Homestead mailing list

[Don Bowen <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

VAN DELL JORDAN wrot
> > Water is my main worry.
Rainwater harvesting is not as expensive as a well if you have 
sufficient rainfall.  I once figured that a 30 by 30 foot building in a 
40 inch per rainfall would provide all the water needed.  1500 gallons 
of storage was under $400 and two tanks were enough.  Debris filters are 
easy to build into the plumbing between the tanks.  Output sediment 
filtering and a UV filter into a pressure pump aand bladder will work 
for a house system.  As a backup, some chlorine in the tank and a 12V RV 
pump will move enough water for drinking, cooking, and washing.

If you are concerned about drinking water and have a nearby stream of 
pond, the Berkey filters work well for drinking.  I have a two candle 
Berkey and it filters a gallon in 3 hours or so.  Two more candles would 
double the flow.  I found a good deal on a Big Berkey with two ceramic 
candles on Amazon. 

In the trailer I am hooked up to a stream water system.  I bought a 
large sediment filter and put that on the hydrant then run a hose to the 
trailer.  Last December I laid heat tape along the hose and wrapped 
everything in a double layer of insulation.  It did not freeze but the 
inside pipes to the sink did.  When it thawed out there were no leaks.  
The trailer is plumbed with 3/8 PEX.

The Berkey uses no electricity so power outages are not a problem.  I 
recently bought a countertop distiller that does use 120VAC.  It 
distills a gallon in about 4 hours.  With the cost of bottled water (The 
water here tastes terrible) I figure the distiller is saving us enough 
that it will pay for itself in three months.  Besides the brown junk 
that I clean out of the bottom makes me glad I am not drinking that water.

--
Don Bowen           KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html