Rainfall

[Scythe13]

I like your way of thinking. That's some good prepping!

You should be able to get that kind of data from the met-office. They'll have annual rainfall and the alike. Records should go back for years! But collecting your own gives much greater peace of mind.

I'm massively into Earthships, so I can help you out with some other things.

With 6" of rain a year you can sustain your family. You'll need to use EVERY drop of rainwater and put it into a storage tank. If you have a ^ shaped roof, you should channel the water from both sides into one massive tank. Further more, you can extend the length of your roof to gather more water. The same applies for your garage if it is seperate.

Don't forget about those fences! Water will be dripping down there! Gather that up and store it as well. I would probably purify that water too. Even the water that hits your windows can be collected with a little guttering, silicon, a ladder, and loads of fun.

Look into making solar stills. They allow you to recycle water and gather water from plant life. When I say recycle, yes I mean drinking what used to be wee. A plastic bag tied over a leafy tree branch will also gather water. It is a slow process, but apparently much better than solar still wee water.

Why not also look for a near by water source. I don't know much about East Anglia, but if there is an ocean nearby, you can drink sea water....kind of. Boil it first, then catch the steam as it dries out. I'd use a clean sheet, maybe a poncho, and let the steam condense underneath the 'catching' surface. Then the droplets will flow down the material and into what ever it is you are using to collect the water, profiding you angle the catching material right. Then wait for it to cool, and enjoy.

Also, using less water for your daily needs makes a huge difference! Fill a plastic litre bottle with water, seal it, and put it into the top of every toilet (the part you don't wee into). That will save you 1 litre of water per flush. Whatever you do, don't use a brick because it will slowly break down and clog your system.

Don't forget that growing juicy veg will help provide liquid to your bodies. Things like leuttice have so much water in them, you can crush them up for a nice juicy drink.

With washing, pass on showers and the alike. Use a wet sponge and catch any water you can. Then solar still that water and reuse it for washing.

There are so many things you can use to cut down the amount of water you use. Hope these few ideas help.