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Recycle that Water!

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Water…. So precious…But most people take it for granted, and are quite wasteful—if only they’d stop and think about what would happen if the tap suddenly went dry. If people had to haul in or glean every drop of water they needed from roof runoff—I think they’d be more conservative. They’d recycle their water, i.e., use rinse water to wash the floor, or water the garden; catch the roof runoff in barrels and use it to wash clothes, do dishes, or bathe—hair feels silky soft after washing it in pure rainwater! Rainwater can be used to top-up batteries, too—don’t waste your money on commercial distilled water, when you can get it free!

Some people store rainwater in a cistern. A cistern is a large underground water storage facility. This way, they don’t have as much water to haul, therefore saving them money, time and precious resources. Being located underground; the water doesn’t freeze and usually remains one constant temperature. An electric or 12V pump is used to transfer the water to the house, where it is used and recycled the normal way.

When we have a dry spell, I haul my water in a 500-gallon tank in the bed of my truck. The Water Company is two miles away. They pump the water from the ground with a gas/petrol generator, into a fifteen-hundred-gallon aboveground storage tank. The owner’s have provided several ways to transfer the water to their customer’s tanks: hoses, overhead boom and a faucet are currently available.

Storing water aboveground has its drawbacks. Freezing is a big problem. Unless the temperature rises above 32F during the day—there won't be any water available. One way to combat this difficulty, is to bring water into the house, or somewhere that doesn’t freeze. Another way is to buy heat tape—but electricity is needed for this option. A horse trough heater can also be utilized; again electricity is required.

There is an alternative to getting water at the Water Company. Two and a half miles away, there is a windmill driven water well. The windmill has two, one thousand-gallon storage tanks located aboveground. When there’s no wind; there’s no water! Usually there is plenty of water available, though, because the windmill turns when the wind-speed reaches 7 mph, which isn’t much more than a breeze. The area in which I live, is known for being a windy location, so usually the tanks are full. With each ten turns of the windmill, a quart of water is transferred into the storage tanks. Many families rely on this windmill for their water supply, as most cannot afford to have a well drilled. Water is estimated to be seven-hundred feet down in this part of the world, and the cost is approximately $25,000 USD which makes that option a mere dream for most people—me included!