Well, we've talked about temporary housing and various types of alternative energy for your homestead. So what's next? Water. This week I'm talking about water- from collection to system. And no, you don't have to be a plumber to do this. Ok, so it might make things a bit easier, but it's not necessary, unless there are codes in your area which dictate that it's done by a professional. I know how to unclog a drain and how to change and repair the pipes under a sink. That's about it. But the truth is that when you are building your own home from scratch, it's a relatively simple process. But let's start at the beginning.
Where does your water come from? Of course, you can connect to a city water supply. But if you truly are wanting to go off the grid, that's probably the last thing you want to do. So you need to find somewhere else to obtain your water. Now, before I go any further, please- and I can't stress this enough- know what the laws are in the area where you will be building. Believe it or not, there are a number of places where how you obtain your water is strictly limited. There are states, counties, and cities and towns all over the U.S. where it is actually illegal to harvest rainwater. Yes, they have their "reasons". Personally, I think it's insane and an incredible overreach of power and control. They simply don't make any sense in any other context. There are also places where it is required that you are hooked up to city water and power. Again, I think this is insane. Common sense would dictate that it would be less of a drain on both water and power sources if individuals were not only allowed, but encouraged to run on their own power. Another overreach? I think so. And if you want to be completely off grid, you might be better off finding another piece of property in an area that doesn't have these laws. However, it can be beneficial and work in your favor, if you don't mind still having a bit of attachment to the grid. Most power companies are required to buy back any unused power. Therefore, you can not only create your own power without an electric bill, but you could actually make a little cash back in the process. Sadly, there's nothing set up like that for water, so far as I know. But once you know whether or not your area has any of these laws, make sure you also read them carefully. They may be set up to only limit one kind of water collection. And, yes, it may take a lawyer to determine whether or not a loophole may work in your favor, but it may just be worth the effort. That being said, let's look at types of water collection.
The most commonly known type of water collection is rain barrels. Sadly, this is also one of the main types of collection that is illegal in those places I referred to above. But it is one of the easiest set-ups, as well as one of the least expensive. Make sure that you have some type of gutter and downspout system attached to your roof. Then it's a simple matter of placing a barrel where the water comes through the downspout, and directly into the barrel. Beyond that, the set-up can vary. Choose your barrel, choose your downspout (a rain chain is a beautiful variation on a typical downspout, and much more visually appealing), and then determine how you want to use the water you're collecting. Some of those laws up above also dictate whether or not you can use collected water for interior use, or specifically for outdoor use only. The general setup is to have a spicket of some kind attached to the bottom of the barrel from which the water can be withdrawn. For outdoor use, a basic outdoor faucet that you can attach a garden hose to should be installed. For interior use, the set-up is similar, but you may want to include some sort of filtering system, both inside of the barrel itself, as well as inside a secondary barrel or some other container. For most purposes, a combination of sand and charcoal can be used as a filter. You will also need a pump in order to get it to all of your interior faucets and whatnot. While this is a very simple option, if you have a larger family where more water is just a matter of fact, then you may have to set up a series of barrels, or consider another method of collection, as the barrels do not hold much.
Similar to the barrel is a water bladder, or even a cistern. The connections and basic set up are virtually identical to barrels, only these two options are larger for holding greater amounts of water. Bladders, for example, can be as small as a handheld bladder for use when hiking, to as large as 10,000 gallon capacity. And, of course, you will need more space in which to set these up. The difference is whether that space is vertical or horizontal.
Next, something that is a bit of a newer idea, is that of a fog catcher system. There are a few different variations on this idea. See here, here and here. This system would be one that could possibly be used in areas where other options are illegal. It is an excellent choice in areas that don't get much rain. Basically, a netting is set up that harvests water straight out of the air. Think of morning dew on the grass. It shows up even when there is no rain. That is the type of water that fog catchers harvest. And along those same lines, is the Warka water tower. It is a much larger structure, and is even being used in arid places such as Africa. While Warka is a specific company, the idea is simple enough to be able to build something similar on your own. With either of these options, you will still have to have something for the water to fall into once it has been collected and condensed. So you may still end up using one of the containers already mentioned.
Finally, there is the relatively obvious option of drilling a well. If you're lucky, you may be able to find a piece of property that already has a well. If not, be aware that this could be quite costly, especially if you have to dig fairly deep. And, by all means, make sure you have water rights on your property. It's hard for me to believe, but it's not always a given when obtaining property.
Once you have your water, how are you planning on using it? For me, I like the idea of installing a grey water system. The gist of this kind of system is that you harvest your water, but then you can reuse it. From the point where you collect your water, it goes into sinks, showers, and possibly even your washer. From there, it goes into any interior plants, and then to your toilets as grey water. Then, as black water, it goes out to any outdoor plants. The plants themselves act as a type of filtration system. I like this concept because you still have enough water for every purpose you might think of, but it uses less than a traditional system. It would also be easy to use in conjunction with a hydro power system. You could even set it up with a radiant floor heating system, or even an aquaponics system. For me, this is a no-brainer idea. There's just too many benefits to using this type of system. For a few places to start your research on grey water systems, here are a few good resources.
http://greywateraction.org/contentabout-greywater-reuse/
https://sustainablebuildingdesign.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/lct-greywater-systems/
http://greensmartsc.com/greywater-systems/
http://www.survivopedia.com/reusing-grey-water/
http://naturalhomes.org/permahome/gray-water-systems.htm
If this seems like a simple procedure , well, it really is. Don't let yourself become overwhelmed. This may actually be one of the easiest decisions you will make during this entire process. Enjoy a little simplicity when you can. But as always, when in doubt, consult a professional. It's never a bad idea to have a back-up plan.
No comments:
Post a Comment