My temp rain collection color

[containercabin]

I put up two gutters that run the ENTIRE length of my 12 ft cabin..

I plan to bury a cistern below frost but for the now I just put a 55 gallon drum (white one) to catch the rain so I could use it for things until I get the cistern in.

I forgot to put the gutters guards up and there are a lot of trees, some should actually be cut down as they are really frighteningly close to the cabin, around the cabin and they dumps all their leaves on the roof and gutters. I climbed up to install my chimney last weekend and found the gutter completely filled with leaves. So I cleaned it and installed the guards... I did notice that the water in my drum have turned dark in color. I think it's from the leaves tannin or something (also a lot of pine needles were there)...

So obviously now I am putting up guards and I am also going to install a first flush diverter and a filter on my down sprouts but I was wondering if that is enough?

Does anyone here use rain-collection and got colored water?

[Sixfold]

Is the white drum opaque on the inside?  If you are allowing any light at all through to the water you will grow algae.  This may be part of the discoloration you are experiencing.  Hit the barrel with a can of paint or something so the sunlight cannot penetrate.   

Also what is your roof made of?  Is it metal or a shingle?  You may be getting some kind of run off from the shingle tar but it is unlikely.  The first flush you plan to install should take care of most of this.  Probably more likely to do with the leaves and the algae though. 





As for when your ready to bury one.  Look at these as a cheap alternative.



You can attach cement board to the outside framing and they will support being buried in dirt.  Not super deep but below the surface.  They come in different sizes but around here you can get a 330 gallon one for about $50.  Make sure they were used to transport a food product and not some chemical.  They tend to move soda syrup in these.  Those are the ones I look for.

If your frost line is really deep these may not support enough dirt above them in order for them not to freeze.

[Squirl]

I have never had brown.  I have very fine red clay around my house and somehow I always have some sitting on the bottom.  I don't use mine for drinking though.

[containercabin]

sixfold - My roof is metal.

Those totes are great but I want to bury mine under frost line or at least 3/4 under my frost line so I can use the water in winter. My frost line is between 42-48".... These totes can't be buried so deep - as far as I know. They will collapse if not completely filled with rain water - they might be left empty at times if no rain and a lot of use.. If there is a way to bury them with some cement boards around them - I rather do that... The cost of an underground cistern is about $450 while I can get my hand on those totes for about $35....

[Sixfold]

While the plastic is not made to hold much weight pushing in, the frame on the outside is meant for them to be stacked on top of each other.  I think if you built a suitable top and protected the plastic from direct contact with the dirt they would do what you need them to.

This article is pretty good and where I got the original idea.  I haven't buried any as deep as you want though, so I am unsure of the results.
http://www.survivalblog.com/2012/07/letter-re-an-inexpensive-approach-to-underground-rainwater-storage.html

[Squirl]

I may be a naysayer or downer, but I strongly disagree with the article. 

I have known plenty of people injured by collapsing buried storage (cisterns, septic, cesspools).  Many of these were even from materials designed to be buried.  Just recently a friend was walking through his yard and the earth gave way and he found out he had a cistern from the 1800's.  Almost no one ever digs things up once they are buried.  My understanding is those tanks get the little support they are designed for from common steel cages.  This will rust and eventually collapse.

The average weight of a cubic foot of soil is 70 lbs.  Design values for clay can be 90-100 lbs.  If these are buried 4 feet deep, they have 64 cubic feet of soil.  This can usually weigh 4480 - 6400 pounds, double to triple the maximum design value for these totes.  And that is without point loads of any travel that may happen over it (people/riding mower/tractor).

Combine that weight with a rusting steel cage, and you are eventually looking at collapse.  If you are lucky whoever it happens to may only suffer a broken ankle or torn ligament.

Traditionally, cisterns were built out of arched stone masonry.  This could withstand thousands of pounds per square foot.  Since the invention of reinforced concrete (not concrete backer board) it largely did away with stone arches.  The newest kids on the block are the specially engineered plastic tanks. 

[Sixfold]

Ah good point about the steel.  I wasn't thinking about it but they probably use the cheapest steel they can on these, sure to rust out quickly. 

I did some quick research and they are only rated for 2,600 lbs stacked on the galvanized steel frame.  As Squirl pointed out, 4 feet deep would be well over this. So disregard my poor advice.

[Squirl]

As protection for the tank or anything buried, cisterns can still be built out of major arched stone or brick.

http://www.superblock.com.mx/pdfs/pdf%20files/TEK%2014-14.pdf

There are many free agricultural plans for cisterns.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension-aben/buildingplans/miscellaneous

Also many people use concrete septic tanks as cisterns.  The cost is about 50 to 75 cents per gallon of storage.

I am not a big fan of the plastic tanks.  I have clay soil that gets highly saturated and a high water table, both of which void the warranty for most plastic cisterns.

http://www.norwesco.com/PDF/UndgroundTankInstall.pdf

Also the Ohio guide to cisterns.  I am just posting this because I always lose it.

http://www.odh.ohio.gov/~/media/ODH/ASSETS/Files/eh/water/cisternplan.ashx