In all our self-sufficiency efforts, the one major issue that kept defeating us was water. That’s because our well is 610 feet deep and powered by an electric pump. At that depth, it’s way beyond the capabilities of a hand pump. If there's any kind of power outage, we’re out of water (except the few gallons we have stored). I’m not exaggerating when I say we’ve spent years trying to solve this dilemma.
We looked into a windmill, but the cost was around $18,000. A solar array would be similarly priced, since we’d need both panels and batteries. We simply could not afford those options. What to do?
After endless discussions and research, we decided to utilize the best source for surface water we could find: our roof. With its steep pitch and metal sheathing, harvesting the roof runoff and funneling it into a catchment tank appeared to be the most renewable and reliable water source we could find.
So my husband did a great deal of research and chose what he found to be the best bang for our buck: a 1500-gallon potable-water tank acquired from a company called American Tank Company. The price was much more affordable than any other option.
So last summer we ordered our tank and it was delivered within a week or two. We couldn’t be more pleased by its size, sturdiness, and quality. Our upcoming spring/summer plans are to build an insulated room to house it and hook it up to our roof runoff with gutters. Overflow water will be channeled into a specially-dug pond for livestock and garden water. So that’s where we stand on our water prepping efforts.
Now here’s the neat part.
Last week, the president of American Tank Company contacted us and asked to advertise on our blog! And no, they were entirely unaware that we had already ordered a tank from them. In other words, it was a happy coincidence that an advertiser approached us about a product we had already purchased and with which we are inordinately pleased.
So I’m tickled to introduce our newest advertiser – American Tank Company! If you’re having trouble coming up with a viable water storage system, I urge you to consider one of their tanks. They come in all sizes, and they also have a line of tanks sturdy enough to be buried underground.
These folks are über-friendly and are delighted to help customers with their choice of equipment. They also have a complete supply of all the other items needed to create a first-class rainwater harvesting system as well as setting up on-site water treatment options.
As we start our water project early this summer, we’ll document our successes and setbacks in getting our water tank housed and installed. But the single largest part of the project has already been received – our water tank. I urge you to check these folks out! They have also expressed an interest in maybe hosting a contest or two on our blog, so stay tuned.
