Off-Grid Water Solutions - Homesteading and Prepping Techniques for Sustainable Living Welcome back to Base Camp WNC! We're on a dual mission here - not only is this our training ground but it also serves as part of our series exploring homesteading and prepping for the majority – those who make up 99% of society. This exciting journey will take us through various aspects related to these topics so stay tuned in! We've embarked on a self dug well project using machinery that we have leased for the past eight months. Previously our attempts with six inch pipes resulted in wells without sufficient reservoir capacity. To rectify this issue we constructed a well featuring a 55 gallon container at its base and supplemented it with twelve to eighteen inch culvert pipes. This design should enable us to store approximately one hundred sixty gallons of groundwater or more. Our goal is to ensure adequate water supply during times when rainfall may be scarce or unpredictable. We are confident that this approach will prove successful as we continue working towards achieving sustainability goals within our community. Our location has become a hub for diverse activities - from bird dog training and church revivals to Boy Scout retreats. However we remain committed towards harnessing groundwater especially for supplying water into the farthest end of our property where we have set up an aviary pen as well as feeding our flushing outhouse which is showcased on YouTube channel. Our focus remains unwavered in this regard! The landscape has undergone significant changes with ponds dug out and land cleared. Preparations for fieldwork and planting are also in progress at our well digging operation site. Stay tuned as we explore further into this exciting project! The foundation of our new design is a 60 gallon screw top pickle barrel that once held gherkin pickles sourced from India and shipped to Canada before arriving in the US. Despite its former purpose this food grade container still carries traces of its past life as an essential component for creating delicious condiments. To enhance functionality we drilled holes into it forming a grid pattern which allowed us to attach another food safe bucket at the bottom end. This modification enables pumps and pipes running down through these openings while keeping out any unwanted sand particles during filtration processes. With such innovative thinking behind every aspect of our project we are confident about achieving optimal results! To enhance the efficiency of our pickle barrels we've added double wall corrugated pipes on top. These pipes have been punctured with holes for water collection which ensures effective groundwater storage. This innovative design is sure to make a difference in how efficiently we collect and store rainwater. Our aim is to create a 16 foot water column that can hold approximately 125 gallons of reserve water. We've designed this structure using four inch pipes initially which could only store around six and half gallons at any given time. To ensure efficient functioning we plan on introducing solar powered pumps for drawing up the required amount from ground level into our tower through gravity feed systems. This innovative approach will serve both purposes - flushing off grid commodes within outhouses as well as providing fresh drinking sources for birds kept inside cages or pens. With these efforts towards sustainability, we hope to make significant progress towards achieving environmental goals while also meeting essential needs effectively. We prioritized ensuring the well was stable and straight during installation. Our efforts paid off when we measured a water level of four feet from the wellhead after two days - confirming our estimation for its capacity at 125 gallons. We're thrilled with these results! Though not your typical hand dug well, using a substantial machine for excavation makes this option an economical choice when considering sustainable water solutions during land clearing. This approach is perfectly aligned with our series on homesteading and prepping geared towards the majority of people interested in these topics. By adopting such measures we can all contribute to creating more environmentally conscious communities while also ensuring accessibility to clean drinking water sources. We appreciate your support as we continue on this path. Stay tuned for future updates and thank you again! Visit us at: Carolina Homestead Planner. Be sure to contact us so we can help you with all your homestead planning and survival shelters.
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