The Off Grid Guide - Part 2 | Water

Timestamps:

Intro 0:00
00:04 Modern Water Issues
Rainwater & Surface Water 14:43
Well, AWG Systems & Purification 28:13
Landscape for Water Retention 42:17

Resources & links: 🔗
Cape Town: Lessons from managing water scarcity

U.S. Water Supply and Distribution Factsheet

Building The Three Bucket Bio-Water-Filter

Watch these two Sepp Holzer videos on his farm and water:

Modern Water Issues in the USA 🇺🇸

The U.S. faces significant water challenges:

Drying Aquifers 🌵: Western aquifers are depleting due to droughts, corporate farming, and inefficient water use.
Extreme Weather 🌪️: Unpredictable weather, like droughts and heavy rain, complicates water management.
Water Pollution ☠️: Chemicals and agricultural runoff pollute water, especially in the East.
Agricultural Impact 🐄: Nitrates from fertilizers contaminate water supplies.
Runoff and Contaminants 🦠: Pollutants from urban and agricultural runoff harm water quality.
Reservoir Depletion 💧: Major reservoirs like Lake Mead are at risk, affecting water availability.
Water Wars: A Looming Concern 🌊

Increasing scarcity could lead to conflicts over water resources.

Conclusion: Water as a Precious Resource 🚰

We must manage water responsibly. At Acorn Land Lab, we focus on rainwater collection, efficient irrigation, and permaculture to address scarcity and pollution, securing water for the future.

Rainwater & Surface Water in Off-Grid Settings 🌧️

Rainwater Tanks:

Roof Selection: Tin roofs are best for clean rainwater; avoid asphalt.
First Flush Diverter: Use a system to divert initial rainwater, which may carry contaminants.
Tanks: IBC food-grade tanks are ideal for storing potable water.
Computing Water Needs:

Estimation: Calculate needs based on people and usage (10-100 gallons daily).
Factors: Rainfall frequency and duration without rain determine cistern size.
Collection Formula: Roof area (ft²) x precipitation (in) x 0.623 = gallons collected.
Key Considerations:

Water Pollution: Regularly clean systems to avoid contaminants.
Water Availability: Hybrid systems (rainwater, city, well) might be needed in some areas.
Surface Water Overview:

Sources: Creeks, streams, and ponds are key for supplying water.
Family Water Needs Example:

A family of four needs about 200 gallons daily, requiring a large roof area and cistern.
Understanding Aquifers 🌎

Aquifers store groundwater. Their stability is crucial for sustainable use and can be assessed with risk maps.

Well Systems 🕳️

Depth: Most wells range from 100 to 800 feet. Deeper wells usually provide better water quality.
Costs: Drilling a well can cost between $3,500 and $15,000.
Well Maintenance: Annual checks are vital to ensure water safety.

Combining Rainwater and Well Systems 🌧️

Using both rainwater and well water provides a reliable supply, with rainwater as the primary source and wells as backup.

Energy and Water ⚡

Water and energy are linked; producing and treating water requires significant energy, making efficient water use essential.

Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) ☁️

AWGs extract water from the air, providing an alternative but energy-intensive water source.

Water Purification Options 🏡

Gravity-Fed Systems: Easy and portable but slow.
Reverse Osmosis: Effective at removing contaminants but wastes water.
Sediment Filters: Good for large particles, not chemicals.
UV Filters: Kills pathogens but requires electricity.
Carbon Filters: Improves taste, limited chemical removal.
Distillers: Purify water but are slow and need electricity.
Choosing the Right System: Select based on needs and water quality. Combining systems offers better protection.

[carlstepanian]

I do household water filtration for living and I would add that you normally need to remove most of the minerals with a water softener before sending it into a Reverse Osmosis system in order to preserve the membrane for its real life spend. It all has to do with testing the water first for sure, but 98% of my clients need some short of pre filtering for artesian well. Also a Ultra violet sterilization unit is a must for surface wells and normally for water that is sitting in tanks for a while.
Before starting to dig for a well, I would highly recommend using dosing rods and conduct has many test and marking on your land has possible, Its pretty easy to do and can facilitated the whole operation alot!. Has before, Thanks for sharing this great information. God Bless

[LaineyBug]

It would be cool if you could dig out your whole property before you start building, pick the lowest point and line it with compacted clay and grade the rest of the earth back over the property to drain back into the naturally lined pond, adding layers like sand and loamy soil mix before you get to the part where you want to build up fertil soil to grow things. Then around the pond you plant nothing but wetland vegetation. Then you build your house wherever you pick, hopefully not at the bottom, lol, and set up your roof collection. That way whenever it rains, you don't just collect what's on your roof, but over your whole property in the retention pond. You could even line the boundaries of your property so the ground water won't flow out beyond your property but stay in your pond. You may be able to landscape some flowing water features throughout your property for natural-ish irrigation. I watched a video a while ago where they did this but didn't think to get it permitted so are fighting with the local government. I'll have to look for it again. I'll update if I find it.

[frascasca]

Hey man, you have a really good presentation on these topics. Hopefully ill be making videos about the homestead life very soon too!
All i need is land, ive been buying everything else the last few years so when i purchase land i will already have 80% of everything i need. But Ive been a carpenter for 20+ years, so its my job to be an insane person thats 10 steps ahead of myself! 😀 Keep pushing!

[manizales]

❤ thank you for doing these. I am learning so much!

[LaineyBug]

Don't forget to make sure you have water and mineral rights for any prospective lots of land.
ETA- Oh, and Timber rights. Also that it's not landlocked by another private lot. And check for land leases from logging or oil companies.

[solartime]

Acorn Lab🧑‍🌾 Good info. 🤠 Suggestion: Part two at min. 42 ( of this" Part 2") should be your 1st INTRO video🧐🗽🌞

[glory]

Joel Salatin is great. I have his building plans book.

[Nuggiesoftruth]

My dude there are no links to speak of. Sounds amazing what you’d link to, but they’re just not there

[astromeo]

Where can I find the links to the reverse osmosis systems you reccomend? I didnt see any in the description 😔

[detour]

Joel has a YouTube channel now. The lunatic farmer.

[croissantsavant]

You mentioned buying pickle barrels from india to harvest water in a different video. Idk if you mentioned it costs about $10

If so, How did you find those barrels for cheap?

[yvonnehyatt]

Please study - Kristen Dirksen and Bryce Langston and Joel Salatin thanks

[stephanied.]

What is a kfo? And y dont live by one?

[ominousSHELL]

ALL,

This HIGH-LEVEL course as been great so far.

Really good for getting people's pinky toe wet.

However, please do a DETAILED video tutorial on how to build a PERMICULTURE water system (wetland) that is able to clean grey and black wet.


It will be benefical for people that live in areas of drought (Southern Africa).

Or is it not feasible?
That's why you didn't mention it?

Do you know of any other farmers that do work similar to Joel that are also based in the US? I don’t like to support Joel Salatin due to racist comments he’s made towards the BIPOC community. He has some very useful knowledge but his bigotry is unforgivable.