For an off-grid household in the high desert, a sudden drop in stored water can be a big problem.
One homesteader said a pond and a cistern were drained by two separate mistakes, but a strong rainstorm soon reversed the losses with a 10,000-gallon rebound.
Here's what to know
According to Frugal Off Grid (@FrugalOffGrid), two separate problems hit the water system. A bog filter overflow left the pond emptied out, and an aquaponics error sent about 600 more gallons out of storage. After clearing space around the property before the rain, the creator said the setup recovered quickly.
In a YouTube video, the creator explained that water was transferred into the pond ahead of the storm because roof runoff was expected to refill the tanks. Once the rain passed, the agricultural pond was at its highest level yet, and the overflow zones were storing several thousand gallons.
"Conservatively, I harvested more than 10,000 gallons of rainwater from this one storm," the creator said.
After that storm, a tank that had been almost empty was about half full, and the creator said the workshop roof alone can catch roughly 3,600 gallons.
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More background
Ponds, overflow zones, and similar landscape features can help let water infiltrate the soil and limit erosion.
The setup allows overflow to be a useful part of water management. Of the 10,000 gallons, some will remain in ponds, some may be relocated later, and some will soak into the ground.
"That is part of the system too," the creator said.
A commenter noted, "Every bit of a rainstorm that can be kept in place and the water sent into the ground instead of over it lessens flood levels and velocity and risk."
Where can I learn more?
When other off-grid water systems have experienced moments of crisis, people have found ways to minimize the damage.
• Off-gridders found reusing water effectively helped stretch limited supplies much farther.
• For berry patches, one builder made a drought-ready system with a hydraulic ram pump.
• In Tennessee, one off-gridder said almost no money was enough to start building self-sufficiency.
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