Our rainwater harvesting project is coming along nicely.

Yesterday they finished digging the hole for the tank in the back courtyard and it’s all in and connected, mostly anyway, the pumps should be coming tomorrow. This one was a bit of a nightmare. Apart from having to move after they dug a metre deep hole to begin with as mentioned previously, they then had to sink this tank almost completely underground. The hole they dug was two metres deep.

Regarding the courtyard area, all they need to do is connect the pump that will be used to pump the water from this tank (the backup) to the main tank in the garden, and then replace the paving and make it look at pretty as possible. The overflow pipe is in place, it just need to be put into the tank itself.

In the garden, they are still to add the pump to that side that will get the water through to the irrigation system. They also need to finish off with a tap so that we can attached a garden hose and install the overflow piping. Just had another look now and they also need to get rid of the rest of the soil they dug out.

They also still need to create the channel in the brickwork around the back of the house.

Apart from that its just some minor bits here and there such as add a bend to the pipe going into the tanks. Then I will need to look at an innovative way to cover the gap around the tanks. Apparently you can’t put sand into the hole around the tank because as the tank fills and empties it expands and contracts. I am a bit concerned that the dogs will fall down there or some other wildlife that we get in the garden and then not be able to get back out, and to try and rescue a dog from there would be quite an undertaking.

So with any luck, we should be finished with this tomorrow. Now we just need the rain to come pouring down.

The pictures below show where we were yesterday morning and where we are now this evening. This is the area where the water is running around the back of the house and into the drain which gets channeled to the tank. The back side of the flat roof area is also connected to this section.