Another for Corona, but maybe of use to anyone planning on storing winter water for pool top ups…
How long will/should rainwater stay pool-useable, as opposed to drinkable, in a sealed black container without chemical intervention?
If its in a black container (like a 3m3 fosse tank or underground storage tank) it should be ok almost indefinitely, but why not add a little javel every now and then?
Thanks Mark!
We had a lot of rain last week. Guilty of not doing all I should for saving water, I blanked off the pool overflow, and measured the rise - nigh on a cubic meter! This in the past would just slip away without notice, so I got to thinking - yes, I reckon I could accumulate 3 cubic metres easy for pool top ups in the summer…
I seem to remember reading a while ago of tablets that people who relied on storing drinking water, popped into their tank every now and then - I guess these are just a form of javel/blech/chlorine, yes?
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More than likely. You can get 20 litre bidons of javel at 9.6% chlorine from most brico sheds at about €15 - 20 , you wont need much and can use in the pool too.
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Yes, I use these to top if the salt generator is struggling - it seems to more with each passing [hotter] year 
When there is a hosepipe ban, topping up pools and washing cars is not allowed - can/will someone confirm that this only applies if using mains supply? ie if one uses farmed water for these purposes, one is exempt from the ban?
where does the Farmed Water come from ???
(incidentally, I believe a good reason for urging people to use the car wash… it to stop the contaminated water (suds/cleaning agents/ oil etc…) from going into the soil and eventually into water courses etc…
the car wash places recycle/clean the water used on their premises…)
It, in my case, will come from the pool overflow and rainwater from the roof of the house.
I have a pool with a surface arra of 40M2 and buildings with a foot print of 270M2. With a rain average of 600mm, this would amount to quite a few M3 that drains into the woods for the wild animals. I am sure we could share it thal would allow me to legally to top up the pool in summer.”
sounds a great idea to me…
I was going to do the same with a couple of those 1000 ltr IBC cube tanks that come around every so often, I see the brico sheds charging a lot for them but clearance places also from time to time at about 1/10th of the price.
apart from restrictions on drawing groundwater from a possibly depleted watertable… I think “they” are trying to stop drinking water being used for pools and car windows… rainwater is a much better solution…
We’ve used 5 cubic metres less “drinking” water in the last 12 months… just by not allowing the cold-run-off while waiting for hot water… to trundle down the plug hole into the drains.
Thus our water bill is actually less than last year’s despite increases in costs and charges… hurrah.
We use the water “rescued” from the plughole… to water plants/whatever… it’s not much of a saving but better than nothing… 
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The cubic metre cubes, in black (that I presume is better to store water in than clear?) on the internet are about 230€ delivered, or, my friendly builder has an upcoming job on his books to replace two old 2k liter fosses with legal 3k liter ones. I can have them for free, delivered and just cover the cost of the mini digger…yes, they will need a steam clean as well, but still cheap to harvest 4 cubes of water - and another tick in the eco box to offset the 900bhp of cars 
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cleaning fosses can be hazardous… specialist companies can do this, for a price.
The cheaper 1000L/IBC surface ones (and potentially some in normal ‘new’ price range) are a risk as can be recycled from other undeclared uses which may create a hazard. I wouldn’t rely on any seller, at all, not even a big name, unless there is a written guarantee the tank is vierge (seems new cages and supports may surround some of these invisibly risky tanks and they can come through ‘normal’ channels).
If you wait till the right time of year Ruralmaster and other agri suppliers and of course bricos reduce them and some in-earth tanks a chunk and then a bigger chunk a couple of times a year and RM at least, guarantees virginity. Brico Marche regular pricing is OK but like other French brico’s each store may charge a different price. Some include a good tap or a bad tap, which they may forget to.hand you so make sure you ask. Almost all leave you to drill the hole and install a tap, Rural Master’s giant guaranteed virgin one comes with the tap fitted as well as the guarantee, and I’m pretty sure they do a ‘double wide’ 2000L surface one as well.
We buried 2 x 3000l plastic fosse tanks (new and clean) to take rainwater run off. Pump buried in it’s own little chamber near electricity supply for one and for the other a cheapie submersible pump does the trick. The water stays clean, and is invaluable for watering plants and pool top up. I have a couple of 1000l IBCs for collection from garage roof, but they’re a pain. Not enough capacity in winter and not much use in the dry summer months. If I were to do it again, I’d bury all the tanks I could fit in and/or afford!
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