More and more people are recognizing their desire to get out of the city and find a more simple life. This has led to an increase in people wanting to homestead instead of living in a home connected to the grids and outside world. The people who find this life often swear that it is the best thing they have ever done.
Living disconnected from the rest of the world does have its hardships. Most notably, water. Water is one of the basic human needs that every home should have access too. However, this can be difficult without being attached to the water grid.
Having a source of water not connected to the grid is also helpful for people who live in neighborhoods or cities. If the power goes out you would lose access to water which is inconvenient and a bit frightening. Having a second source of water in case of emergencies can provide tremendous peace of mind during potential disasters.
Water is a necessity of life that every person deserves access to. Making sure your family has a reliable source of water in any potential event is a way to keep you and your family safe and to make you feel more prepared. Here are some of the ways you can set up an off-grid water system.
Set Up Rain Barrels For Your Rain Catch System
This option is probably one of the most cost-effective ways to make sure you have clean water. Rain is pretty reliable in most areas and also does not cost anything to collect. However, there are some things that you need to be aware of before you go purchase rain barrels.
The first thing you need to think about is the climate that you live in. If you live in a place that gets very cold in the winter months then a rain barrel might not be the right option. The rainwater can freeze and then that water that you saved up becomes useless until it warms up again. Your rain barrel can also split as the water changes density.
This problem can be solved by burying the rain barrels. Burying your barrels can be very expensive and might outweigh the price benefits of using rain barrels. Consider your budget and climate before you choose to use rain barrels as a source of water.
Another thing that needs to be considered is your roof or method of collecting water. The most common way to use rain barrels is by putting them under your gutters to let the rain roll off your roof right into your barrel. This is a great way to collect water but it can completely change what you can use the rain for.
It is important to consider the cleanliness and material your roof is made of before you decide to use this method. If your roof is made of a material that could be toxic then you are not going to want to drink anything that has touched it. Luckily, there are water purification systems as well as ways to make sure all the dirt is off your roof before rainwater begins to go into your barrels.
Collecting rainwater is an excellent low-cost water option if you live in the right climate to make it work. With this water, you can take care of plants, animals, and potentially your family with safe water that you got from the sky.
Setup An Off-Grid Water Well
One of the oldest and most well-known ways of having off-grid water is using a well. This is a source you can trust to have useable water year-round. It is also just a really cool thing to have in case of an emergency.
A well is a bit expensive at the beginning because you have to pay to have it dug and set up. After that is it simply a matter of maintenance and making sure everything is able to run smoothly. This upfront cost and low maintenance are the reasons wells are the most common source of off-grid water.
The price of your well is going to change based on the water table in your area. If you have a deeper water table then the well is going to have to be deeper which will raise the price. Make sure you know what you can expect to pay and decide if you think a dependable source of water is worth saving for awhile.
Thinking about wells often brings up the idea of hauling water with a bucket from the depths of your well. However, there are a couple much more efficient ways to get water out of a well in this modern world. Basically, there are pumps that drag the water from your well up and into your home.
Use An Off-Grid Electric Pump With Your Well
Your first, and the most popular option, is using an electric pump to pull water from your well. This is a high power pump that, once installed, should require little to no work from you. It will pump the water into your home with the same power of electricity that powers everything in your home. Since it is off-grid, that electricity will likely be generated by solar or wind.
This only becomes an issue if you were to lose power. Losing power with an electrical pump could very easily mean you are not getting any water until the problem is fixed. This can often be sorted by investing in a generator to use for your pump in case of an emergency. Of course, with solar or wind power, you dont have to worry that much.
Solar water pumps are available in the market even if they are often more expensive than a regular electric water pump. In the end, deciding which price and life-span of a pump work best for you are how you will pick your electrical pump.
Hand Pumps Work If Electricity is Scarce
The second option is significantly more old fashioned and great for off-grid living. It also takes out any of the worries of your pump not working during an electrical outage. A hand pump is an option to get the water out of your well that requires more physical labor but has its own benefits.
You might remember seeing a hand pump in movies or at an older home you might have seen. They are the pumps that you pump the handle over and over to manually pull water up from the well. These are seen less often because they are not as convenient as an electrical pump and they can only pump so deep before they lose pressure.
You can use a hand pump in your home just as easily as you can put them outside. This is good if you do not mind working a little harder to have guaranteed water during a disaster or electrical emergency. Hand pumps are great for washing dishes or hands or even pumping for meals just so long as you do not mind the arm work out.
Natural Water Springs Are a Great Way To Get Off-Grid Water
The ideal scenario for anyone choosing to find an off-grid water source is living on land that has access to a natural spring. A spring is a natural source of fresh water that can be run to your home relatively easily. These are sought after features on any land but especially among the community that searches out off-grid living opportunities.
Think of a spring as a well that comes naturally from the cracks in the earth. Since the water is already there and flowing, all you have to do is make it run through the right pipes into your home or into a storing area so you have guaranteed fresh water. This is why springs are one of the best and cheapest options for an off-grid water system.
Of course, springs are quite rare and they make the price of property higher. To find land with a natural spring is rare, to find one that is in your price budget is even harder. However, if you can find the right land for the right price then there is no better water option than a natural spring.
Cisterns Can Also Provide You With a Great Off-Grid Water System
A cistern is, at its most basic explanation, a huge bucket of water. These are actually an ideal place to store any water you might have gathered from rain buckets or a spring. They provide a place where you can keep large amounts of water so you don’t have to worry about running out.
A cistern can be placed above or below the ground depending on what you prefer and what would work best for your situation. Usually, it is recommended you burry your cistern if you live in a cold climate so the water does not freeze and become useless in the winter. However, in a warmer environment, it should be fine to leave your cistern out of the ground.
It is often recommended that you use plastic cisterns, especially above ground, as it is easier to move and less likely to build up microbial growth over time. However, if you already have a cistern that is not plastic or feel a different cistern would suit your needs better they come in a variety of materials.
If you are using a cistern to store water as it goes between the spring and your home or to store large amounts of water while you are waiting to use them or to save water for an emergency then consider your landscape. Pumps are expensive and, unlike wells, cisterns don’t actually need one to get the water from the cistern to your house. If you place your cistern on a higher elevation than your home then you can have water flow directly from your cistern to your home or any other place lower than the cistern.
This is an excellent way to use gravity to help you save money in the long run. First, a large amount of storage space is excellent and very helpful, then the ability to let gravity pump your water is possibly the best way there is to save money on water. This is why cisterns are so often used on properties as both water storage and a main source of water.
Alternative Power Options To Use For Your Off-Grid Water System
Something to consider when building an off-grid water source is how you want it to be powered. There is always the ability to use the same electricity you use for your home if that is capable of supporting more things or buying a generator. However, those things do keep you attached to the grid in your need for electricity to have running water.
Luckily, there are a few ways to get running water without having to keep your water dependant on grid or generator electricity. An example of this is obviously placing your cistern or well uphill from your home so gravity works as a pump, but there are ways to get running water if you are on flat ground as well. Even if you had to build downhill for some reason you can still get running water.
Wind Power Can Do a Great Job At Getting Your Water to Your Home
Windmills are a pretty good source of energy. Depending on where you live they might even provide enough energy to power more than just your water pump. They are also a great way to make sure you still have access to some kind of power even when the electricity goes out.
There are plenty of ways to get a windmill to power your water pump and maybe filtration system. There are people who will come build it for you, DIY ideas online, and even kits if you want to build it yourself with a good plan in place. This makes it easy to set up a wind-powered water system.
Make sure you do your research before investing in a wind-powered water system. If your area does not have the wind power to support a windmill and give enough energy to pump water then you have waster your money. It is important that you find the right power source for your needs and your area. Also, check your local ordinances to make sure you can have a windmill.
Solar Power Is a Very Lucrative Way to Help Pump Your Offf-Grid Water
If you live in a place where the sun shines regularly then this might be the exact option you need. Solar energy is getting more popular and affordable as it is used in more homes across the world. Luckily, this makes it much cheaper than it used to be to install solar panels on your homestead.
A solar panel can be powerful enough to support a water pump. They can be powerful enough to support the power to your entire home and everything on your property. You just have to decide how much you are willing to spend and how many panels your property can support.
As long as the sun keeps shining you will be able to have a source of water you can trust. This is incredibly helpful if you live in a place where the electricity goes out often or you are worried about storms cutting off your water access. Solar power is a great way to save money on your electric bill while also knowing your water will run as long as the sun stays in the sky.
Purifying Your Off-Grid Water
The most important thing to remember when setting up any off-grid water system is the need for clean water. If you can get water to your home but that water is not clean then it is useless. You cannot drink unclean water without getting sick and possibly dying.
The process of purifying water has saved thousands of lives. Water is one of the things that everything needs to live and having clean water is indispensable. It is paramount that you have drinkable water in any off-grid living situation.
This is why it is so important you test your water before you choose to have it in your home. Clean drinking water is the most important thing you can have on your homestead so make sure the water you are getting is clean enough to drink. If it is not then you have a few options on how to clean it up.
Off-Grid Water System Filtration
The first, and probably easiest, way to make sure you have clean water is to use a filtration system. These can be set up so that the water passes through a filtration system before it ever reaches your home. This gives the peace of mind of having clean water at all times.
A filtration system can be set up from wells, cisterns, spring, and pretty much any other source of running or pumpable water. If you can get your water to flow through a filter then you can have clean water. The real problem comes if you are hauling water or cannot afford a purifier that you trust.
There are lots of water purifying systems on the market at varying prices. That does not mean everyone can afford one. At least not right off the bat when they are already pouring money into setting up a homestead.
A water filtrations system is the easiest way to get clean water that you can trust. It cleans your water before it gets to your home and makes sure everything you are drinking is safe. Make sure to test your water regularly even after you set up the filtration system to ensure everything is working properly.
Chlorine Purification For Your Off-Grid Water System
You can always use chemicals to make sure your water is safe to drink. This requires having a place to store your water, like a cistern, that you can pour cleaning solutions in to keep your water drinkable. It is also a good way to save money while you are working on other things or waiting to buy a filtration system.
You can use chemicals to clean your water as a long term plan as well. This does not need to be the step before you get a filtration system. It can be your final step for clean water.
The water that runs into on-grid homes usually has these kinds of chemicals in it to make sure the water is clean and drinkable. These are safe to drink as long as you use them right and measure correctly. Safe drinking water is a must on any homestead and sometimes chemicals are the best way to achieve that.
Boiling Your Off-Grid Water
This is about as old school and off-grid as you can possibly get. If you want clean water without and electricity used and no chemicals then boiling might be your best option. It is the original way we cleaned water and it still works today.
Boiling your water to make it drinkable it probably the cheapest possible way to get clean drinking water. It also takes the longest. If you are going to use this method it is recommended you boil large amounts of water at a time so you can have plenty of drinking water saved up in case you don’t have time to boil new water for awhile.
If you are considering this method make sure you are taking into account all cooking, drinking, and really any water you might consume in what you will have to boil. It is cheap and very traditional but it also is time-consuming to boil that amount of water regularly. However, it is still doable and if you want to live traditionally and completely electric free then this might be your best option for clean water.
Water Is a Must When Off Grid
If you intend to live off-grid one of the first things you need to figure out is a clean source of water. There is no way to live and thrive without drinkable water you can access whenever you need it. That is why knowing your off-grid water system option is so important.
The majority of homesteaders seem to choose a well with an electric or solar pump to keep their water running. These usually include some kind of water purification system that the water can run through before it reaches your glass. However, there are more options than that.
Natural springs, collecting rain, and storing large amounts of water at a time are all options to make sure you have access to water. The most important thing, no matter where you are getting your water, is that you have a clean drinking source. Make sure you have a way planned to purify your water before you drink any water from these systems.