outlet flow is about 3 PSI.
That isn't much, so filling a sink or toilet takes time, but it
does work reliably, and that is the most important factor.
For those who are really serious about survival,
the use of a water tank automatically filled with filtered rain
water and delivered through the normal home plumbing system is the
only way to fly. Complete instructions for tapping into rain gutter
end caps, the delivery pipes, valves, inexpensive home-made filter
bucket, and complete parts lists with prices are available in my
booklet, "Rain Water Collection."
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