Water is a necessity and when you do not have the city water supply to rely on you will need to come up with ways to provide your home with enough water not only for consumption but also for things like cleaning, bathing and keeping your garden watered. Water is a great natural element that can easily be tapped into and obtained in a number of ways. In this chapter we will cover the many ways you can supply you off the grid home with enough water for all your daily needs and chores.
METHOD 22 - Collect Water From Natural Springs or Another Natural Water Source-
If you are lucky enough to live near a water source such as a river, stream or lake that you can easily utilize these water sources for you own off the grid household needs. When rely on this type of water you should check the contamination of the water first and always use a filter or water purifier before drinking. You can collect the water as needed and for colder months stock up prior and store the water to ensure you will have enough in case the water source freezer over.
METHOD 23 - Wells-
Wells can be dug to provide you with a steady supply of water. Wells should be dug by a licensed professional, this is to ensure that you will get the cleanest and non-contaminated supply of water to your off the grid home.
METHOD 24 - Cistern-
Installing a cistern tank is especially beneficial to those who decide to build the off the grid home in more rain filled environment. These large tanks can either be above or underground and they draw in the rainwater that runs down from the rain gutters on your home. The water is pumped from these tanks to supply your home with water.
METHOD 25 - Grey Water Systems-
Installing a grey water system in you off the grid bathroom will cut back on water waste. These systems collect the water used for showering or washing your hands and reuses it for the water needed to flush your toilet. The water that is flushed from the toilet is then properly discharge to the septic tank.
WATER HEATERS:
There are a few options you have to heating your water supply. Solar water heaters can be used for many beneficial household needs such as taking warm shower or using hot water to clean your dishes. There are two types of solar water heaters active and passive heating systems. We will briefly discuss both so you can easily decided which would be best suited for your off the grid needs. Either system used will use a direct or a convection method for heating.
Directly heating the water source circulate the water through the water collector to keep it heated they typically are not favored in colder climates because the can be damaged from the system freezing. The other method, however, convention or indirect heating systems use a non-toxic type of antifreeze and water mixture that traps the heat in the panels.
METHOD 26 - Active Water Heating Systems-
This type of water heating system will require more maintenance and some sort of electrical source or the use of a small solar panel. This system is capable of more high performance duties and can be more conveniently placed with little restrictions to where they need to be.
METHOD 27 - Passive Water Heating Systems-
Passive water heaters cost less and usually do not require much maintenance. They required heat pipes or some type of heat driven convection to help circulate the water through the system. Passive water heating systems are best used in warmer climates, as they do not use any kind of anti-freezing agents in the system. Some more modern systems can be used in any type of climate but those are far more costly.
GARDEN WATER SUPPLY METHODS:
For many off the grid homes a garden is going to be an essential part to your comfort and survival. There are a number of methods you can implement to conserve water usage when water your garden.
METHOD 28 - Rain Garden-
Rain garden are trenches dug to capture excesses water to provide for your garden. They can be highly effective with deep-rooted plants in your garden. Putting in place a rain garden is a simple method that will keep the water from running off and contains this water so the plants in your garden can access it.
METHOD 29 - Micro Drip System-
A micro drip system is watering systems that can continuously keep your garden water. This system involves a layout of pipes with water release valves that slowly releases water to the plants at a slow rate. These micro drip systems for your garden are fairly easy to install and can help you a great deal in conserving water used to keep your garden healthy and growing.