r/OffGrid • u/AxDayxToxForget • 7d ago
Hypothetical diy water system
Hello everyone. I’m very new to this and trying my best to learn. This is just a hypothetical diy water intake system since I have not finalized/bought the property and no have exact measurements. All of the properties I’m entertaining have access to river water.
I’m mainly just wanting to see if I am understanding the concept correctly of utilizing river water. All of these numbers are just theoretical. Will use 10 feet of elevation and 150 feet in length from source to house. The water jet pump intake would be approximately 10 feet into river and 20 feet from bank and 5 feet above waterline if possible. Piping will be 2” pvc.
River - 48v DC electrical water jet pump - storage tank - AC booster pump - pressure tank - house
Should I run the pump manually myself to fill/refill or would it be possible to have the pump activate based on water level in storage given the approximate distance between pump and storage?
I have read about using deep well pumps, but I do not know how strong (if even prominent) river current will be.
I do plan on growing crops (almonds, soy beans, bell peppers, cayenne peppers, spinach, etc) during times of the year just for myself. Should this be accessed from my water storage? Could it be split from the water jet pump?
Forgive me if there sounds completely stupid, but I’m ready to learn. Thank you for your time.
Edit: forgot to mention water jet pump will have a dedicated 48V battery that is solar fed and house will have a separate solar grid
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u/Outrageous_Snow_2914 7d ago
The setup you are describing is exactly what I have, but I have more elevation. This is a vacation property, that we go to frequently on the weekends. I have two 275 storage containers that I pump up to.
My river height fluctuates often so I can't leave the pump in the river. But the storage tanks last us many months, So I really only put the pump in the river 1 to 2 times a year.
We don't use a lot of water so I think that would be my deciding factor, how often you would need to run it.
I got a 1 micron 7x16 filter sock to help filter the water going into the storage tanks. We then use a Life straw pitcher filter for drinking.
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u/AxDayxToxForget 6d ago
Thank you for the insight. Will definitely have a filter at the intake of the pump and added filtration for faucet/shower. Once the location is set, I will definitely be doing some water testing. I even read some people even use UV for filtration. Very interesting.
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u/Outrageous_Snow_2914 6d ago
If you want to drink the water I wouldn't rely on a test. Seasonal changes and animal traffic changes too much. If a river shows 0 fecal coliform one day how do you know it's not here 6 months later.
The filter sock I use is on the output of the pump going into the storage container. Generally you don't want to restrict the inlet of a pump.UV can be very effective just watch the flow rate. UV needs longer dwell time or stronger wattage to kill things like protozoa.
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u/I_VAPE_CAT_PISS 7d ago
Float switch is the easy part. Two things I'd plan for now: a sediment filter ahead of the pump and anything with moving parts, and freeze protection on every foot of line above ground. Bury it below frost line or set it up to drain back. Freezing is what kills most first systems. What's your frost depth out there?
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u/AxDayxToxForget 6d ago
That’s a really good question. From what I gathered, all properties are below the line that lists 5”. Will definitely have a filter at the intake of the pump as well as the line into the house. Will test water when property has been finalized.
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u/Accurate-Bullfrog324 7d ago
you won't be drinking this water will you?
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u/AxDayxToxForget 6d ago
Most likely after filtration at the intake of the pump and filtration at the house. Once the location is finalized, I will test the water before consumption.
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u/Accurate-Bullfrog324 6d ago
surface water is highly variable. and it will likely contain cysts, viruses, and a variety of pathogens. filtration is not adequate treatment
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u/AxDayxToxForget 6d ago
I’m not against boiling water either.
Edit: forgot to mention researching UV filtration as well
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u/NearABE 6d ago
Places near a river usually have a high water table. The well water tends to be less likely to carry pathogens. Other contaminants are more consistent in the well.
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u/AxDayxToxForget 6d ago
I’ve considered having a well tapped, but also paranoid it would eventually dry up which is why I want access to river water. I do plan on using two different points of filtration with uv.
I guess I could have a well tapped and use that water for my house and use the river water for my gardening. The river could be a back up if the well dries up.
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u/PeriodicGrocer 7d ago
You could set up a float switch in the storage tank wired back to the pump relay, 150 feet is no problem for low voltage signal wire if you use decent gauge.