Second look at containers

The only activities on site in the last 2 months were the weeds growing, the gophers digging and, of course, Juno running around.  The main hold up was a manufacturing issue with the 10" helical piles, but that has been resolved and all the piles are due to be delivered and installed this week!!   I've got my time lapse camera ready to go so I can make another fun video.
Meanwhile, work has been progressing off site at the TPU location in Vallejo.  James arranged a time last week for us to meet and get a close up view of the work that is being done.  I invited a friend, Lindsay, to join me on the drive.  

We were met by James, Michael, Randy and Abel.   Randy Larson is the president of TPU, Michael showed us around last time in Randy's absence and Abel works for Taynr.  Lindsay took the picture.

My house-to-be was in pieces scattered around the yard.  At one point I got turned around and thought I was looking at someone else's containers and noticed how they looked just like mine.  Here are the two 20 foot containers that will be the studio apartment.  They are sitting side by side, but unattached, as that comes after delivery to the site.

  

Here is a shot out the upstairs south facing bedroom window looking at the west facing side of the downstairs units.  This is a view you could never get in conventional construction.

This is a shot of the containers which will be the upstairs of the main house.  In place of the container doors, there will be sliding glass doors.  As we looked at them, James told me I have the option of leaving the container doors on and welding them open--expanding the indoor space into the outdoors.  I don't think this would work well upstairs because of the deck, but I will give it some thought for the downstairs.

The container in front is the downstairs bedroom and behind it are the upstairs units.

Going inside the containers was another interesting experience.  Here we are in the upstairs bedrooms and baths.  The openings for the windows and doors have been cut from all 7 containers and have been reinforced with steel.  My first impression was how big the openings were, but then I had to remind myself that the windows that go in will have frames so the actual glass portion will be smaller.  The other confusing part is that the interior walls that are not part of a container have yet to be installed.  Lindsay and Abel are standing in the hallway, but the hall will not be that wide.  There will be a wall in front of them.

Here we are in the downstairs of the main house.  As you can see, it is a large open space--living room, dining and kitchen at the back.  The supports in the middle of the room are temporary and will be replaced with ceiling beams on site.

Being inside the containers allowed us to make some important decisions.  Here is James in the downstairs bedroom/bath.  He is marking out the location of the shower, toilet and cabinets.  In the original plans, there was little room for a sink and cabinet because the shower was so big, but by making the shower narrower I am able to have a full size vanity.

An option came up that I had long since given up on and that was the possibility of leaving exposed the original metal container ceilings.  The alternative is to frame up the ceiling and put on drywall as in a conventional house.   By leaving out the drop down ceiling, the room height will be greater, there is a savings on material and labor, and the look will be unique.  The electrical wiring that would normally be there will go above the container roof.  BTW, the container roofs will be covered--the downstair containers will be covered by the upstair containers and the upstair containers will be covered by insulated roofs.

Another benefit of seeing the units first hand was we were able to catch mistakes.  Before we even arrived, James had noticed that a window was placed too high.  It is the window over the sink in the studio and it is too high to see out, which is not what I wanted.  The solution was simple--just bring the bottom down and make the window taller.  He had this correction made before I had returned home.

There was another mistake that I noticed right away.  The man door next to the kitchen and leading to the backyard, was not where it was supposed to be.  This greatly affects the kitchen design and has to be fixed.  I have no idea how they will fix it, but I'm sure they'll do a proper job of it.  My guess is they could remove the back panel from that container and put on a new one.

Where the containers come together, the seam is not flush with the walls.  I knew there was to be a plate on the floor that will have to be allowed for when the floors are laid, but I did not have a clear understanding about how the walls went together until we were there.   The union projects into the room.  For the most part this doesn't matter, but one joint lands in the middle of the kitchen counter.  I mentioned my concern to James and he said that wouldn't be a problem--the cabinet could just be cut to fit.  But when I got home I looked at the plans for the kitchen cabinets and saw that the cabinet in front of the seam is the one with the dishwasher and cannot be modified.  The solution is to move the dishwasher to a different location--not a huge problem--but it was lucky I noticed it before the cabinets were built and delivered.
There is still more work to be done on the containers before they are ready for moving.  Metal framing will go in the exterior walls and foam insulation will be sprayed behind the framing and in the floors and ceiling.  The windows will be installed, if they arrive before the containers are to be shipped, otherwise the windows will be installed on site.  

The next time I see the containers will most likely be when they are delivered here.  What a day that will be!!

Guess that about covers everything for now.  I have much more to write about--mainly my search for finishings--but will have to save that for another day.

The challenge of being "Green"

Where's the train?

In my last (short) blog I reported that I received the updated building permit.  I thought, having received the final approval, the project would proceed "Full Steam Ahead."  But, as usual, my expectations have not been met.   Now the holdup seems to be getting Goliath Tech here to install the helical piles.  The good news is that work is continuing on the containers.  

Here is a picture that James sent me.  As you can see, the openings for the windows on the upper story have been cut out and framed with metal.  The black around the openings is primer to protect the metal from rusting.

While I wait for the site work to move forward, I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about "green" products.  I've been putting this off for years because it is very complicated.

Being green is not easy because there are so many factors to consider and few, if any,  products meet all the criteria.  For instance, bamboo is considered a sustainable material because it is renewable and fast growing, but most of it comes from China and it takes energy to ship it here.  Also, you might want to think about the manufacturing process--does it use excessive amounts of water, does it use harmful chemicals, are the workers exploited?  The only way to evaluate your choices is to prioritize what is important to you.  Are you concerned more about climate change, sustainability, a healthy environment, or fair-trade and/or ethical production?  And most of us have to include the dollar cost when making our decisions.

In spite of the copious amounts of information on the internet, it isn't always easy to find the answers you need to make informed decisions, but there is hope.  I recently learned about a website that rates products by their energy efficiency with more detail than EnergyStar.  It is called Enervee.com.  If you use their ratings, you will want to look for products with a 90 or better rating.  The Living Future Institute has a program called Declare Products and a long Red List of harmful chemicals.  Companies voluntarily submit their products, so the list is limited but growing every day.  The information available includes such things as chemical content, VOC content, life expectancy, end of life disposition (recyclable or landfill) and Red List free (or not).  There are other certifications, as well, like GreenGuard.

The first task I took on was to figure out what kind of flooring I would use.  As I wrote previously,  I decided to go with reclaimed lumber.  I was pleased to have made that big decision and to be able to move on to other things.  In hindsight, I might have jumped the gun.  I got a call from the suppliers that the wood was loaded on their truck--ready for delivery.  I was not expecting this.  I have no house and don't know when I will.  After much back and forth, I agreed to let them unload it in my driveway (next door to the vacant lot).   While they unloaded the wood, I couldn't help noticing the amount of damaged and unusable boards.  They explained that they were giving me more than I ordered so that there would be enough good wood for the job.  All I can say is I hope they are right.  

 The timing was also bad because they delivered the wood the day before the weather moved into a very windy and wet period.    Though they had attempted to cover the wood pile with plastic, the wood still got wet.

 And so the saga continues.....Will there be enough wood?  What condition will it be in by the time the house is ready for it?  How will the contractor react when he sees the wood?  What will it look like when finished?  Eventually the answers will reveal themselves.

The next decision I needed to make was what cabinets to use.  I think a great green choice would be to reuse cabinets someone discarded, but that is a huge challenge--finding cabinets that would would fit the space, design, etc. and not look like junk, and they could contain harmful chemicals.  I am not considering this for the main house, but it could be a possibility for the accessory dwelling unit.  The ADU kitchen design is very simple so I will be keeping a lookout for cabinets that could fit.

Another excellent green choice is cabinets made from reclaimed, locally sourced wood.  I got a recommendation and estimate and found it to be many times more expensive than other options, making it outside most people's budgets.

The most economical new cabinet option seems to be Thermofoil cabinets.  These are the type of cabinets my contractor uses and is what my cabinet allowance is based on.  They use MDF wood covered with Thermofoil.  Thermofoil is made from vinyl or plastic.  I have 2 problems with this.  First is it's questionable durability.  There are reports of issues with chipping, as well as heat and water damage.  Second, PVC has environmental and health concerns.  The MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard can also contain glues and resins which may be harmful to the environment.  I have ruled this out as an option.

There are other kinds of laminates or veneers used with MDF.  IKEA has a cabinet door made from recycled plastic bottles that I was excited about until I found out that the recycled portion was only a veneer on top of the MDF and it only took 2 plastic bottles to make one cabinet door.  Of less a concern is the fact it only comes in black.  Another company has a veneer made from reclaimed lumber, but again it is only a thin layer on top of the MDF.

So what else is there?  Back to basics--all wood cabinets made and sourced in the USA.  I found a company, MOD Cabinetry, with headquarters in Berkeley, CA that fits this criteria.   They have solid wood cabinets made from PureBond NAUF American hardwood plywood, which means it is "wood sourced from sustainably harvested North American forests and utilizes a soy-based alternative to toxic, formaldehyde-based resins."  I was able to visit their showroom and was impressed with what I saw.  The cabinets I chose are going to be painted with zero VOC paints.   The cabinets will be easy to repair or repaint and should have a long life span.  While they cost more than the Thermofoil cabinets, they are a lot less expensive than the reclaimed wood cabinets.

I will be exceeding the contractor's allowance for cabinets, so I'm trying to save in other areas.   I have been sourcing materials, like tile, on Nextdoor and Craigslist.  More on that for another blog.

Full steam ahead!!!!

I got the word yesterday that the city approved the plans!!

That means that work can progress.  The next big step is the installation of the helical piers.  That is estimated to happen in 2 to 3 weeks.  Meanwhile, the contractor will be doing ditch work for the utilities (water, sewer, electric).

I'm tasked with selecting "finishings" and will be writing about my search and decision process.

It is a great relief that our redesigned foundation was approved, but I never allowed myself to consider otherwise.  😁

First look at containers

This week has been a quiet one--that is there was no equipment noise.  Further site work is on hold until the structural changes get approved.  I still have my fingers and toes crossed.

I've been weeding along the fences where the graders did not get the weeds.   They didn't get to these weeds because there were things in their way, like the water tanks and materials I have been collecting.  I also did a little site cleanup, though the workers were pretty good at cleaning up after themselves.  One issue I'll have to address with their bosses is the trash disposal.  While my trash bin was empty, they had put their plastic bags of trash in both my green bin and recycle bin.  Being the recycling addict I am, I went through every bag and separated the trash into its proper bin.  Fortunately much of it could go in the green bin as our trash collection company is now collecting compostable things like soiled paper and food waste!!

My son and cameraman

Thursday I woke to sunshine for the first time in quite awhile.  It was a great start to a special day.  My son, Danny, and I were driving to Vallejo to get a close up look at my containers.  I was happy that we didn't have to drive all the way to Sacramento which is where TAYNR's headquarters are.  As you can imagine, finding the space needed to build houses offsite is a challenge.  James Roberts has solved this problem by collaborating with other facilities.  This business is called Transport Products Unlimited.  They rent, sell and modify shipping containers. 

This gives you an idea of the enormity of this facility, but shows only a part of it.

We were met at the site by James and Adrian from TAYNR and were introduced to Mike and Adrian (yes, another Adrian) who work at the site.   We got to see containers, inside and out.  One thing we learned is that not all shipping containers are created equal.  While the basic dimensions are standard, each manufacturer has their own color, flooring, corrugated siding style, locking mechanism, etc.  It is important when using multiple containers that they are the same.  The color and the numbers printed on the boxes help to identify the manufacturer.

James, Mike and Adrian answering my questions and explaining how it all works.

James with me inside half my downstairs living space

Lowering a container to look inside to check the flooring.

Most often, shipping container floors are 1 1/8" marine plywood made from tropical hardwood such as Keruing or Apitong.  These floors are often treated with pesticides so it is recommended to seal them.  I assumed this was done before applying your choice of flooring, but James pointed out that there is another option--using the existing floor as the finished floor.  The 40' containers have a metal plate in the floor at one end which wasn't particularly attractive, but the 20' container floors were all wood.  The containers we looked at had 3 different types of floors.  One was a dark laminate that wasn't particularly attractive.  One was a bamboo floor but it was stained red.  The third was Apitong, if I remember correctly.  We liked the look of it and I decided it would be a good option for the ADU, but James and Mike have to see if they can locate two 20s with that floor.  If they can get the containers, they will sand the floor and seal it with Epoxy.  I had said that the greenest floor was reclaimed wood, but using the existing wood would be even better.

Apitong

Red Bamboo

Laminate

James arranged for some fireworks for us while we were there.  Sparks fly when the metal is being cut. 

Here Adrian is using a plasma cutter to cut an opening in one of the containers.

 It was quieter than I expected, but did smell.

 The plasma cutter made quick work of the opening.  This will be the opening for the sliding glass door off of the downstairs bedroom.

That was the end of our tour.  I got all my questions answered and can't wait to go again to see the progress.


On the way home we stopped at Urban Ore in Berkeley to check out their materials.  It is a giant thrift store for building supplies, as well as some clothing, kitchenware, records and books, etc.  They have hundreds, if not thousands, of doors.  It wouldn't be easy to sort through them to find what you need.  Their kitchen cabinets weren't as nice as those at Habitat for Humanity's Restore in Redwood City, but I'm sure their inventory is constantly changing.  I wasn't expecting to buy anything--we were just getting a feel for what they have.  Danny did find a large hooded fur coat he liked and he bought it for Burning Man.

Friday morning the surveyors came to set markers for the foundation crew to work from.  They have better equipment and expertise to more accurately mark the building corners and elevations.  Juno is enjoying her modified space.













While the surveyors did their work, I was attending a webinar through the PG&E Energy Center.  Whatever you may think of PG&E, they have excellent educational programs for both professionals and homeowners.  Many of the courses are held in San Francisco, but some of them are also available online or on demand.  This class was on Integrated Design Thinking for Net Zero Energy Residential Buildings.  It is a mouthful, but really says it all.  All new homes in California will have to be NZE soon.  The class was about how to do this efficiently and without adding a lot of additional expenses to the project.  One of the best things you can do is to spend more time in the design phase, utilizing the expertise of the various trades in a collaborative way.   A common way to build is more a sequential series of events.  An architect and homeowner come up with a design.  They take it to a structural engineer, then it goes to an energy engineer before going to the building department for a building permit.  Once a permit is obtained, a contractor is hired to build it.  The contractor in turn hires sub-contractors to do the HVAC, foundation, framing, finishes, etc.  With a collaborative approach you get all these people together during the design phase.   For example, to save money they might figure out a way to spend more on insulation that could save on the size of the heating and cooling systems.  The design phase takes longer, but the construction time is reduced because there are fewer changes.  Other suggestions include simplifying the design (such as roof lines), smaller size and fewer windows.

While I didn't have the collaborative design in my project, I will make it a requirement on anything I do in the future.

Here is a great lecture on the subject with an emphasis on affordability:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvJWCLYqAnA&feature=youtu.be


And here is a written guide authored by the PG&E instructor:

https://energycodeace.adobeconnect.com/aia-zne-guide/

We are expecting to get the plans back from the city this week, otherwise we won't be doing much on site, however, nothing is stopping James and his team with moving forward with the containers.  

Construction Step One--Excavation

Day 1--

I couldn't sleep last night.  So much going through my mind.  I can't believe this is finally happening.

While we did break ground today, the work was off to a soggy start.  It was a wet Half Moon Bay morning with the fog so thick, it falls from the sky.  While standing in the drizzle, the first hour or so  consisted of introductions, inspecting the site and making a work plan.  The plan was to start clearing the site which was covered in knee high weeds, but there was concern that the big truck would get stuck if driven onto the saturated clay soil.  When I left to walk to my job at the park, they were still debating how to proceed.  I was surprised to see upon my return that they had gotten a good section of the lot cleared of weeds.  They decided to use the small grader on the site to scape the dirt and to keep the truck on the street.  They piled the weeds and dirt in the middle of the lot to move later.  They also located the corner survey markers.

One thing that is unique and special about my situation is that I have a front row seat to the construction as I'm living in the house next door.  I put a fence up to separate the 2 parcels but left the fence boards off the section by the kitchen porch and so I could see out.  This would have worked great had I not gotten a rescue dog, Juno, last year.  Juno loved to run and dig in the vacant lot, but once the work was to start, I had to keep her from going there, so I put up every other fence board--enough to keep her from going through the fence, but open enough to see the work going on.  She seems unfazed by the work, workers, noise, etc.

Day 2--Today we had more rain.  The workers did not bother to show up and it was just as well.  There was standing water on the scraped ground--what a mess!  The black clay soil is like glue when wet.  It cakes to your shoes, your shovels, etc and tracks everywhere.  

One thing was accomplished, however, the delivery of the Honey Bucket, AKA port-a-potty. 

Day 3--After a mostly dry weekend, the surface of the ground has dried out some.  There were a few puddles, but it was definitely workable.  It was a very noisy and busy day with more dirt removal, loading and hauling away.  The downside of being so close to the action is the noise.  I have to keep the doors and windows closed to muffle the sounds.  

While dirt is being moved around, other workers are locating more precisely where the buildings will be with their survey equipment.

Day 4--The last of the dirt was finally removed today.  I'm glad to see that part over with.  I was told they were moving something like 50 tons of dirt.  I can't imagine how much it would have been had we done the original foundation plan.  Then, of course, they have to bring back material to replace the dirt.  Truckload after truckload of base rock is being dumped, spread with the graders and by hand, soaked with water and compacted with a small tamper and large roller.  They only do a shallow layer at a time so the process is repeated over and over again.

This afternoon Hendrik (my younger grandson) went with me to Firewood Farms.  It is a local business that deals in reclaimed lumber from deconstructed buildings, milling of falling trees, wood carvings, etc.  I have been talking with them for several years now about using reclaimed lumber for my floors.  It is probably the greenest flooring option there is.  It is re-using something that would otherwise go to a landfill or be burned, it is locally sourced, is free of chemicals, and so on.  The only real choice they have for wood flooring is 2x6 and 2x8 tongue and groove Douglas fir.  Yes, it is a soft wood and it will scratch, but it will add warmth and character to my already unusual house.  I plan to sand it and finish it with tung oil which is natural and worked great on my son's floor.  

They also have gorgeous big slabs of wood.  I thought that nothing could be more fitting with my California heritage than a Giant Sequoia countertop for my kitchen island.  I put down a deposit for flooring and countertop--2 big decisions out of the way!

Also, today, James sent me pictures of the containers he had picked out for me.  I was surprised that there was no writing on them, but he tells me that "Shipping companies plaster their names on the side and reuse the boxes until they are beat up.  Leasing companies do not.  This is how we get new, 1-way and clean boxes."  

While the site work is going on, the fabrication of the containers will be done in the Sacramento facility.

Day 5--

The noise is incessant and is starting to get to me.  Today it didn't even stop for lunch.  While some workers took a lunch break, others were dumping, grading, rolling, etc.  On and on and on.  But by the end of the day, they had finished this phase of the process.  They loaded up their equipment and left.  I will enjoy the quiet as I wait for the next step. 

While all this work is going on, we still do not have the final approval on the changes we made.  It makes me nervous, but I keep telling myself, it isn't my problem.  This morning I got the latest corrections printed at UPS and dropped them off at the HMB Planning Department.  I have my fingers crossed that they will be approved....and soon.  It is the final piece of the puzzle.

Back when I began this project, I purchased a Brinno TimeLapse video camera.  It comes with a waterproof housing, records onto an SD card and runs on AA batteries.  I mounted it to the back fence and set it to take one frame every 20 seconds, which condenses a workday into about 3 minutes.  So far I'm very happy with the results.  I asked my older grandson, Noah, to help me with the videos and he was excited to do it.  Here is the link to our creation on Youtube.  It runs about 10 minutes, but you can speed it up in settings, if you like.

                 https://youtu.be/5-Nyh5boygU

Enjoy!

Breaking ground

I was starting to think that it would never happen (and I wasn't alone), but you can see from the photo that we have finally broken ground and are moving forward with my shipping container house!!

The last blog I posted on the house was in April 2018.  The year since then has not been an easy one.  First I struggled to find someone to build the house.  There were several young contractors who really wanted to do it but whom I felt lacked the proper experience....and everyone told me it was going to cost 2 to 3 times more than I was expecting.

Because I felt that I needed to do something, I tried to get some bids on the foundation.  The people who looked at the plans told me that, as engineered, the foundation could cost upwards of $200,000 due to the numerous piers, some of which went down as deep as 28'.  I spoke with the engineer and he stood by his design, siting the soils report and clay soils, while others thought it was crazy and way overbuilt, especially since it is basically a flat lot.

That sent me on my next mission--to see if there was another way to build the foundation.  While reading about shipping container construction and watching videos on the subject, I came across a builder who used something called helical piles.  I then started researching helical piles.  They are screwed directly into the ground, eliminating the need to dig holes and fill them with concrete, rebar, etc.  Since shipping containers have built-in structural integrity, they do not need a stem wall or slab for support.  They can be supported by the piers alone.  Using helical piles greatly reduces the amount of excavation needed as well as saving on tons of concrete.

Talking with people who manufactured and/or installed them led to a referral to a company in Sacramento that has used helical piles for its shipping container homes, no less.  The company is TANYR.  I sent them my plans and spoke with the owner, James Roberts.  He said they normally don't do custom homes, but since I already had the plans, he would be interested in helping me.

I decided that TANYR was my best option, but it was still a slow process.  First we needed to re-engineer the foundation and James had other things he thought should be changed in the structural design of the modified containers.  We still needed a contractor to work on the containers once they were delivered.  The one he initially introduced me to backed out, but James was able to come up with someone else that seems more than capable, though not experienced with containers, Hauser Construction.

All this took a lot longer than I would have liked, but from what I hear, over and over again, everyone is just too busy.  One contractor I spoken with said he had a year long waiting list and I couldn't even get on his list until I had an approved building permit.  Since I've been doing this, I've watched with frustration as numerous new houses are built in our neighborhood, but most of them are spec homes (built to be sold).  

There were many occasions when I thought I would have to give up on using shipping containers.  I was prepared to scrap the original plans and build a conventional house, but that would have entailed new plans and more time.  While I'm expecting more bumps in the road, I just hope there is nothing that will derail this train because it is full steam ahead!  

The plan is to be done this summer, so expect more frequent blog posts as the work progresses.

  

Water catchment followup

It's been an entire year since installing my rainwater catchment system, so I thought it was time to write an update about how it worked out.  The short answer is Great!!

My 2500 gallon water tank was filled up by the rain from the first storm of the 2016-17 winter season.  I used the water for watering all my plants the rest of the year, including 10 fruit trees, my vegetable garden, ornamental beds, indoor plants and for my chickens.  By the next rainy season, I had only used about ¼ of the tank.  I was frugal with my water use but now I know I don’t need to be. 

My worry about draining the tank didn’t happen thanks to the simple wrist reminder.  I put an elastic band on the tank valve and whenever I turned on the valve, I put the band on my wrist.  It was amazing to me how many times it was necessary.  I’d leave the vegetable area thinking I was going to shut off the water; the next thing I knew I would be in the house and noticed the band on my wrist.   I never actually left the water running when I wasn't in attendance, but the valve at the tank has a small drip, so if isn't shut off, it could conceivably empty the tank, though it would take a very long time.

I had a hose going to the vegetable garden beds with a shut off valve on the end.  I used the hose to water the vegetable beds.  It was slower coming out of the hose than from the tap because of the lower pressure, but did the job.

Unfortunately I don't have pictures showing my amazing tomato plants.  Thanks to the block wall at the back of my property, I have the perfect spot to grow tomatoes.  The wall is south facing and provides the extra heat the tomatoes need.  My plants quickly outgrew their 5' cages and produced tomatoes into January!  and people say you can't grow tomatoes in Half Moon Bay!!  Beets also did exceptionally well.  For perennials I have rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries and huckleberries.

The rest of the backyard is heavily mulched.  In the mulch I planted pumpkin, cucumber, squash, artichoke, and of course, my fruit trees.  I watered everything using buckets or a hose from the tank and was rewarded with enough produce to share with family and friends.  

My front yard is also heavily mulched and is planted with native plants.  The plants grow so well that they need a lot of pruning but little to no water.  I also have a small rain barrel in the front yard.

I use no water from the city for landscaping and am also very careful with what I use indoors.  Last year I used 6 units of water.  A unit is 748 gallons.  That comes to 4488 gallons for the year or 12.3 gallons per day.  Yes, I'm only one person, though I sometimes do have company.  However, I expect they are careful with their water usage knowing my values.

Do you know how many gallons you use a day per person in your household?

One way to determine how much you use for landscaping is to compare your usage in the rainy season versus the usage in the dry season.  The difference should give you a good idea of what you are using for your landscaping.

I designed my new house to use 3 rain catchment tanks.  Because of my experience from last year, I will only need a fraction of the water in the tanks for landscaping, so I need to use the water in other ways.  My plan is to use the rain water from one or two of the tanks for toilet flushing and laundry.  This will require the tanks to be connected to the city water, which in turn means I will need to install back flow preventers.  I will have to have the plumbing redesigned and the tanks will need to have pumps installed.  It will take a fair amount of planning, but should be worth it in the end.  I'll let you know, if and when it happens.

Happy watering.... or happy NOT watering!!!