[Water] General

Pops · Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:08 pm Post subject: [Water] General

So what do you have in your glass?

Do you even know the process that brings water to your glass and what powers the process?

Anyone making preps for a short or medium term lack of water?
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Cool Hand Linc · Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:19 pm Post subject: Well

My brother and I sunk a well at our moms. Disappointment.
I planted a pecan tree 20 some years ago. I removed a unwanted tree. Dug out the roots. Dug down thinking I would back fill with sand. I hit water at about 13 feet.
We thought or hoped to hit water at near the same depth. No, no water at all. Rethinking how to hit water there.
Yes, we thought of water to drink and water for food crops.
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RIPSmithianEconomics · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 3:33 am Post subject:

I'm a big believer in Star-Moss. that said, I can walk half a mile and get fresh water from a mountain stream, but it's always good to know methods for obtaining clean water.
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k_semler · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 4:18 am Post subject: Re: Got Water?

JR · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 5:09 am Post subject:

Argh! Too much to worry about. Peak Oil, no water.....

Madpaddy · Expert Joined: Jun 25, 2004 Posts: 2087

I live in the Emerald Isle. How much water do you want. Rains about 260 days a year. Put a glass outside for 5 minutes - presto clean water.

smiley · Fission Joined: Apr 16, 2004 Posts: 2126 Location: Europe

Same here, I've been trying to dry my laundry for the past week.

And this is supposed to be the dry season.

CarlinsDarlin · Moderator Joined: Jul 02, 2004 Posts: 1395

Our water comes from a rural water association. It's likely that we'd be in trouble when TSHTF if we only depend on that. That being said, however, there are several sources of fresh water within walking distance (large creeks, tributaries, etc.). The water on our mountain is not great, though, for drilling wells. For many years, wells were the only source of water on the mountain. The water here has a LOT of iron in it (so much so that my mom, who is blonde, had to regularly color her hair BACK to blonde, because the water would turn her hair red Laughing

). It's not unfit to drink, however. Just turns everything it touches a lovely shade of orange. So, in a pinch, we could use it.

We've been studying building a water catchment system for collecting rainwater anyway (for outdoor watering, mostly), and when that is in place, it will also help.

But, as with everything else, we have more plans than accomplishments. Here's hoping the mess holds off for a bit longer.
Kathy

Aaron · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:51 am Post subject:

We live on a lake, (brackish - semi-salt water), so it requires desalination.

Boiling & reverse osmosis
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Pops · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:06 am Post subject:

Artesian well - cool!

I think most everyone should have a supply of water for emergencies – except k_, lol.

People with wells are probably more aware of their water supply, but if you are on city water, which relies on lots of electricity for pumping and treatment, have at least a gallon per person per day for the longest period you imagine you may be without electricity.

If you have the room many soda bottlers will sell you used 30 or 55gal syrup barrels if you ask, and 5-gallon plastic cans (only use the blue water cans) are transportable by most adults. Even if you are in an apartment you can always fill up clean litre size soda bottles and stick them in the back of a closet for a not-so-rainy day (be carefull with milk jugs though - some are biodegradable).

If in doubt about your source of water – again even in town during power outages or floods, you should ALWAYS boil, treat with chlorine bleach or use a GOOD filter. I put up a long file on the Downloads page regarding food storage that has good info on this topic.

My new place has a 400’ well! Now I’m from central CA, which is basically a desert – 14” of rain per year, and our water is only at 120’. I nearly fell over when they told me how deep the well was at the new (hopefully) place in MO where they get 3 or 4 times that much rain. It seems the limestone there is very permeable and allows ground water to go deep very fast, and though you can get shallower water; it’s not potable.

But the Amish folks who own the place now use an air pump run by a gas powered compressor. It works like the aerator in a fish tank – the air bubbles bring up a bubble of water. The drawback to such a pump is that the overall depth of the well needs to be twice as deep as the depth of the water and of course you can't use a pressure tank - I don't think. An air pump can also be run with a type of windmill that powers a compressor instead of the old pump jack or a new fangled electric generator.

There is also on the new place an old windmill and a second well at the stock tank, but no one knows anything about it. I’m not looking forward to pulling up that pump to change the leathers I can tell you.

I won't be getting as much rain as Paddy, but I'm thinking about rainwater catchment for drought periods. I’m not sure an above ground tank is a good idea though, due to the winters – and a cistern is probably out due to the shallow ledge – we’ll see.

Anyway, that’s my treatise for today!
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Pops · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 6:26 pm Post subject:

In a pinch, don’t forget the water in the water heater, the TANK of the toilet, and the ice in the fridge.

There is still water in the pipes even without pressure, as soon as you let air in the lines however, your water will drain back down the line – go to the lowest outside hose bib as soon as possible after realizing the problem and have someone else open the highest faucet as you collect the water from the bib.

Be careful when you try to use the water heater water! After turning the thermostat down let the water cool for a while – maybe a day? Then have a container handy and use the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. New models are made so you can attach a hose. The first water coming out will contain lots of sediment, so save that for washing.
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JR · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 6:53 pm Post subject:

What about the water in an above ground pool? What would it take to make it drinkable.

Jodi

Pops · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 7:12 pm Post subject:

My grandkids don't seem to have a problem drinking it as is!

Seriously, the best way for ensuring the safety of any water is a rolling boil for fifteen minutes. You can shake it afterwards in a container or pour it between two containers to get some “air” back in and remove the flat taste.

Or add Bourbon as is appropriate.
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Chicagoan · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 19, 2004 Posts: 315

Why not just catch the rain? Make sure you use some sort of mosquito netting.

k_semler · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 5:01 am Post subject: