Well, well, well!

Well, when we bought a rural house we were made aware that the acreage was "on a well." And that the sellers of the property would add water to the well "on hot dry summers." We were not sure how much water was ordered every summer but after finding out that for $95, a local water company would add 3,000 gallons of 'fresh drinking water' into our well, we felt that was not going to be a cost issue.

We were used to being on city water, which was always available and only "on hot, dry summers" that the City would order homeowners to water their gardens only every other day (3 1/2 hours in the morning until 7:30 and 3 hours in the evening after 9 pm). This meant that someone could water their city garden for at least 6 1/2 hours a day. The average sprinkler will spray around 5 gallons a minute; therefore a 6 1/2 city watering spree translates into A LOT of water (I don't feel like doing the math, but in my head I calculate 3,150 gallons).

Any way, we became aware of our water usage. I bought a small plastic tub to fit into the sink and collected all our dish water and added it to our watering cans outside. We installed a water-wise toilet that used only 1 1/2 gallons per flush and chanted to all guests "If it's Yellow, let it mellow. If it is brown, flush it down." (I still have trouble saying this to my Parents who visit occasionally as it just brings attention to the fact that I have abandoned my career and have gone off into the woods to exist off the land'.)

Sorry for the digression...ANY WAYS, I bought four 75 gallon water barrels that I installed under the shed. I first had to install gutters. Being a City Boy, I called the local 'Gutter installation" company and was given a quote of $400. Now, this price would not have been an issue but having left the city and closed our city office meant to our clients that we had moved away. A very good observation,one in which they would be correct. But I digress, needless to say there was some questioning about whether any business would come to us 'long distance' so income may be reduced (or eliminated!). So, after all these brain configurations I decided that I can save money and install them myself.

At Home Depot gutters were sold in 10 foot lengths. After, loading up on the necessary brackets, downpipes and silicone glue I drove home satisfied that all this cost me $140, therefore saving me $260 if I had it done 'professionally'.

After, many slips of the gutter sections, having to get off my ladder to retrieve the fallen pieces, and using three 10 foot sections (one cut to 9 feet long to fit), I had the gutters and downpipes up. I then waited excitedly for the firsrt rain to see my handiwork and watch as the water went from my downpipe into the water barrels.

Soon one evening, the clouds rolled in and the heavens opened, and rain poured from the sky. I went over to one of the water barrels and was thrilled to see the rain water flowing into the barrel. The rain water was also dripping from every joint of the 10 foot section but it didn't look like too much was falling and with a spring in my step i headed inside.

The next morning I raced outside, wondering how much water had collected. I was immediately disappointed when i saw that both my drainpipes had fallen away from my gutter, allowing the water to fall on the ground, missing my rain barrels.

I headed back to Home Depot and loaded up on silicone glue and mounded more glue over the joints of the 10 foot sections. As well, I bent the downpipes into a smaller shape and forced them back onto the gutter. I won't get into all the gory details but let's just say that I now have buckets, on the ground, under each joint that continues to leak. The down pipes only rarely fall off as I have placed a concrete cinder block between the end of the down pipe and the water barrel. This keeps the downpipe from falling off.

But, the good news is I easily fill up all 4 barrels every major rainstorm. So for most of May, and a few more times in June, July and August I can collect 300 gallons from my barrels to water the garden. I fill up my two 2 1/2 gallon watering cans and handwater my veggie garden and our flower beds.

I sometimes think about, for only $260 more I could have had a professionally looking (and functioning!) gutter and downpipes but I was a CityBoy farmer now and I had to do more around the homestead.

Since buying the place we have not needed to fill up the well and I have stopped collecting the dishwater but still happily collect the rainwater. I estimate that when my barrels are empty I use about 125 gallons of well water, per day, for my garden. I wish I had a bigger cistern to collect the water during the winter months, eliminating my need for the well water for watering the garden.