Off Grid Water System

18th March, 2024.

In this post, we will see the concept of an off grid water system.

Water is a resource without which no human, animal or plant can survive on this planet. With an increasing population of humans, increased wastage of water, untreated water reaching seas and rivers, water scarcity is slowly becoming a major problem for all of us. People are not concerned about this issue and they think water is available in abundance to all of us. If this issue is not sorted, then water scarcity will seriously become a problem in the coming years and people will thrive to use water. We know that water is available to us for use from municipal sources, taking freshwater from lakes or rivers, treating them and finally distributing them to us. But, it should be noted that apart from this, there are other sources available too, which can be used for our purpose. This will help reduce the overall load in municipal sources and also work in solving water availability problems. Such sources are called off-grid water systems. In this post, we will see the concept of an off grid water system.

What is off-grid water system?

If you simply define this term, compare it with an off-road bike. This bike is best suitable for off-road conditions, meaning the rough roads, mud-lands or sand lands which are not proper roads and make driving difficult due to it’s terrain. So, the off word defines something which is out of the path of a proper system. Coming back to our topic, in the same sense, an off-grid water system is the one which provides water from unconventional sources and not from municipal sources. Such systems are useful when proper water sources from the government are not available and you have to depend on alternate water sources or secondary systems for getting water. It is not available easily and requires proper knowledge of it’s working, lifetime, and maintenance. But, when used properly, these alternate sources prove handy for people and even the persons who get proper government water can make use of such resources for saving water and keeping the environment clean. Here, you are the sole person responsible for designing and maintaining the system, as you are not dependent on municipal sources for this.

Off-grid water sources:

1. Natural Springwater

Spring is a water source which occurs when groundwater overflows and comes on the earth's surface. We know that groundwater is present inside the earth's surface. When rain falls, it adds some water beneath the ground and this additional water forces the already existing water inside the ground to pop out. It can be seen like water coming like small potholes or flowing like a pipeline. Taking water out of springs into your use area is difficult, because it is a natural path and proper flow must be ensured for use. The flow is important if it is required to install a pump and suck water from it. 

2. Well water

We all know what a well is. It is the most used off grid source of water. It is a man-made structure dug in the ground for accessing groundwater. Basically, groundwater is found first and once found, a structure is made to surround the hole that has been dug. This will protect the well which has been made and due to this, the groundwater will remain confined inside this structure. Groundwater will ensure that the well does not run dry and when rain falls on it, additional water is filled inside the well along with groundwater. 

3. Rain water

This is the best method for collecting as much natural water as you can from rainfall. A man-made storage basin or a catchment area is built which is used to collect the rainwater. Before designing the basin, it must be understood as to how much average rainfall occurs in the area and how much water can be collected. Once done and working, the rainwater can then be used for your purposes.

4. Atmospheric absorption

This method is a bit odd and in a less frequency, but can work efficiently if designed properly. As the name suggests, it is used to capture moisture and dew from the atmosphere, and then provide water for use. For this purpose, a special device called atmospheric absorber is used for capturing. The main disadvantage is that the device requires continuous electricity for use. 

5. Desalination

It is a process of treating saltwater from seas. As sea is the most abundant source of water, desalination plants are set up which treat the salty water and give pure water as an output. Again, this plant requires a huge amount of electricity for use and a high level of engineering for setting the system.

Off-grid water system diagram:

Now that we have understood a brief scenario of an off grid water system, let us see it’s main components.

The first part is finding the water source, which is discussed earlier in our topic. Once found, you need to decide the pipeline used for drawing water and distributing. The most safest and commonly used materials are stainless steel, PVC, and copper. 

Then, you will require a pump for drawing water from the source and distributing it with a good flow rate. Pump selection needs the following factors into consideration - calculating total dynamic head, elevation head, friction loss and suction head. 

Then, you will require a storage basin or collecting tank for catching the water and storing it when the source has dried out. After this tank, you will require filtration methods like sedimentation and chlorination to purify water, remove odor and kill bacteria. 

Apart from all these, you will also require valves, hose, fixtures, piping insulations, and gutter. 

I have covered some general principles related to off grid water system technology. I have also not attempted to cover all the methods, as it can vary from case to case and there is no end to it. Once you are familiar with this technique, you can easily tackle all types of problems in it.

Thank you for reading the post. I hope you liked it and will find a new way in this type of technology.