You may be the kind of person who likes to take control of their life and not leave many decisions up to others. Sometimes, you may have to extend this philosophy even further and especially if you've chosen to build a property "in the wild." You will certainly need to be self-sufficient to an extent when it comes to your utilities, and your first area of focus has to be your water supply. How can you find a source of uncontaminated water that will allow you and your family to live in this type of environment quite safely?
Underground Water
While Australia may be known as a relatively arid climate, the good news is that water is never too far away, if you know where to look. There may be many sources of H2O beneath your feet, and if so, you can drill down into this location for your supply. Typically, bore water (as it is known) resides in an aquifer that is formed over the years as rainwater permeates through the soil and rock. It is held in a natural storage area made up of individual fractures within the rock that can be particularly large.
This water does tend to move, albeit slowly, in between a network of aquifers and the good news is that it can be particularly pure, if you know what to look for.
The Deeper, the Better
Always try to get your water from a deep source and from an aquifer that is relatively defined. This will help you ensure its quality, even though you will have to test it before you go any further.
Natural Cleaning
When water permeates through the soil, the further it has to go the more it can be naturally cleaned by the soil itself. This is especially the case if the water filters through a clay surface, as this is very good at catching potential sources of microbial contamination.
Knowing the Area
It pays to have a good understanding of your neighbourhood, so you can figure out if a water source is likely to be "good." For example, if the area was used for some industrial or heavy agricultural purpose in the past, certain contaminants could have leached into the soil, and these could present a form of pollution. Likewise, make sure that your neighbours do not use septic tanks in close proximity to the water source, for obvious reasons.
Protecting Your Source
After you have researched your area and have sunk a number of bores, you may have found a supply with a lot of potential. Make sure that you are in control of the land in question or have a very clear relationship with the owner from a long-term perspective. Also, make sure that chemicals and fertilisers are not stored anywhere near to this location and keep any livestock away from the area as much as possible.
Widespread Use
Water sourced from a location like this can be extremely valuable when it comes to irrigation and other household usage. Always test it properly before using it for cooking or cleaning, however.
Welcome to my blog! My name is Elsie and I am here to offer you a range of different articles which will help you to understand the impact which energy production can have on the natural world. I don't want to ruin our children's futures, so I decided to get educated about this important topic. I started out by reading everything I could on this subject. Then I contacted an energy consultant and asked him to look at my property so I could work out which changes would be best in terms of protecting the environment. I hope my blog inspires you to take similar action.