Sooo lovely when you lose your water supply before your backup supply is completely done. Drats, I was hoping to NEVER have to haul water again but looks like maybe 1 more time before he gets the water tanks done. Well, in the greater scheme of things I guess I'll survive it. At least we know what the plan is to have water continuously... we are in the process of using our roof to fill about 10,000. gallons of cistern. However, this does NOT MAKE ME HAPPY TONIGHT with dirty dishes, laundry and even people, lol! Guess we'll be going to the swimming hole in the creek roflol. Hope nobody goes by and sees the bubbles (kidding)
Same problem in northern Arizona.... Artesian wells dried up and cattle ranchers having to haul loads of water... I suppose that also means the major aquifer under my place has gone bone dry as well....
Its a temporary problem here thank goodness! Catching rainwater will work just fine once the tanks are set. The spring never really goes dry... we just use a lot of water in the summer and usually July and August we have to watch how much we use. Can't wait to get those tanks in! Arizona sounds like its really hurting with all the cattle.
shoot, just lost my post!? Can't do a well here because of a big coal seam under us that causes an oily skim on the water. Everyone has always just used cisterns. Ours is really old. The spring comes under a beech tree and into the old cut stone cistern and from there into a newer cistern of 1500 gallons. It is usually enough until july or August. I go nuts for all things vintage or old fashioned so I love it!
It is very common to use rain water, off a Steel Roof, for a Potable water source, in Southeastern Alaska. We use this method for our Winter Water, when the summer system is shutdown and drained.. We keep about 1500USG in Insulated Storage Totes, and use a 1.5 Kw Stock Tank Heater to keep them Ice Free. ..... YMMV.....
Though we have two well's(210'x4"main,and 80'x2"irrigation/stock),we also have an 18'x5' above ground pool as backup. It's set up on a hill to where the bottom of the pool is about level with the roof eave of our house. I also have a faucet next to the pool. When needed,I can shut the main off at the well. Put a hose in the pool,tied to the ladder about 1' off the bottom. I then connect the other end of the hose to the faucet,and open the valve. To start the siphon effect,I just turn on one of the outside faucets on the house for a couple of minutes. The action of the water in the pipes draining down the hill,causes enough suction to start the siphon effect from the pool. This setup gives almost full pressure for the shower,and we also have a PUR faucet filter in the kitchen sink to use it for drinking water. Matt
BT, We're working on the roof thing right now. I used a formula to figure out how much I could harvest off the roof based on our average rainfall and roof size. In theory we could harvest like 10 times the amount we use a year but that would take a few more very big tanks! Since we don't need that extreme amount We're planning to get 1 more 3000 gal tank. I think that will more than cover anything we can use in the dry months. goinpostal, I have a pool in the yard I can dip buckets for emergencies. I like your idea of one on the hill, that's a very cost effective way to store a lot of water!
{ { { { { <------------ Love the stove, Kathy..... Momma would KILL for one of those..... We cook on an Oil fired, Pot Burning, Cook Stove here.... It also makes our domestic Hot water.....
it did it again! it ate my post! grrrrrr! I love my stove! My sweet little Mommy bought it for me last year just in time for winter. I could never have afforded it myself... How do you like our "fancy" heat shield behind it? lol It suits my country house...
Aaaww...poor kitty. She doesn't look like she's been missing any meals, lol! I like your stove, it looks like some of the European ones on ebay. Is it stainless?
Yep, It is stainless, except for the top.... and the Kitty is a He, and we can't let him outside, because he is deaf as a Post... Like I said "Special Needs" Kitty... He would just be Eagle Bait..... and we have LOTS of Flying Tree Rats.... (Eagles).... ......
here's a cheap way to make big tanks: http://www.survivalmonkey.com/threads/cheap-and-fast-water-storage.34393/ you can get potable liners and animal safe liners. I have a tank for the house made with a potable liner, 6,500 gallons. That tank above is for our animals, 7,000 gallons. I am installing another tank this year for the house, 6,000 gallons.
