We take plenty of things for granted in our homes that might be a bit more difficult to manage if you decide to go completely off the grid. Sure, you can install solar panels for electricity and dig a well to ensure you have water, but how do you get that water to your home? What does it take to get rid of the wastewater you generate in your kitchen and bathroom? Here are some tips to help you handle plumbing your off-grid home.
Potable vs. Non-Potable Water
A natural water source, like a river or lake, might look safe to drink. It may even have animals on the shoreline quenching their thirst. These facts don’t mean it’s safe for humans to consume, so before you start scooping up handfuls of the nearby creek, keep reading. Handling off-grid plumbing starts with understanding the difference between potable and non-potable water.
Potable water is a term used to describe water sources considered safe for human consumption. They’re usually pumped from deep wells or aquifers and treated to remove any organic or non-organic contaminants. In most cases, if you’re on city water, you can turn on any tap in your house and expect potable water to flow.
Non-potable water is the opposite. You can apply this term to any water source that hasn’t been treated to make it safe to drink. That includes rainwater as well as any water captured from natural sources. It can also be applied to reclaimed or recycled water. These terms apply to wastewater that’s been recycled and, while not potable, is safe for agricultural or landscaping use.
Securing Your Off-Grid Water Source
The next step is to secure your off-grid water source. People who live in cities and suburbs are usually hooked up to the local city water grid, but once you leave that bubble, you’ll need to find alternatives to keep yourself hydrated.
Wells
Personal wells are the most common form of off-grid water supply. Wells tap into local underground water resources but must be dug deep into the earth to reach water that’s generally safe to drink. They aren’t infinite, so you may need to re-dig the well to find other water supplies in the future, but for the most part, wells are the easiest way to keep water in your pipes while you’re off the grid.
You will need a water pump to pull it up from underneath the ground and send it into your home. Most pumps are electric, but you can rig these devices to anything from a diesel generator to a solar panel. There are also manual pump options, but if you consider that the average US family uses upwards of 300 gallons a day, hand pumps might not be the best idea. They also don’t function if you have a well with a very deep water table.
Rainwater
If you live somewhere that gets a lot of rain, it might seem like the perfect solution for off-grid water, but there are a few things you’ll need to consider. First, rainwater is generally considered non-potable, so you will need to take additional steps to purify the water if you plan to use it for drinking or cooking. Depending on where you live, you may also face dry seasons that could leave you scrambling for water, especially if you only use rainwater.
Roof runoff is acceptable if you’re planning to use rainwater just for watering crops. If you plan to treat and drink your rainwater, ensure you’re catching it directly as it falls, so you’re not making the filtering job harder by dragging all the dust and debris from your roof into your cistern.
Natural Water Sources
If you’re lucky enough to own property that has a natural water source, such as a river or lake, you might think that your off-grid water problems are solved. Unfortunately, you will encounter many of the same issues you experience with rainwater capture. Most natural water sources are considered non-potable or require significant treatment before they might be safe to drink. Being open to the elements means you may have to contend with all sorts of contaminants, from animal droppings to carcasses to runoff from local fields, farms or settlements.
Depending on where the water source is located in proximity to your home or homestead, you may also need extra pumps to move the water long distances. Don’t let this discourage you from utilizing natural water sources. Ensure you’re prepared for the extra work needed to make the water safe to drink.
Purchased/Stored Water
Finally, while this isn’t strictly off the grid, you do have the option to install a water tank and have it filled by a tanker truck when it runs low. Installing a tank and keeping it topped off can provide a backup in case your other off-grid water sources run dry. You can also buy jugs of water or even individual water bottles, but these tend to be more expensive in the long run. They’re also not sustainable, requiring a lot of single-use plastics.
Stored water must be cycled out every six months to prevent bacterial growth. Keep your stored water between 50 and 70 degrees F and out of direct sunlight.
Types of Pipes You Might Need
Next, you need to understand the kind of pipes that you’ll need to manage your home’s plumbing.
For water lines, copper pipes are some of the most common. You’ll probably find them in any home built after 1940. It’s not flexible, but it is a very tough material that will last for decades. Galvanized water lines started appearing in homes built after 1985, but the material tends to corrode at the joints, creating small leaks inside the walls.
CPVC pipes are popular because you don’t need any specialized tools to install them — just a hacksaw to trim your pipes to length and a jar of joint sealant to prevent leaks and keep the joints intact. Finally, you may find PEX — cross-linked polyethylene — water lines in homes built after 1995. While they are flexible and handy for getting into tight spaces, they are prone to puncture and leaks.
There are three common choices for removing wastewater, depending on when your home was built. ABS — short for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene — was a popular choice for underground wastewater removal, but these solid plastic pipes have fallen out of use in favor of PVC. Homes built after 1985 usually use PVC for wastewater removal and disposal. Those built before 1985 likely use cast iron or galvanized pipes for waste removal. The material is puncture resistant but can crack or break if the ground shifts.
Understanding the pipes in your home makes it easier to manage to plumb if you decide to go off-grid. You wouldn’t want to try mix-and-match pipe types while installing new systems. You’ll just end up with leaks.
Managing Wastewater
The average household might use upwards of 300 gallons of water daily, but they also generate plenty of waste. In Florida, for example, studies show that each individual in the state produces up to 100 gallons of wastewater a day. This number includes showers, toilet flushes and each time you pour something down the sink or leave the tap running while brushing your teeth. Dealing with off-grid plumbing means figuring out what you will do with all that wastewater.
Black water — water that contains human waste or raw sewage — is particularly dangerous. Human waste can contain many bacteria, viruses and other dangerous microorganisms. Salmonella, E.Coli, Hepatitis A, Gastroenteritis, Cholera and Dysentery are all conditions you can contract from exposure to raw sewage. One of the biggest challenges when managing off-grid plumbing is ensuring that your sewage is properly disposed of.
Septic Systems
The most common type of off-grid wastewater disposal comes in the form of a septic system. These self-contained systems hold the wastewater while bacteria break it down and allow the leftover nutrients to leech into your property. It sounds gross, but this is a good thing for your property. Once the sewage is dealt with, the water can enter the drain field and percolate into the earth. It’s one of the easiest ways to manage off-grid wastewater disposal, as long as you maintain your septic biosphere’s health.
Lagoons
In areas where the installation of a drain field isn’t an option, lagoons can serve the same purpose. Lagoons still require a septic tank to handle solid human waste. Raw sewage must be contained within the tank for at least 48 hours — enough time for any solids that aren’t digested by the bacteria within to settle at the bottom of the tank. Then the water can flow into an open-air lagoon, which completes the same task as a drain field, allowing the water to return to the earth or evaporate into the air, returning to the above-ground water cycle.
If you plan to install a lagoon, ensure you’re working with local building code officers to ensure that you’re not putting local ecosystems or potable water supplies at risk. Lagoons can be a useful tool, but if they’re not carefully maintained, they can be dangerous. While you can’t prevent animals from drinking from your lagoon, ensure no one is allowed to swim in them.
Composting Toilets
While you might not be growing potatoes on Mars, human waste can be a fantastic source of compost to support any growing crops. Instead of worrying about septic tanks, compost toilets take your solid waste and turn it into something you can use in the garden. There are complicated versions, but a basic composting toilet can be as simple as a bucket with a toilet seat strapped to the top and a bit of hay or sawdust to layer over your waste.
In addition to solving the septic tank/lagoon problem, composting toilets can save you a lot of water. Even modern low-flow toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush. Standard toilets like the one you’ve never replaced because they still work can use up to seven gallons per flush. If you’re concerned about conserving water, a composting toilet will be the best option.
Reusing Gray Water
Composting toilets are great, but what will you do with all the wastewater you generate from showering, brushing your teeth or washing your dishes? Known as gray water, this waste isn’t suitable for drinking because it contains dirt, soap and other contaminants, but it also doesn’t contain human sewage. This means you can reuse it for applications other than drinking.
The most common use for recycled gray water is irrigation. Pipe it out to your garden and use it to water your plants and trees during the dry season. If you are using gray water to irrigate, ensure it’s not touching the edible parts of the plant. If you’re using it on leafy greens, opt for a drip irrigation system that delivers water directly to the base of the plant rather than typical sprinklers.
The simplest way to reuse gray water from your sinks is to replace the drain pipe beneath the sink with a bucket. You can haul the gray water out into your garden or even dump it into your toilet tank for flushing. If you are a bit handier, you can disconnect your sinks or even your washer drain from the septic system and redirect the water into your irrigation system.
Make sure you’re using your gray water promptly. It might not contain sewage, but it can allow bacteria to grow, which can create foul smells and, over time, turn it into black water that would be dangerous to use for irrigation.
Managing Your Off-Grid Plumbing
Taking your home or homestead off-grid means becoming responsible for many things we often take for granted. Something as simple as taking a shower or flushing the toilet becomes more complicated when you’re responsible for where the water comes from and where the waste goes when you’re done.
Managing your plumbing off-grid isn’t impossible. In most cases, it’s not even particularly difficult, but it requires a lot of planning to ensure everything works smoothly.
Author Bio:
Jane is the editor-in-chief of Environment.co. She is passionate about sustainability, gardening and homesteading.
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