Utility water is too expensive to put in at the farm

[CurlyDave]

Since the truck is rated to 1500 pounds in the bed I would think 1000 pounds would not be abusive to it.

Whatever tank you get for the truck bed, secure it very well, and run it either almost full or empty. That much weight sloshing around in the bed will make the handling go wonky on you.

Does the utility allow time payments on the hook-up fee? Avoiding the tank purchase would go a ways toward the fee.

 

[jenkinsph]

Warhammer,

I should add that each foot of elevation decreases your pressure about .43 psi regardless of the pipe size. Also consider whether you may ever build a house there in the future, if you think you might then go with a 2" water line which will allow a higher flow rate with less line loss. This shouldn't cost much more than the 1 1/2" pipe.

If it were me I would rent a larger ride on trencher for a day and lay the line in as I went. Dig the line as deep as the trencher will go which is about 3' on average. I like to install the pipe when the ambient temperature is close to the same temperature as the lower portion of the ditch as this reduces problems with expension and contraction in these long runs. Running the deeper depth also limits the expansion and contraction which is something you need to be aware of.

I understand the money issue as I chip away at the larger projects like this myself. I think I would install the line first and then save up for the meter connection last as I expect pvc pipe cost will go up this summer. Since the first of this year I have already bought over 8000 ft of the stuff.

 

[alchemysa]

I think you should re-visit the idea of getting water off the roof. Solve that and your water problems will be over for good, instead of having the ongoing headache and expense of carting water from town. Post some close-up pics of the building and let the TBN guys throw some ideas your way. They love a challenge. It might be easier than you think.

 

[warhammer]

The utility company wants all the money at the time they do the installation. between other farm projects, needing electricity at the farm and two kids in college its going to be a while before I can drop $4-5000 into the water hookup.

I am going to scale back the size of both tanks ie - Truck 100 gallons Storage - 500 gallons and start saving my pennies to get the meter in. That's enough water to do spraying, cleaning/maintenance etc.

Thanks for all the input.

Since the truck is rated to 1500 pounds in the bed I would think 1000 pounds would not be abusive to it.

Whatever tank you get for the truck bed, secure it very well, and run it either almost full or empty. That much weight sloshing around in the bed will make the handling go wonky on you.

Does the utility allow time payments on the hook-up fee? Avoiding the tank purchase would go a ways toward the fee.

 

[jdfire]

We had some property where we set up a water system using a storage tank like the one you are looking at. We were able to have potable water delivered by a tank truck. I don't remember how much it cost, but I remember that it seemed very reasonable at the time.

 

[Mousefield]

We had some property where we set up a water system using a storage tank like the one you are looking at. We were able to have potable water delivered by a tank truck. I don't remember how much it cost, but I remember that it seemed very reasonable at the time.

After we cleaned out our 2,000 gallon tank last year we had a water truck come in and deliver 2,000 gallons, cost was $100.00

 

[mkane09]

I have a similar problem, but not with the long distances involved. I just moved my horse to a 4 acre pasture that doesn't have water. I placed 3 40 gallon water tanks in his field. I managed to find a 210 gallon white water transfer tank (came from TSC), used, off of Craigslist. The lady that had it said their pump went bad and they bought and used it for one week before getting their pump repaired. I bought it for $120, including a 2" ball valve already installed. I then bought a 1/3 hp sump pump that has a garden hose attachment. I loaded the tank in my truck, along with the pump, hose, and Honda 2kW generator and went to the river. I filled the 210 gallon tank in about 25 minutes, drove to the horses field and gravity filled all the water tanks. The truck (Ford SD F-250) handled the load fine. If you decide to go with the mobile tank route, look on Craigslist. Those tanks are listed frequently.

mkane09

 

[mikefromnh]

I think you should re-visit the idea of getting water off the roof. Solve that and your water problems will be over for good, instead of having the ongoing headache and expense of carting water from town. Post some close-up pics of the building and let the TBN guys throw some ideas your way. They love a challenge. It might be easier than you think.

If you get enough rain I would think a rain-water collection system would be a lot less hassle over time.

How about a french-drain around the base of your barn/hut with a corrugated pipe that feeds a tank. It seems you have enough elevation change that the tank would not need to be underground if you put it far enough away from the barn.

You could possibly use a 1000 gallon septic tank if you want to bury it. And maybe use a smaller tank in line to allow debris to settle.

 

[The Dougster]

Warhammer, you don't say just where you are in Central Texas but there are very few places in Texas that doesn't have groundwater available. Of course, that involves having a well dug, which ain't cheap. I suggest you check out the Texas Water Development Board.... while there, check out their resources re: rainwater harvesting. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Good luck.

 

[warhammer]

The farm is in Taylor which is about 25 miles or so northeast of Austin.
I bought another 65 gallon tank at TSC yesterday which along with my existing tank lets me haul 100 gallons out at a time. That was enough to load the spray rig twice and would run the pressure washer for an hour or so for maintenance. That is workable for now.
Its definitely too time consuming to get the water out of the tanks in the bed of the truck and into the sprayer using only gravity so I am not declaring victory just yet.
I will check out the website you mention. Also the other poster's idea of having a service with a truck fill a large tank is worth a look as well.

Warhammer, you don't say just where you are in Central Texas but there are very few places in Texas that doesn't have groundwater available. Of course, that involves having a well dug, which ain't cheap. I suggest you check out the Texas Water Development Board.... while there, check out their resources re: rainwater harvesting. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Good luck.