Had this idea for a while now....


we all read the SHTF scenarios, well if city water goes out, i'm somewhat screwed.....but.....


i come to realize that i have a sump pump and that earth and sand are damn fine water filters.... my sump runs 3-5 times a day, shoots about 2 gallons each time.....so i've got maybe 5-10 gallons of water coming into my house each day in cistern i could easily pump from. Add in my katadyn water filter, and i figure i've got some decent drinking water on hand......and of course if i lose power i may have to hand pump that water out just to keep my basement dry....


what do you think?......you all have sump pumps? or do you have dry soil?


of course if there is a radiological event....that plan goes out the window....but that is a whole nother level of screwed for all of us......

We got a well... I added a second well with an oldschool pump..

I have two wells also.
One new one that was dug pretty deep and an old, hand dug well that came with the house. We retained the old school well and bucket reel for water in an emergency. Since No Power= No Water, its real nice to have for flushing toilets.... And I have been known to scoop a bucket or 2 of water from the hotub to flush down the brown.

Jugg, I was thinking of doing that very thing,(manual pump) could you point me in a direction on who might do this sort of work, and how much they might charge??

Thanx man!

well, it's always said in such a scenario that you should plug and fill every bathtub, sink, pot and pan that you can find with water. water coming out at that time will not yet be contaminated (although you'll have to take steps to prevent it from GETTING contaminated once filled up, obviously). while it's not really useful on the long term, it'll help get you through the short term.

Stream out back. LOTS of water.... Easy enough to boil if needed.....

we're on a well also, but as a back up we have a mountain spring. Yup, that mountain spring water that comes bottled for $1,09 per bottle just leaks out of the ground, so, if and when needed, we stick in a 1 in. pvc pipe to get it before it's exposed to air (and therefore any contaminants), right into a cistern. then its gravity water, which many people up here still use because it never freezes, and you're getting pure spring water. That is, fed by gravity into the house, which with 800 gallons in the cistern creates a good amount of water pressure.

Pretty cool..............

Always wanted a basement, but no such luck. FL didn't have them (you'd be in the water table in about 3 feet) and NV doesn't have them either...too rocky.

Have a sump pump too and have sandy soil.Interesting observation!Good to know!

We have a pond right next to the house, gets pretty low in the summer though.. Not too far from creeks on public land.

My major problem would not be the water, but filtering it.

Martin Well & Pump Service (317) 862-4057 6629 S Acton Rd, Acton, IN


Moss Well Drilling Company (765) 453-3373 201 N Galeston Ave, Indianapolis, IN

coffee filter first, then boil. Filters are single-use. If no coffee filters, then paper or cloth work fine.

Bucket on table, bucket on floor. Wet clean t shirt and use it to wick water from top bucket to bottom one. Let water settle before starting. Next boil the water for 4 = 5 minits. Filter boiled water through charcoal to remove chemicals.

Another way is to dig a hole, put plastic sheeting in the hole. water goes in the sheeting. Put a clean bucket in the middle. Strech another sheet of plastic on top, and place a rock on that sheet over top the bucket. Solar energy will distill the water.

Those are great ideas, I really like the clear plastic idea because it is so simple.

Thanks!

Actually... BLACK plastic might work better for you as it will transfer FAR MORE HEAT than the clear will...line the inside with the black... then water and bucket, and clear over the top to let the light thru to the black... I am sure black on top would probably work just as well...

Will keep that in mind.

My pond is pretty grungy in mid summer, after getting the water with this process would it be prudent to go ahead and boil it anyway?

using the plastic method it is now distilled water ,this is a survival trick i was taught for getting drinking water from Seawater

any GOOD trail filter like a KATDYN will filter the nastyest non chemical toxic water clean of all batcterei ,viruses ,gaudia and cryptosporida parasites

Thats what I am concerned about is any parasites, bacteria or such that may be in the water before distilling. So the distilling leaves all of that crap behind?

yes both mechanical and sun distillation have nothing in it but pure H2O nothing carries over because the water is such a fine vapor on the molecular level what is left in the still pot is highly concentrated including all the nastys

Bingo....stills work great.....so long as you have the water to begin with......nice thing about the still....so long as you got piss, and a little time.......you got water......

I have literally drank water out of mud puddles infested with growth and bugs an hour after dripping liquid iodine into a quart of it.....fear for the person who tries to boil or otherwise drink that same water.

if you need to keep bugs out, use a cup of vegetable oil on a small cistern, if you need to drink it soon, use iodine. Its not the greatest for ya, but it works hellaciously well.......and you dont have to have pots pans firewood kindling and matches to do it.

and it will sterilize cuts and wounds.......go figure.

just my .02

I havent seen iodine since I was a kid and I will be 49 in a few months. I need to find a little bottle to keep around the house just for GP Thanks for mentioning it

The solar still method works best with a small can or jar at the perigee of the distillation cone. Then run a rubber tube down the side of the hole into the can or jar. This prevents you from having to rebuild the entire rig every time you want a drink. This method will not produce a lot a of water in most climates. It is more of a survival technique then a method to provide water for a whole household.

As to RangerM9's question, well I would take a sample now and send to a local water testing service. It sounds like you have a good idea. Why wonder if it is safe?

Don't forget the swimming pool.

You should not drink only distilled water. Do your research on it if you need to.

Using a hand pumped filter to do 2 to 5 gallons a day is a lot of work. You should try it now with the actual water source from your sump pump. You may also find your filter plugging up quickly AKA even more work to filter the water and will need more filters and parts. Remember, 1 is none, 2 is 1 rule.

If you are going to rely on the sump pump in even a minor SHTF, then you need a solar/battery back up/inverter for it in case power is out. There is usually a decent kit at Northern Tool that does 45 watts. Store at least 10 days worth of water, not counting your water heater tank or water in your toilets. Then be able to collect and make more potable water and stay ahead of the curve.

You can prefilter dirty water many ways, then treat chemically, then aerate the water to remove chemical taste.

now that is a great idea! thank you sir!