If you've decided to go off the grid one of the first things you probably did was hook up solar panels and wind turbines to a battery system for your home. Once you're done that you are getting your power from the sun and wind, so the next logical step is to get yourself a way to deal with your water and sewage.
The fabulous thing about water is that it's everywhere - it runs beneath your feet as groundwater and falls from the sky as rain. You can tap into both of these sources in order to go off the grid - even if you live in a city you can do this!
According to the American EPA, roughly 15 percent of homes in the United States get their water on their own, so there's no reason why you can't be one of them. (Most of that 15% is farmers with their own wells.) There are approx. 20 million homes in the United States that get their water from private wells.
The principle is simple - a hole is dug or drilled deep into the ground and a pump draws out the water using electricity or even wind power (Mennonites use windmills to bring up their water).
There are many government regulations that apply to private wells, so you should only use a licensed well driller. It's easy for harmful contaminants to leak into your well if it's not installed properly. The cost of a private well ranges from about $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how deep you need to go. The deeper the well, the more likely you'll find clean water from an aquifer. Add plumbing, install a filter for better-tasting water and voila, done!
Another benefit of a private well is that you'll be able to avoid local watering restrictions during periods of drought. It is YOUR well and you can decide what to do with it.
Another way you can provide your own water is by harvesting the rain with a cistern. A cistern is basically a tank that holds water. Home cistern systems have large above-ground or underground tanks made from concrete, steel or fiberglass. The water from your rain gutters is channeled into the cistern and then pumped back into your home as you need it. If your cistern is above ground and higher than your faucets, you can use the weight of the water as pressure to get it into your home. Below-ground cisterns require a pump to get the water to you, much like a well.
If you want a cistern, you need to live in an area that gets enough rain. If you live near a major source of pollution, like a major expressway or factory, then you should avoid going with a cistern because the water will be pretty disgusting.
If you want drinkable water, it's best to have a metal or clay roof because it's cleaner than a shingled one. Shingled roofs can be used, but they require a pre-filtering system before the water is deposited into the tank. If you're interested in harvesting rainwater, consult a local green building professional.
The best way to get off the grid's sewer line is to install a septic system.
A septic system is basically a large metal tank that collects and releases your waste-water. Bacteria in the tank break everything down causing it to separate naturally into a top scum layer, bottom sludge layer and middle liquid layer. As new waste-water flows in, the liquid in the tank flows out into a series of buried perforated pipes that release the water over distance into a drain field. Soil acts as a biological filter, keeping the harmful bacteria buried beneath the ground until it's eventually absorbed and becomes nutrients. The tank should be emptied and serviced by a professional once a year if its being used often.
Note: The plants growing above a septic tank system pipes always grow the best because they are getting lots more fertilizer and nutrients. So that is a great spot to build a greenhouse, over the pipes.
Welcome to Project Gridless!
Hello! Project Gridless is dedicated to off the grid living, foraging / hunting / gardening for food, traditional survival skills and modern tips for alternative energy. Please Follow, Subscribe or Like.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Popular Posts during the Last Year
-
Okay so " Outdoor Boys " is a YouTube channel created by Luke (last name unknown) and frequently featuring his sons and his wife. ...
-
This list is mostly for my personal reference, with respect to dating old Bear bows. They are sorted by the years released. If you know of a...
-
Wood Homemade Bow Press So awhile back in October I made a note of writing a post titled " How to Make a Homemade Bow Press "....
-
Here is a list of laws for bow hunting in Ontario. #1. You must be over 16 years of age and have a valid Ontario Outdoors Card. #2. You ...
-
Honestly the process of buying shipping containers is easy. They cost between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on where you buy from and size....
-
Now because there are many types of bows I have decided to limit this particular list to ONE PIECE recurve bows. In the future I may do a 2n...
-
So I was repairing a compound bow for a client, in this case the Bear Cruzer shown below, and I decided it was an excellent opportunity to c...
-
Within the sport of archery there are people who make their own bows and their own arrows. Such is the norm with many sports, there is alw...
-
For years now I have been pootahing the idea of going bear hunting because I felt that bear hunting is mostly for people who are interested ...
-
Okay so to find the year of my "new" recurve bow, a vintage Ben Pearson Renegade , I needed to do some in-depth research. During...
Search This Blog
Learn more about archery in Toronto by visiting the Toronto Public Archery Range Facebook page
or by joining the Canadian Toxophilite Society.
This Week's Popular Posts
-
Wood Homemade Bow Press So awhile back in October I made a note of writing a post titled " How to Make a Homemade Bow Press "....
-
Here is a list of laws for bow hunting in Ontario. #1. You must be over 16 years of age and have a valid Ontario Outdoors Card. #2. You ...
-
This list is mostly for my personal reference, with respect to dating old Bear bows. They are sorted by the years released. If you know of a...
-
Honestly the process of buying shipping containers is easy. They cost between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on where you buy from and size....
-
Three years ago I wrote a post titled How to Buy, Design and Build your own Shipping Container Home . Shipping containers, for those who...
-
Okay so to find the year of my "new" recurve bow, a vintage Ben Pearson Renegade , I needed to do some in-depth research. During...
-
Okay, so since some people don't know what a stump is, lets first define that. A Stump is the rotting trunk of a dead tree. A stump...
-
My woodworking project this winter has been an experiment in how to make a homemade crossbow. Below are some photos of the project as it is ...
-
Insanity. That is what the Shoot Tech Systems Raptor Advance Compound Bow represents. Complete insanity. Specs FPS 410 - 485 (...
-
Okay so " Outdoor Boys " is a YouTube channel created by Luke (last name unknown) and frequently featuring his sons and his wife. ...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments containing links will not be approved. Contact lilithgallery@gmail.com if you want advertising.