Harvesting Rainwater in Mexico City

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Harvesting Rainwater in Mexico City

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Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2573
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 24 5:54 pm Post subject: Harvesting Rainwater in Mexico City

A very nice Associated Press news article about harvesting rainwater in Mexico City

https://apnews.com/article/mexico-city-rainwater-harvesting-climate-change-women-iztapalapa-cf61986c929c49fb75243a31ed29358d

I find it interesting that the people involved seem to all be women.

Currently we are in the midst of a dry spell here in New Jersey. Rain keeps being forecast, but doesn't arrive.

The three rain barrels behind my tool shed are filled from earlier rains.

Yesterday I could not get a hose attached to the spigot at the bottom of the first barrel. Took the lid off to dip water out, and the water was black.

This is odd, because a few years ago the barrels were painted black to reduce algal growth.

Since I'm not drinking it, and figure the plants won't care I used it anyhow.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16006

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 24 3:28 pm Post subject:

I use rainwater for garden watering too, but not for other uses. We have installed a couple of tanks under our greenhouse and a hand pump to bring the water up. We also have a water butt by the house.

Some people use rainwater for most uses, but a bit wary of ours as we are near a major road. I would always prefer tap water for drinking, cooking and washing up anyway because it is hard water and purified. Other things can take less pure water of course.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6614
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 24 10:36 am Post subject:
I would be more concerned with harvested rainwater in the UK because of how much more common lead flashing is, as far as I can tell

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 24 12:27 pm Post subject:

the reason lead lasts for 500 yrs as a roof is that as soon as it patinas it is very stable re chemical erosion to solution etc

smelter fumes/waste, paint flakes and tetra from "cheap"petrol are more disturbing

i was out and about, we went to see a roman bridge, we found the remains of some big stone work, 1800 yrs later the lead that had embedded the long gone the bronze or iron spikes that added resilience to the masonry looked like new

for a roman bridge, buried near a river, dug up and brushed as a historic site to display, left for 20 yrs it seems a stable choice of material

soluble salt are well nasty, as a metal it is safer than many things(ballistics aside)

lead shot is bad, birds think it grit and digestive acids do the rest

i have an ornamental in sheet lead, very stable over 30 yrs of being weathered etc

the usa is a bit ott re lead as a metal for construction, we are rather harsh on log "cabins "

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16006

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 24 3:10 pm Post subject:
The worry I have is from the road. There is probably still a bit of lead kicking around from that. We don't have any lead in either our roof or the greenhouse roof.

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