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DrZ123
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# Posted: 25 Aug 2023 09:00pm
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I just purchased an off-grid home that runs on solar and rainwater collected in cisterns. I need to purchase new cisterns as one is broken, and my plan is to have around 3000gal of black cistern(s) that collect rainwater from the roof. The home is just used in the summer months and mainly weekends.
The roof is tar and asphalt and obviously the collected water is not drinkable. There is a simple filter setup so when showering or whatever, there isn't funk in the water.
However I'd love to be able to set up a filter to have potable water and not have the bring out bottled water as the previous owner did. I don't want an overly complex system either though as this isn't a full time home.
Is there any simple system I can set up under the kitchen sink to filter the water enough to make it safely drinkable for my family?
Thanks!
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gwindhurst
Member
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2023 08:19am
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Berkey water filtration system.
https://www.usaberkeyfilters.com/
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DrZ123
Member
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2023 08:30am
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Those looks nice but I was looking more for a built in system that I could install under a sink that would do all the filtering and come out of a spigot in the sink. Is that even possible?
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FishHog
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2023 08:45am
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Definitely possible a reverse osmosis system or a uv treatment system. Both have drawbacks and upsides so you need to research what works for you
3000 gal tank? Wow that’s a lot of water. We live at our cabin most of the summer and my 250 gal tank is usually enough for us. I might top it up once. But we do only use the shower when the lake is to cold to comfortably bath in
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DrZ123
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2023 09:43am
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Quoting: FishHog Definitely possible a reverse osmosis system or a uv treatment system. Both have drawbacks and upsides so you need to research what works for you 3000 gal tank? Wow that’s a lot of water. We live at our cabin most of the summer and my 250 gal tank is usually enough for us. I might top it up once. But we do only use the shower when the lake is to cold to comfortably bath in
This is a summer home off the coast in the northeast. It's on an island close to show so off grid, but still used like a normal weekend home.
We are a family of 5 and plan to bring guests and with showers, toilets, cooking, etc we want to make sure we don't run out.
The current system is 1300gal but gets close to empty sometimes.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2023 01:06pm
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Would a rev-osmo system work to make seawater potable? That might be a better choice than rainwater off an asphalt shingle roof and lots of intense filtering/treatment?
Our single biggest use of water is utility, and for the 2 of us just 'utility class' filtering from the metal roof & rain barrels has worked fine. We carry potable in from a local town we pass through (public and they regularly test it), but with your crowd I can see than can be a prob.
3k gal supply, Wow! What size 'barrels' are you using/intend to use?
Sounds like this place is being run as if it it 'on the waterworks grid'. Water conservation is your friend; ie, wisely done short showers, how about an option of an indoor or outdoor composting toilet for much of the use to min. the use of the water wasting conv. one (but I know some folks just must have a conv. bathroom). Have you done the math for gal water per flush x the number of flushes per day? And pretty much those flushes only need to be simple filtered utility water to go into a septic anyway. You have a septic, right?
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DrZ123
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# Posted: 26 Aug 2023 08:10pm
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It's a second home on an island where everything is off-grid, but our intention is to use it as a normal second home.
I understand there will never be 100% flip a switch solutions, but I believe we can get it close to normal living.
Most houses on the island and the islands around it have cisterns anywhere from 500-5000gal total. These homes are off-grid because electricity and water isn't available on the islands, but some amenities can be added like the water.
If I pipe the cistern straight into a Berkey using a small pump, maybe that would be an easy solution? Or just bring over bottled water ;)
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2023 07:00am
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You should really ask the filter maker if you can make water collected off a shingle roof drinkable and what filter system you need.
With that type of roof theres a chance for petroleum to be in it and other bad chemicals.
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2023 10:06am
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Do you have to worry about freezing temps where this place is?
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DrZ123
Member
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# Posted: 27 Aug 2023 10:07am
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Quoting: spencerin Do you have to worry about freezing temps where this place is?
In the winter it does get below freezing BUT this is a seasonal home so come end of October it will be shut down and drained.
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DrZ123
Member
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# Posted: 28 Aug 2023 06:38am
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Quoting: Brettny You should really ask the filter maker if you can make water collected off a shingle roof drinkable and what filter system you need. With that type of roof theres a chance for petroleum to be in it and other bad chemicals.
I am going to email them. You would think it could filter out anything right?
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 29 Aug 2023 01:54pm
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Just about anything/everything can be filtered out, but with that comes cost and complexity. Question is how far down each road you want to go.....
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 29 Aug 2023 08:27pm
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Quoting: DrZ123 You would think it could filter out anything right?
Not at a competitive consumer price rate.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 30 Aug 2023 11:16pm
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I think you will need multiple filtering systems.
The first being a '1st flush diverter' to get rid of the the first rainwater coming off the roof to a 'rain garden' or such rather than into your tanks.
Next time you need to re-roof you might consider metal roofing; it made a big diff in our water collection over the Cabin#1 asphalt shingles.
After that has flushed and auto-switches toward the tanks you may want to have a layered filter you can clean or renew, maybe a gravel & sand filtering barrel?
Once you have water in the 'cistern(s)' you could have a canister filter(s) the pump powers the water through and perhaps a UV light.
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