Off Grid Water System - What Are Your Options?

By Buck Jones

Living off grid comes with its own advantages. You, for instance, will be living in very natural, unpolluted areas, whether you buy a house off grid or you choose to buy bare land to develop your homestead on. However, most aspiring homesteaders fear the water issue that comes with off grid living. If you have been relying on city water that was never disappointed you, then you most definitely are more likely to fear having to deal with no access to water once you make the move.

Cistern for harvesting rainwater. Wikipedia

But fortunately there are still options you can choose from when
it comes to off grid water system. A good water system will not only serve your water needs on the property, but also work very well during disasters as far as water goes. There is really nothing as good as being prepared for a bad day and this is what your off grid system should be all about. So what really are your options to have enough water even when living off grid?

Rain Catchment System

The good thing about rain barrel systems is that you do not have to pay for the water. All you have to do is get barrels and create a system right from your roof and you will have enough water to sustain your needs on your property. If you live in areas that can get quite cold thus risking frozen barrels, find a way that you can keep them in better temperatures to avoid such issues. You can build root cellars for them or bury them to counter the effects of very cold months. It is also worth considering a water purifying system for your rainwater so you can drink it with no worries at all. With a good rain catchment system, you only need medium rainfall to fill up your barrels and have enough to cater to your needs.

Well Water System

Digging up a well on your off grid property is a very viable long term water solution. If your land lies low on the water table, then digging the well will be very easy, but if not, then you may need to find an expert who can advise on which point is best for the well so you do not end up digging and missing water. Once the well is all dug up, you can then consider installing a hand pump to pull water up. A hand pump saves you lots of effort and time, especially with wells that are deep, but you can also look for other options for the well you find more suitable.

Cistern Water System

Cisterns make very good water options for an off grid property. One fill can serve your water needs for months and you can fill them up by pumping from the river, your well, rain water or getting a delivery. With this water option, you can choose above ground system or a below ground system. An above ground system gives you the option of carrying to the point of filling and then bringing it back, whereas cisterns below ground work amazing in cold climates because they are protected from freezing and are usually larger in capacity.


When looking for an off grid water system, it is important to consider your water needs on the property and also the climate so you can choose a system that serves all your needs effectively. I have been training for survival with these Survival Tools for over 10 years and I am amazed that so many ignore them.



For great tips visit my Survival Blog http://www.survivaldynasty.com/blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Off-Grid-Water-System---What-Are-Your-Options?&id=9876523

PVC Pipeline for Life Brings Clean Water to Rural Areas

PVC Pipe (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Thanks to partnerships between Save the Children, Water Engineers for the Americas, the Vinyl Institute, and the American Chemistry Council’s Chlorine Chemistry Division, more than 6,000 people across 3 remote villages in Honduras now have access to clean running water for the first time in their lives. Called “PVC Pipeline for Life,” this project has spanned a decade and involved the installation of 3,200 linear meters of PVC pipe (via a donation from the Vinyl Institute), bringing a lifesaving water purification and distribution system to a community in need.

None of this would be possible, however, without PVC pipe. “This is a great example of what PVC pipe can do,” said Susan Wade of the Vinyl Institute. “It is a major material used in clean water delivery, and the fact that it’s durable but also easy to install…this was the perfect material for this situation.”

(Photo: Wikipedia)

Wade continues, “I remember asking the water engineers, of all the available piping materials, why do you choose PVC? And they said, in Honduras, the soil is so acidic that you need something that can withstand that once it’s buried into the ground. This is a perfect application for PVC.”

Because PVC pipe is durable enough to withstand the Honduran soil, it is also relatively resistant to leaks and pipe corrosion. Corrosion can decrease flow in a pipe’s system imposing extra demands to pump water. Plus, plastic pipe manufacturing is resource efficient, typically consuming less energy than alternative materials. So the choice of PVC for this special pipeline project is expected to allow thousands of people gain access to clean water… in an energy-efficient way! Kudos to all those involved for bringing a lifesaving necessity to those in need through the PVC Pipeline for Life!

Source: GreenBuildingsolutions.org


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Rain Barrels: Small Investment, Big Benefits

Rain barrel on Philadelphia sidewalk

Winter seems to be lingering quite a bit this year, yet soon enough we'll be seeing a change to spring showers and sprouting gardens. With that in mind, it's a great time to be thinking about rain barrels - their importance in helping manage stormwater and how they can help you save on your water bill.

First, a bit on stormwater.

As communities expand with development, they become increasingly built up with impermeable surfaces such as big parking lots at big box stores. The result is that rain has few places to go; it hits the hard surfaces and just runs right off into our streams. In urban areas, stormwater management has become a critical issue because of the adverse impact from combined sewer overflows on a watershed and a city's clean drinking water. A rain barrel helps limit this because it holds that first bit of rain coming off the roof or your driveway and prevents it from running into sewers and streams and causing overflow pollution and erosion from high flows of water.

In addition to helping the environment, rain barrels enable you to harvest rainwater for use with watering plants, lawns, mopping floors, or washing cars. You don't want to use rainwater from runoff to drink or to water edibles in the garden - it may contain unknown contaminants. But there are a plethora of other uses. Likewise, as you conserve water, you'll also benefit from saving on your water bill. And in Philadelphia, the water department has gone as far as to provide free rain barrels and workshops to city-dwellers.

See the short video below from the EPA to learn more about the great dollar and environmental benefits of rain barrels - a simple and effective investment to conserve water, save money, and help the environment.

For more information about rain barrels, go to http://www.epa.gov/reg3esd1/garden/rainbarrel.html. And check out Home Science on Facebook for more articles about home energy and environment: www.facebook.com/energysmarts.

 

 

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