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You would be better off taking a look at a few videos on the subject.



One thing you will want to do is have a sort of flush mechanism so the first bit of rain
(With a load of dust from your roof) does not get in to the system.

You have the right idea with gutters, but I don't think 55 gals is going to cut it. You're going to need the right pump, filtration system, and a UV filter as well if you want potable water. A pressure tank is also a good idea. Very few homes here have county water, so most run on catchment. My catchment tank is 10,000 gallons.

I was thinking - are you doing this to save water or you think rain water is healthier to drink?

If you are doing this to save water, I would suggest you use the barrel to hold the waste water from the RO system. There should be a line on the RO filter that connects to the drain, just re-route it to the barrel. RO filters work by basically rinsing the water so the waste water will have a higher TDS count than before the RO, but it is fine for laundry, plants, etc.

I have some experience with this, though I don't know your area. When I did it I was shocked just how much water I got. If you do use your roof, you don't need to think in terms of scarcity. Unless you live in a desert it really isn't scarce at all.

With that issue out of the way, water quality is the only thing you need to think about. It sounds like that is your main focus, and I never quite got a good result myself so I'm not going to give you much or complete advice. But I wanted to tell you that so any concerns about scarcity don't hinder your thinking about the important parts.

Many people use bleach, the same as municipal water. The difference is you get control over the amount. My municipal water clearly isn't consistent. There are times I take a shower and I feel like I'm showering with pool water. One concern I've had with bleach is wasting it or getting inconsistent dilution just from the huge volume of water that a roof generates. A 55 gallon rain barrel can be fully replace multiple times in a single storm. So if you have a continuous feed most of your bleach would just wash out.

To address this many people use multiple, and treat the water in a rotation.

Look, to be honest my water smelled. Like I considered using it just as shower water just to try it out and I regretted it instantly. Legit, it can be as bad as pond water if you don't do something to address quality.

RO systems usually require a decent amount of water pressure to function properly. Make sure your pump can support that. 40 psi won't cut it - you need at least 60 psi and many pumps (via pressure switch) cycle 40-60 psi.

Side note, idk your generation but it has been very difficult to get my father to help me build my shed. Like pulling teeth. He built one with his grandfather when he was my age or so, but now he thinks I should just buy one.

Don't give your age, preserve your identity. I am just wondering if you are in a similar situation

Run off from the roof is fine for watering greens. It depnds on what material your roof is if you'd want to drink it.

https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/building-a-water-tower-zmaz76mjztak

I think you should upside the whole system and never mind about the overflow. An IBC tote that holds 300 gallons will serve you well

It's been raining like a motherfucker here lately, and the aquafur is full. Might as well take what you can, it's just gonna go to dasani if you don't.

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