Extopian

Many homesteaders and other people that choose to set up households in remote areas quickly realize that transmitted electricity is a premium resource, if not completely unavailable in some particularly remote areas. Even in reasonably developed areas, on larger properties paying for “last mile” utilities may be prohibitively expensive. Some turn to ingenious but expensive kerosene or propane powered models for appliances such as refrigerators when they may have an inexpensive, low-tech refrigerating system right beneath their feet. For the same reason utilities are hard to come by, many locations also rely on a private well and that’s where our solution starts.
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Popularity: unranked [?]

Rain water barrels have been all the rage for the last couple years (unless, of course, you lived in one of those areas where the government “owns” the rainwater than falls from the sky).  They’re an excellent way to provide for or supplement the water needs of a home garden.  However, a lot of us forget that it was not too long ago that such measures (rain capture and cistern) were part of the life or death water supply of mankind in many area. With water collection comes the issue of purification.  It was with all of this in mind that I came across this clever bit of farm technology from the last century.  My hat’s off to the clever farm that built the first one of these from simple materials found on most farmyards without the need for power or industry.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

After shelter from harsh climates, water is the most vital resource required by human beings. Survival experts will continually impress on students that you can only go a few days without water and possibly even less under extreme conditions, exertion or while enduring injury or illness.  The following article is a high level overview of various techniques for a wide variety of climates and terrain.  Obviously, only a few may apply to your situation, but since you never know when you’ll find yourself in a demanding environment, familiarity with methods outside your normal area are always a good idea.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Any of us who’ve thought much about emergency preparedness realize that one of the most critical items to store is water. Without sufficient water to see you through an emergency that lasts more than a few days, you and your family are at great risk. You simply can’t live without water. Fourteen gallons of water per person is the suggested amount to store for a two-week emergency situation. This amount is enough for subsistence purposes only: two quarts for drinking and two quarts for cleaning and bathing purposes a day. When you consider that a person normally uses in excess of 140 gallons of water per day for drinking, bathing, laundry, dishes, watering lawns, etc., this isn’t a lot of water. If you have the room to store more you will want to do so.

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Popularity: 2% [?]

any of us who are otherwise well prepared for weather related emergencies, power outages, or other disasters are put to scratching our heads when we try to figure out a good method of storing water for emergency use. It’s easy to have a couple of five-gallon jugs of water stored away, but the storage of a larger quantity of clean, usable water is a more difficult task. Not all of us have bubbling springs or deep, clear wells on our property. In some instances, without electricity, even those water sources can be inaccessible.

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Popularity: 7% [?]

Health department and public water safety officials use many safeguards to protect the sanitary quality of your daily drinking water. However, this protection may break down during emergencies caused by natural disasters.

During times of serious emergency, the normal water supply to your home may be cut off or become so polluted that it is undrinkable. A supply of stored water could be your most precious survival item!

You and your family may then be on your own to provide a safe and adequate water supply. Remember that typhoid fever, Dysentery, and infectious hepatitis are diseases often associated with unsafe water.

Don’t take a chance! Generally, under serious disaster conditions, no water can be presumed safe–all drinking and cooking water should be purified.

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Popularity: 8% [?]