On Thu, 6 Jan 2011 15:07:13 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

harry wrote:
On Jan 6, 4:35 pm, Harry K wrote:
On Jan 5, 6:59 pm, "HeyBub" wrote:





Edge wrote:
Some of the replies raised the possiblities of contamination in
reusing the ground water from the sump well. If there are any oils
or fluids from leaks in cars parked in the driveway, they will be
washed away from the foundation of the house. I suspect that most
of the water in the sump during our dry summers was from water that
percolated down to the drain tiles from watering plants near the
house. So reusing that water to water those plants again, or the
lawn, seems okay.

However it does raise a point. How contaiminate free is rain water
that has washed off roofs. I have cedar shingles. Don't they treat
them with fire retardants? I suppose rain water might be fine for
plants or lawns, but if you have a vegetable garden use virgin
water and not rain water or ground water.

With the first rain, 95% of whatever that is ever coming off, er,
comes off. After that first rain, any amount of fire retardant or
chemical preservative that washes off will be so small as to be
undetectable.

During the interval between rains, however, an amazing amount of
airborne junk will settle on the roof - mostly in the form of dust
(and a few bird droppings). Again, after the first few gallons of
the next rain, subsequent water should be almost as pure as if it
had been distilled.

I am always amazed every fall when I clean the gutters. There will
always be at least a 1/4" of "mud" in the bottom of them. That all
comes out of the sky. In the olden times there was a diverter that
was used to bypass the rain barrel during the start of a rain storm
to get rid of the "dirty" water.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes. I notice it notice even more as we now live by a highway. I
believe it's the dust kicked up by passing traffic. Rubber dust?

Yep. You don't see a ribbon of rubber dust alongside the road.

Applying the theory that "everything has to be somewhere," if the rubber
dust is not on the side of the road, it's got to be somewhere else.

Don't know about where you are, but MOST of the black crap in my eaves
troughs is composted vegetation - leaves and such that come off the
nearby trees. The rest of what is in the trough is the loose grit from
the shingles - but that's not black.