Alternative Ideas # 2

Hinotori

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We have a well. I can hook it up to a generator if needed, but it's a real hassle.

We have 2 streams and are on the edge of a 40 some acre pond that is connected to a 30 some acre pond. They are shallow at under 6 feet so they are covered with lily pads during warm weather. No algae issues because of that. Hauling water is doable but also a pain.

The very shallow, tiny seasonal ponds out front get used for chicken water in late autumn/winter sometimes depending on rainfall early in the season. Usually I catch rainwater for them as well. They prefer it to the well water that is high in iron.
 

baymule

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O community water here. But have a contract on the farm and am moving to son's rent house on 2 acres. On community water there too and it's not even very good water. Tastes brackish, like water in coastal areas.

But I will be looking for a new place and I have my checklist.
 

flowerbug

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we have a well and a generator as well. I save bottles of water in the cellar as well, and then change them out every 9-12 months (give it to the garden or animals).

My goal this year is a rain barrel-though it is hit or miss around here with rain. I have also thought/looked into canning quarts or liters of water.

We do have a river down the road that has public access that we could haul from and purify/boil.

i would not can the water, that's a lot of work. instead if you can find gallon jugs or even a few five gallon jugs that works so much better for space and use. water in storage here i just put a little bleach in it and that keeps any gunk from forming. it's not for drinking water use, just for flushing the toilet. drinking water in storage can use a little iodine tablet or bleach, but i just leave it alone right out of the tap and rotate the stock every six months to a year or so to refresh it.
 

Trying2keepitReal

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i would not can the water, that's a lot of work. instead if you can find gallon jugs or even a few five gallon jugs that works so much better for space and use. water in storage here i just put a little bleach in it and that keeps any gunk from forming. it's not for drinking water use, just for flushing the toilet. drinking water in storage can use a little iodine tablet or bleach, but i just leave it alone right out of the tap and rotate the stock every six months to a year or so to refresh it.
My thought on canning was to steer clear of plastic. We don't buy milk in plastic jugs-so all I have are a few water jugs that I had originally bought for hauling water from the house to the chickens. I will have to ponder this alternate idea
 

flowerbug

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My thought on canning was to steer clear of plastic. We don't buy milk in plastic jugs-so all I have are a few water jugs that I had originally bought for hauling water from the house to the chickens. I will have to ponder this alternate idea

i actually agree with you there for most things i use glass myself. water storage for flushing toilets can be in plastic, i won't be drinking it. i'm also ok drinking water out of the plastic water jugs that water normally comes in because, it's cold water and never heated, i'm old enough that a few plastic chemicals aren't going to kill me or harm me any more than all the plastics already on the food we buy or whatever else that comes into contact with the foods and drinks we get. i'd love a few five gallon glass jugs but there's no room for them here. as it is i have fun trying to wedge these eight gallon jugs in my closet as it is.

i have some gallon glass jars i use for storing beans (old saurkraut or pickle jars) which i would use for water if it were just me here alone, but with Mom around it's too much of a hazard to have something like that around and she'd also not like it on the counter or in the fridge or ... smaller jars like quart and pint sized canning jars i use quite often in food storage in the fridge and freezer and i'm happy she's ok with doing that so i don't really need to rock the boat any more. sometimes picking battles and other times leaving things alone is just how to get alone. win some, lose some - laugh either way :)...

oh and i just remembered we have some half gallon canning jars which are great. :) probably could find gallon canning jars too... if i did that i'd just reuse lids from canned goods if the lids were in good enough condition to seal up the water, but i'd not go through the bother of actually heating them and sealing them. a lot of the time i can just warm up the lid and then put a ring on and crank it down tight enough and that will seal enough.
 

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