If you are living off the grid, the water system that you use is of critical importance for your sustainability goals. You will need to be able to rely on this water system to provide you with water year-round and you will not want to waste time and energy struggling to make sure that your water system is working properly. There are some different ways that you can set up your off-grid water system, but all of them will need to be established in such a way as to avoid common pitfalls related to these systems.
An off-grid water system is one of the cornerstones of true off-grid living, and this should be one of your first areas of attention when you are establishing an off-grid living arrangement. If you are not able to create a reliable off-grid water supply, you might need to rethink your entire off-grid living arrangement.
If you are ready to learn some tips that will help you to set up your off-grid water system, you need to keep reading!
Tips When Setting Up Your Off-Grid Water System
1. Use the Power of Gravity When Possible
One of the best tips that you can utilize when setting up your off-grid water supply is the use of gravity to make water delivery effective. When you are accessing a natural water source for your off-grid water system, you will want to be sure that this source is located higher than your homestead. Having gravity bring water to you allows you to avoid plumbing installation and pumping.
This tip is accessible when you are using other ways to access your water supply as well. Placing stored water higher than your home will allow you to deliver consistent water to the place you live without having to sort out lots of plumbing to make sure that you can get water to flow into the home with ease.
2. Consider the Use of a Windmill
To get pressurized water into your homestead, you will have to have some kind of solution that does not depend on electricity. A windmill is a great solution for this need, and you can power your windmill with solar panels with ease in most cases. This handy device will create a steady stream of pressurized water that can compete with city water supplies for performance.
You will have to spend a little money to get this set up in place, but the ability to count on water that is pressurized and delivered efficiently without the use of electricity can be well worth the expense. This is your best bet if gravity cannot be your friend in your unique off-grid living situation. Even if you do have access to a gravity-fed water supply, you might still need a windmill to make the delivery process more effective.
3. Consider Wastes
Many people think extensively about getting water delivered to their home but then forget about the wastes that need to be attended to. The question of where wastewater is delivered depends in part on the toilet style that you have in your home. You will have to have a septic system if you are going to have regular toilets, but you could choose to get away from a septic tank if you want to use composting toilets or incinerating toilets.
Wastewater will need to be collected in a gray water pit or a septic system, and you will need to consider the location of both of these items carefully. Locating your waste management in the wrong part of your property can lead to serious issues with contamination of the groundwater and an unhealthy living situation.
4. Plan to Improve Water Quality
One of the things that many people do not consider when they are setting up an off-grid water system is water quality. Wells, in particular, can have lots of issues with water quality, and you might need to address these problems to be able to consider using this water in your homestead. You will want to have the water that you are accessing tested to make sure that you know what minerals and salts are in the water as well as what bacteria are present.
You can filter your water in your off-grid water system fairly easily, and you will want to take the time to set up a filter system to make the water smell good and to ensure it is safe to use. While having access to any water at all might be a big win in your location, you will never regret making sure that the water is filtered so that it smells good, runs clear, and is not contaminated with bacteria. Making sure that the water flowing through the piping in your homestead is clean and clear will also help your piping to last and prevent issues with corrosion.
Planning an Off-Grid Water System Doesn’t Have to be Hard
The biggest factor for successfully creating an off-grid water supply is making sure to plan your system carefully. There are many steps and stages to the process of making the right water supply for your off-grid needs, and ensuring that you do not skip any of the steps of this process will protect you from having to backtrack and replace parts of your system when they do not work. Having clean and clear water in your homestead is important, so plan to clean the water and pressurize it in some way.
While you can elect to simply access water from a cistern system, you might not be planning to access water in this way for the entire time that you are living off-grid. Open up your property to the future potential of improved water delivery by looking into your options for a water supply design using this guide. These tips will ensure that you have access to clear and clean water year-round that you can count on being there when you need it.
