Water
This module takes you from a daily water budget to a working, tested supply of safe drinking water. It covers conservation, choosing and assessing sources (rainwater, wells, springs), storage sizing for the dry season, solar pumping, a multi-barrier treatment train, testing, distribution, a fire reserve and a drought plan.
Why it matters
Water is the system an estate cannot live without for even a few days, and unsafe water makes people ill quickly. The source and storage you choose fix where the house, septic system, garden and animals can go, and how much power the pump needs. Getting the budget and treatment right early is far cheaper than fixing a dry well or a contaminated tank later.
Budget your water and cut demand (Plan)
- Build a household water demand budget water-1
- Add garden, animal and outdoor lines to the budget water-2
- Cut demand first, before sizing anything water-3
Find and assess your sources (Plan)
- Map candidate sources and check who owns the water water-4
- Assess rainwater harvesting potential water-5
- Commission a hydrogeology check and site a well or borehole water-6
- Drill with a licensed driller and yield-test the well water-7
- Assess springs and surface water honestly water-8
Design capture and storage (Design)
- Design roof, gutters and first flush for drinking-quality rainwater water-9
- Design wellhead protection water-10
- Develop and protect a spring (if used) water-11
- Size storage for the dry season water-12
- Choose tank types and site them water-13
Pump, treat and distribute (Design)
- Size the pump: flow, total dynamic head and solar array water-14
- Design the pressure system water-15
- Design the treatment train to potable water-16
- Design distribution: dual systems, backflow and freeze protection water-17
- Plan a dedicated fire-fighting water reserve water-18
Commission the system (Test)
- Disinfect and flush the new system water-19
- Run a baseline lab test before anyone drinks water-20
- Commission, label and document water-21
Live with it: testing, upkeep and drought (Run)
- Follow a water testing schedule water-22
- Maintain filters, UV, tanks and gutters water-23
- Write and practise a drought plan water-24
Safe water without power (Run)
- Choose household water treatment that works without power water-31
- Keep an emergency treatment backup water-25
- Keep a disinfection quick reference and check chlorine with a DPD kit water-33
- Store and rotate emergency drinking water water-32
Water from the air (Design)
- Understand how water-from-air machines work and where they fail water-26
- Size the AWG and its solar power honestly water-27
- Make AWG water safe: treat, mineralise, clean and test water-28
- Consider passive fog and dew collection (and their limits) water-29
- Decide where air-water fits in your water plan water-30