Construction of RWH delayed due to scope widening+finding contractors

Report by Laura:

I am behind on the cistern project and my well failed yesterday - in the midst of a downpour. (Fortunately, I am already conservative with water, and as a general personal practice, keep several bottles of drinking water and jugs of flush water set aside, so I can always manage a few days without running water whenever needed. But it certainly drives home the importance! I was out in the rain yesterday catching extra buckets the downspout 'just in case' the well repairman could not fit me into his schedule.)

Adding to the importance of securing an alternate water source as quickly as possible is that our area is suddenly experiencing rapid 'development' as gas drilling has begun on the Marcellus Shale formation. (http://geology.com/articles/marcellus-shale.shtml) . We seem to have stuck something akin to 'black gold' here, and sadly, the money trumps clear thinking. Wells are already being contaminated, and the amount of water that will be used in the processing is alarming. (I am pictured here at a meeting trying to learn more: http://www.thedailyreview.com/articles/2008/10/09/news/doc48ed80e70227d179200827.txt )

As a result, while my barn project has fallen behind, I am widening the scope. This may not just be an example for others; it might be a self-survival necessity too soon!

Some causes for the delay:
- the contractor fell behind schedule on the barn removal,
- the cost to rebuild the barn was far beyond my estimate, and so I changed plans, deciding to repair the remaining existing barn and incorporating the raincatch on that one, rather than rebuild a barn. The repairs will be more labor intensive, so will stretch into spring/summer 09
- the contractor did not show up last month to begin the changed scope of work.

As a result, I've been consulting with new contractors, and the barn work will not begin until spring.

In the meantime, two contractors have reviewed the technical manual from Cabell Brand Center and they are working out design plans for me. I was not able to find any contractors with experience in this field (and no one replied to any of your questions on the q/a section of the application.) So, we're trying to figure it out as we go.

The first cistern will be installed in my house basement (where I already have some downspouts on the house) as a 'practical' hands-on exercise. (The planning for that was already underway - we were beginning to price out and locate parts - and so we laughed at the irony yesterday when my well pump failed!)

I expect the time frame on that to be over the next several months (immediately after a horse shed is completed. That is the current immediate need, as two horses arrived here last month. We have piped their water temporarily from the house well supply, so a first cistern there is a high priority.)

The shed design (and any other eventual outbuildings) will also include gutter and rainbarrel to water troughs. We're trying to waste NO collection opportunities now!)

In the spring, if all goes as planned, we'll begin downspouts on the barn. New steel roofing to replace the current asphalt shingles will follow when and if the budget allows.

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