Hello everyone

[sumi]

I came over here from BYC a couple of times to read threads and get some ideas. Thought it was time I stop lurking and sign up

 

[Denim Deb]

Please, tell us more about yourself.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

 

[Hinotori]

 

[FarmerChick]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

[sumi]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

Denim Deb, I live in South Africa with my DH and 7yo son at the moment. We moved back here a few months ago after a stint in Ireland. We're planning on moving back to Ireland within the next 2-3 years and that's where we're planning to live as self sufficient as possible. In the meantime we're helping a friend get his newly acquired smallholding in shape. We have a bit of a challenge here, with no main water, no well, no nothing! LOL Our rainwater comes from the sky when the clouds take mercy on us. The roof water gets collected in large tanks from where it gets pumped to the house. Though the lack of monthly water bills is lovely it gets a little scary when the rain doesn't come! We're planing on growing as much food for ourselves as possible, to cut back on the grocery bills. So we have a vegetable patch, where a lot of our grey water is going, and a rapidly growing flock of chickens. We've got a pig pen nearly ready and waiting for some pigs for meat as well. We still lots to do, in-between doing rain dances lol, but we're having fun.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Wow - what an adventure! Do you have to treat the water in any way or does it stay pure in storage? You have a fascinating story and I look forward to hearing more.

 

[sumi]

Our water stays fairly clean in storage, until we get to the bottom of the tanks when we sometimes get a little bit extra thrown in. Noting too bad though, last time we ran low we found leaves in it, and it's covered. We do "import" a few gallons of drinking water from town every other day, but our washing water, dish water etc comes from the tanks. We also go through quite a lot of water, in spite of our efforts to use it sparingly, so it doesn't have time to go "off" in there.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

We have a bit of a challenge here, with no main water, no well, no nothing! LOL Our rainwater comes from the sky when the clouds take mercy on us. The roof water gets collected in large tanks from where it gets pumped to the house. Though the lack of monthly water bills is lovely it gets a little scary when the rain doesn't come! We're planing on growing as much food for ourselves as possible, to cut back on the grocery bills. So we have a vegetable patch, where a lot of our grey water is going, and a rapidly growing flock of chickens. We've got a pig pen nearly ready and waiting for some pigs for meat as well. We still lots to do, in-between doing rain dances lol, but we're having fun.

A wise man from Oklahoma once said "timing has a lot to do with the success of a rain dance!"
Welcome to our craziness. It sounds as though you have some significant challenges.
While reading your post, it occurred to me to ask whether or not you have ever considered looking into the concept of building solar stills. Depending on the temperature variation between morning and night you should be able to collect a certain amount of water simply making solar stills. Whether this would produce enough water to do something other than what you're already doing with your rainwater is of course the great question. But if you have enough land space, it should be easier to build several of them with large sheets of plastic.
The other thing that occurred to me would be to re-collect your graywater and distill it. There are good plans for solar stills that would allow you to reclaim the much needed water at particularly difficult times.
Just a thought.
Saepe Expertus, Semper Fidelis, Fratres Aeterni
Trim sends
//BT//

 

[Denim Deb]

I'll be following this for sure!