The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many residents to move off the grid. Departing from the hustle and bustle of urban areas can improve individuals’ health and well-being. Rural residents may also save money and shrink their carbon footprints over time.
Transitioning away from the grid requires homesteading skills like identifying safe, natural resources. Establishing a pure and reliable water supply is a vital step in homesteading. There are 14 water supply options for off-grid residents.
1. City Water
One of the most accessible clean water sources comes from city supplies. Homesteaders can build water lines from cities to their properties and receive purified drinking water. Professionals regularly test city water supplies and remove all harmful bacteria and viruses.
Many homesteaders feel resistant to connecting to the grid. One benefit of using city water supplies is its affordability. Installing a direct water line is more cost-effective than building a well.
City water supplies are also abundant and reduce individuals’ risk of dehydration. Accessing ample clean water supplies can protect homesteaders’ health and well-being.
One negative impact of relying on city water supplies is storm contamination. During natural disasters, water filtration plants may experience damage and bacteria contamination. Independent water supplies improve the reliability of clean water.
2. Well Water
The most common independent water supplies come from wells. Using wells to access groundwater is a historically popular resource extraction technique. Homesteaders can install wells by drilling beneath Earth’s surface with rigs.
Residents can acquire abundant water supplies by tapping into the water table. The water table contains freshwater, which may experience bacterial contamination. After individuals extract well water, they should filter it through a high-grade purification system.
Some homesteaders prefer using alternative water extraction techniques because drilling wells is expensive. The drilling process ranges from $3,750 to $15,300 on average. A less-expensive water extraction technique for homesteaders utilizes rainwater harvesting systems.
3. Rainwater Harvesting System
Rainwater harvesting systems collect stormwater runoff in traditional collection barrels. The barrels can transfer the water directly to irrigation systems to support agricultural needs. They may also pump stormwater through filtration membranes to remove contaminants.
Homesteaders can use the purified rainwater to bathe, clean, drink, and launder clothes. Rainwater harvesting systems help residents access safe and affordable water supplies. Acquiring water from natural sources is free and rainwater harvesting systems are also cost-effective.
Some residents create DIY rainwater harvesting systems using food-grade plastic barrels. Building your own design can help you save money and access abundant water supplies on your property. Individuals may also acquire safe water on homesteads by building a pond.
4. Build a Pond
Many homesteaders build multi-use ponds on their properties. Individuals can place fish, aquatic vegetation, and other natural elements in their artificial ponds. Residents may fill their water features with alternative water supplies or naturally with rainwater throughout the year.
Individuals may begin building a pond by finding the perfect location. A homestead’s pond should be close enough to residents’ homes for easy access. Individuals should also place it far enough away from agricultural regions to prevent eutrophication.
Homesteaders usually grow their food on their properties. They prevent pest interference by using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in their gardens. The additives can run off into ponds during rainstorms and contaminate freshwater.
Strategically building a pond to house abundant amounts of freshwater can help support your homestead. Individuals should pump their pond water through a filtration system before consumption. It is also essential to regularly test your pond water’s pH and bacteria levels to ensure your health and safety.
5. Create a Creek Hydropower System
Homesteaders can also access abundant clean water on their properties when using creek hydropower systems. The systems rely on compact submersible pumps placed in nearby creeks. Individuals can power their pumps with portable solar power generators.
They may also avoid clogging the line by setting the pump inside a bucket. Limiting the accumulation of dirt and debris can increase the flow of clean water to homesteads. Individuals can directly attach filters to their creek pumps and prevent adverse health effects.
6. Wind-Powered Pumps
Residents can also access freshwater on their homesteads when using wind-power pumps. The pumps connect wind turbines to underground water wells. When turbines spin and move a pump rod up and down.
The rod extracts well water and moves it through a discharge pipe. A discharge pipe connects to a storage tank, which holds unpurified water for later uses. Homesteaders often rely on wind-powered pumps because they require zero grid-derived electricity.
Wind-powered pumps also produce zero greenhouse gas emissions, which minimizes residents’ carbon footprints. Using solar-powered pumps, individuals can access additional clean water supplies with low environmental impacts.
7. Solar-Powered Pumps
Solar-powered pumps work similarly to the turbine version. They utilize photovoltaic (PV) solar-cell technologies to produce independent electricity supplies. PV panels convert solar radiation into energy to power well pumps.
Some homesteaders prefer using solar-powered pumps because they produce consistent amounts of electricity. PV panels are also more cost-effective than wind turbines. It is easy to place the thin panels throughout a rural property, unlike large-scale turbines.
There are three separate components making up a solar pump. The first is a solar cell, which attracts sunlight. Solar cells lie beneath silicone semiconductor materials.
The materials produce direct currents of emission-free electricity. Advanced solar pump systems contain lithium batteries for short-term energy storage. The solar versions shrink homesteaders’ carbon footprints and utility costs like wind-powered pumps.
8. Hand Pumps
Individuals can also access freshwater on their homesteads using hand pumps. Hand pumps enhance the reliability and accessibility of well water extractions. The traditional pump style is an electric pump alternative.
Homesteaders can save money on electricity costs by installing a hand pump. The pump may also act as a water-extraction backup option during power outages. Hand pumps are affordable and easy to install.
9. Store Independent Supplies
Another way homesteaders can access safe drinking water is by storing excess supplies. Individuals may bottle and store their purified rainwater in refrigerators to create an abundant and reliable supply. Storing filtered rainwater is essential because precipitation patterns are often irregular.
Individuals can also store freshwater on their homesteads in underground chambers. Storage is a standard practice in rural regions. Residents may also use large cisterns to store excess clean water.
10. Filling a Large Cistern
Many homesteaders rely on large cisterns as a last-case storage option. The cisterns hold large volumes of purified water. Before filling a storage container, residents should calculate how much water they need to support their communities’ hydration demands.
Men generally require 3.7 liters of water a day and women need 2.7 liters. Residents should count the number of individuals on their homesteads and store enough water to support community members for a week. Keeping clean water in cisterns can prevent dehydration on homesteads during low-precipitation periods.
11. Installing an Efficient Filtration System
Homesteaders must install efficient filtration systems to clean all the freshwater supplies on their properties. Different microorganisms can enter natural water supplies and increase consumers’ risks of developing adverse health conditions. There are four common viral microorganisms in drinking water.
Residents should invest in filters that target hepatitis, norovirus, rotavirus, and adenovirus. Removing the hepatitis virus from drinking water can protect homesteaders from experiencing fatigue, stomach pain, and jaundice. Hepatitis commonly forms in water wells.
Homesteaders can protect their health and well-being by connecting their wells to filtration systems. Eliminating norovirus from water supplies similarly prevents residents from developing adverse health effects. Norovirus symptoms are similar to the stomach flu.
Severe cases of the virus can cause dehydration and in some cases death. Investing in a filter that targets norovirus can significantly reduce consumers’ risk of infections. There are additional safety measures homesteaders may take to improve the water quality on their properties.
12. Frequently Test the Drinking Water
Rural community members can ensure the safety of their drinking water by conducting frequent quality tests. Most water tests calculate lead levels in supplies. Lead can contaminate water over time as pipes and pump components corrode.
Quality-control professionals in cities regularly test drinking water supplies to ensure residents’ health and safety. Off-grid individuals are responsible for their own testing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests testing your drinking water annually.
Homesteaders may test their water supplies more frequently, especially when consumers experience noticeable changes. If you notice a change in your water supply’s color, scent, taste, or other qualities, you should conduct another test immediately. Rural residents may conduct thorough water assessments by utilizing broad-spectrum tests.
Individuals can ensure their health and safety by using lead, E. coli, bacteria, and pH-level testing kits. Routinely testing for contaminants may reduce one’s risk of developing adverse health effects.
13. Distill the Water Supply
Water distillation is what some would call an antiquated treatment method – but it works. Rural residents can eliminate nearly 99.5% of contaminants from their water supplies using distillation. The purification technique targets organic and inorganic compounds.
Homesteaders can distill their water by installing stills on their properties. Stills rely on evaporation to separate pure water, bacteria, and viruses. A base-level heating coil brings natural water to a boil, creating condensation.
Internal chambers force condensation into a cooling sector. The cooling components convert condensation back into a liquid form. Individuals can access purified water directly through the still or they may pump it into their homes.
Distillation units are relatively cost-effective. They can filter rural water supplies for $300 to $1200 on average. Another cost-effective water purification technique is boiling.
14. Boil Water as a Safety Measure
Homesteaders can remove harmful bacteria and viruses from their water supplies by boiling it prior to consumption. Most microorganisms are unable to survive in temperatures reaching 212 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. No organism survives in 160-degree water if exposed for 30 minutes or longer.
Boiling water is one of the most affordable and accessible purification techniques. Government officials place their districts under boil-water advisories after storms because most individuals can engage in the practice. Once you boil out contaminants, you may place excess water in your refrigerator for later consumption.
Why Are Individuals Moving Off the Grid?
Accessing reliable clean water supplies on homesteads can help individuals move off the grid. Residents are moving from cities to urban areas to save money and shrink their carbon footprints. Growing your own food, producing clean energy independently, and utilizing natural water sources are significantly cheaper than relying on the grid.
Individuals also commute less to and from their jobs, grocery stores, and other off-site locations when living on a self-sustaining property. In the U.S., about 27% of carbon emissions come from the transportation sector. Homesteaders have significantly smaller carbon footprints because they engage in less travel.
Homesteaders are also building self-sustaining properties to deepen their connections with nature. Spending more time immersed in nature decreases one’s risk of stress, anger, anxiety, and other negative feelings and emotions. Creating abundant, safe water supplies on homesteads also improves residents’ health and well-being.
Why Is Water Quality Important?
Homesteaders must ensure the quality of their water before consumption. About 3.4 million individuals die from waterborne illnesses annually. There are many bacteria and viruses hiding in freshwater sources and adversely impacting consumers.
Filtering and regularly testing your water supply is essential. Even city water supplies experience contaminations from time to time. Flint, Michigan, experienced one of the most historic lead poisoning occurrences in America.
Poor filtration and testing practices left individuals susceptible to Legionnaires’ disease. Throughout the outbreak, 87 individuals became ill and 12 experienced fatal symptoms. Practicing safe water extraction can protect your general health.
Homesteaders can effectively adopt rural lifestyles by choosing the most compatible water source with their region.
Choosing the Right Water Source for Your Homestead
Various types of water sources are available to homesteaders. Choosing the appropriate source depends on a few different elements. The first is a resident’s property size.
If individuals live on smaller homesteads, they may lack sufficient room to build a pond. Homesteaders who live in windy regions can benefit from installing wind-powered pumps. As long as individuals pair their sources with appropriate filtration systems, they can access clean water supplies over the years.
Author Bio:
Jane is the editor-in-chief of Environment.co. She is passionate about sustainability, gardening and homesteading.
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