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  • From: "Sage Austin | Eureka! Design" <eureka AT hctc.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Farm Update
  • Date: Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:44:34 -0500

Thanks for the info Bev, I'll check it out. I do believe that's what it is, hydrous sulfide. There are plans online to build a distiller out of wood and glass, so we picked up some free sliding glass doors so it shouldn't cost much to make it, just time and space in the sun.

We have an RO filter in our house for our own well water. Yeah, we aren't going to make improvements to their well, so we are SOL. They used to buy our eggs, but now we just give them eggs as a way of saying thank you. We are not the only ones with a dry well. It's a problem that's pretty far reaching in the Texas hill country, an area about 4 hours drive from one side to the other (yes, it's true we measure distance by time here LOL). One of the churches in our minor metro started a water ministry, which is really kind, but apparently they don't deliver to our county even though our money goes to theirs. We would still have to have a tank if they did. Oh well.

Has anyone on the list built their own ferrocement tank? I see several books available about it and wondered if it was too hard or worth it in comparison to buying a plastic tank. I'm just not too keen on plastic in my life.

--Sage



EarthNSky wrote:
Sage Austin | Eureka! Design wrote:
Thanks, Bev. What kind of bacteria? Will distillation take out the bacteria?

Well, yeah, but that just might be overkill, not to mention expensive. It is good, though. At the very least, they could put a charcoal filter on the well, that would help reduce the smell. You can look at different type systems here:

http://www.cleanwaterstore.com/well-water-systems.html

You realize that the water is still 'safe' to drink, just odoriferous.
You can learn more about them here:

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/wells/waterquality/hydrosulfide.html



They call this water "gyp water" locally, and on diagrams of the aquifer it is labeled "saline water." Someone else told me it was a gas that would eventually play out. Another person said I could add garden lime to take the sulfur out and make it drinkable.

no, there are easier ways



Since it hasn't been
tested (our neighbors are using it for their ponds and lawn) we will likely add chlorine. All I can say is when I boil it on the stove for dishes it leaves a whole lot of sediment behind.

It needs a sediment filter, too, then.
You can buy sediment filters with charcoal at Home Depot. If the 'sediment' is really scale, then you might want to soften the water.

Since it is not your well, you are kind of SOL.

Everything I can think of that might help YOU involves you getting a tank. My latest wacky idea was to put charcoal in a pillow case and toss it in the tank, after a bit of bleach, of course...LOL...

Bev





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