Rainwater Collection Shingle Roof

I was about to install a catchment garden watering system for some clients and then realized they had the wrong roof.

Rainwater collection shingle roof. However when planning a rainwater collection system from the ground up where the size of the catchment is to be designed to suit domestic water needs the following guidelines will be useful. The american rainwater catchment systems association arcsa advises that standing seam roofs powder coated or enameled galvalume zinc aluminum alloy with non toxic baked or enamel finish are appropriate for potable use with non toxic finishes and appropriate components tanks and post tank treatment. Asphalt shingles contain zinc hydrocarbons and other chemicals as well as moss and algae preventatives. The consensus on the internet about the safest roofing material for rainwater collection is there is no consensus.

Tar asphalt shingles yup they make the water nasty. Asphalt shingles are the most common material used on roofs and luckily they are also a very good option when it comes to rainwater harvesting. Small amounts of these chemicals end up in your rain barrel every time it rains. But hey that s still something.

According to a local rainwater catchment group that water should be used only at base of trees shrubs and not in the veggie garden. The study also showed that rainwater from asphalt fiberglass shingle roofs and increasingly popular green roofs contain high levels of dissolved organic carbon doc. The roof area to be used as the collection surface is usually predetermined by the size of the existing house or other outbuilding roofs. And chemical contaminants but even after the first flush water contained more turbidity total coliform fecal coliform iron and aluminum than is recommended by the epa for drinking water.

Rainwater can carry bacteria parasites viruses and chemicals that could make you sick and it has been linked to disease outbreaks 3 4. A steep sloped roof will shed water more quickly than a low sloped roof along with better removing debris or other foreign materials. One of the main reasons is their uneven surface it makes it harder for soot and other pollutants and dirt to gather on top of it. Rainwater runoff from your roof contains a mix of materials deposited by pollution and animals as well as chemicals used in the manufacture of the shingles.