In my area we are already in a drought with no rain in sight, and it's only April. I have 20 hop plants that need to be watered and my house is on a well. We run out of water pretty frequently during most summers. Anyone have any tips or links for building rain barrel-type solutions?
Also, my backyard slopes down a bit and the low end can get pretty marshy when it rains a lot. I was thinking of building something like a dry well crossed with a cistern to deal with the drainage issue and also save some water. Basically, I'd just bury a big trash can with some holes poked in it at the lowest point. I'd build a little rain-barrel on a small platform above it, with an aquarium pump and hose going down into the bottom of the well. During heavy rains, let it fill up and then pump all the water up into the barrel. Any engineers or DIY-types want to access this idea?
Also, my backyard slopes down a bit and the low end can get pretty marshy when it rains a lot. I was thinking of building something like a dry well crossed with a cistern to deal with the drainage issue and also save some water. Basically, I'd just bury a big trash can with some holes poked in it at the lowest point. I'd build a little rain-barrel on a small platform above it, with an aquarium pump and hose going down into the bottom of the well. During heavy rains, let it fill up and then pump all the water up into the barrel. Any engineers or DIY-types want to access this idea?
