Looking for Rainwater Harvesting Filter Recommendations

[AgroVenturesPeru]

We have a mesh filter at the downspout, which keeps out most of the bigger stuff, but we still get very fine debris/muck that passes through and our first-flush system doesn't resolve this 100% either.

We have a filter between the rainwater tanks and the house/water pump so the house's water is OK, but we don't want any debris/muck getting into the water tanks in the first place. This would mean not having to clean the water tanks, and also lengthen the time in between having to purchase replacement filters for the house.

Here's a picture of the pipe leading to the tank. I'm looking for something that could go inside the gray section of that 4in. pipe that could serve as a sediment/debris/muck filter to prevent any junk from getting into the rainwater tanks. Something that could be cleaned out and re-used would be ideal. It would have to be able to handle very high-flow, because we can get some heavy rains here.

 

[Mattb4]

Would be difficult to find something that would fit in the gray area and be accessible for cleaning or replacement. In my rainwater system I use a sand and rock filter setup I built into a plastic drum located before the tanks (my tanks are buried in the ground to their lids) on a stand so that it is gravity flow to help capture some of the dust/pollen in the rain water. It is not 100% but I have never needed to clean my tanks in the 25 years of use yet. I do periodically add bleach for disinfection purposes to the tanks.

 

[dopeassjackson]

I believe they make filter socks made to be in the top of a IBC tote. Would that work?

Something more basic could be a simple 5gal bucket full of different sized gravel with a hole in the bottom sitting over your tank. I use this for my only filtering of my garden water tank.

 

[BentleyJ]

Filter bag is probably the easiest. Of course its a trade off between flow rate and pore size as to the percentage of stuff removed vs. how fast it clogs and simply overflows.

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[Cabin Rising]

I just joined to ask more about your rain water collection. All of the details you are willing to discuss. My cabin is almost finished and rain water is last on list to get plumbing taken care of.

Something I think would be perfect for your filtering issue would be a tee fitted with a ball valve. It would have a fairly fine mesh or screen filter. When you rotate it 90 degrees the tee is opened and water back flushes the filter out on the ground.

I dont know if something like this actually exists. Or maybe does and used for some other purpose. Just thinking out loud. I have some 2 inch grey pvc ball valves. Need to see what it takes to modify and make them do what was floating around in my head.

 

[DIYrich]

How about a tank that can hold one day of rain. Let the particulates settle. Draw water out with a tap at 20% up from the bottom. Then flush out the remainder with a bottom drain.

 

[xy74]

How about a monjolin filter?

 

[badammo]

How about a tank that can hold one day of rain. Let the particulates settle. Draw water out with a tap at 20% up from the bottom. Then flush out the remainder with a bottom drain.

That is the easiest way to do it. It works better if the settling tank has a cone bottom like a funnel. The debris then settles at the flushing valve and less water is wasted during flushing.

 

[DIYrich]

How about a tank that can hold one day of rain. Let the particulates settle. Draw water out with a tap at 20% up from the bottom. Then flush out the remainder with a bottom drain.

How about this:

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You can use it for making beer during the dry season.

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[AgroVenturesPeru]

How about a monjolin filter?

That looks like a great invention. I noticed it says it's developed in Brazil. https://www.rainbrothers.com/store/...ter-for-filtering-up-to-1200-sq-ft-p454961280

The only system upgrade I've made so far since my original post has been to buy a length of this no see um mesh https://www.amazon.com/Skeeta-No-see-um-Netting-Wide-Yards/dp/B017J4B5QW/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1
My wife sewed some mosquito head nets using the material, so we can place those down into the catchment tube coming from the gutter's downspout. We have one large mesh and now this really fine no see um mesh as well.

 

[AgroVenturesPeru]

I just joined to ask more about your rain water collection. All of the details you are willing to discuss. My cabin is almost finished and rain water is last on list to get plumbing taken care of.

Something I think would be perfect for your filtering issue would be a tee fitted with a ball valve. It would have a fairly fine mesh or screen filter. When you rotate it 90 degrees the tee is opened and water back flushes the filter out on the ground.

I dont know if something like this actually exists. Or maybe does and used for some other purpose. Just thinking out loud. I have some 2 inch grey pvc ball valves. Need to see what it takes to modify and make them do what was floating around in my head.

The picture on the left is of the first flush system. The 4in. downspout falls into a 6in. catchment where we have the screen material as a pre-filter. This funnels into a four inch section and then reverse funnels into another 6in. vertical tube in which we've placed a 5in. craft ball like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Polystyrene-Projects-Ornaments-Creations-Decorations/dp/B0841S99LM

There's a 90 degree elbow at the bottom and then a ball valve outlet to dump that whole vertical section to let out the dirty water. In a sufficient rain event, the vertical tube fills up, lifting the 5in. ball and blocking the reverse funnel, which sends any subsequent water off to the left and to the rainwater tanks, preventing the first flush water from being sent back up and towards the water tanks.

The second photo is of the rainwater tanks. Believe it or not, we lived here for three years with just the small tank for all of our household needs. After a bad drought last year, we upgraded this March.

We painted all the piping black to match the color scheme of the house, and to protect the PVC from UV damage.