using clean creek water for domestic use??

[scesnick]

I asked the question about a springbox a few months back but that idea seemed too costly once i checked into it due to the distance required. So, here is my other idea to get CLEAN water to my house.

I live on top of a mountian and I drilled a well 5 years ago when I built my house. I have a VERY high Iron content that my wife is sick of. I also have a very nice creek that originates just off my property in a state forrest. I want to use this creek water for home use and once it gets to my house i will be running it through the whole house filtering system i already have. This water is in no way contaminated and the small town that is 4 miles down stream used this water for years as household water that ran into their resevior.

I was thinking of building a small dam up stream on my property line and piping water to a buried septic tank ( new of course. lol ) that would be about 300 ft. down stream. allowing for the overflow to run back into the stream. Then putting a pump inside the tank and piping that water up to the house and tying that into my home filter system that is already in place.

any thoughts, ideas, comments on how you would do this any differently????

 

[RoyJackson]

You'd want to check for bacteriological contaminants. Critters, campers and hunters might be using the creek upstream for a lavatory.
There may be prohibitions about damming that creek too...so check the legality.
And, you may still have a high mineral content.

Just things to consider...

 

[mjarrels]

That is the setup I have at my other house... use a UV system. Only two problems are cloudy water during flooding rains and I'm told the house can never be sold using this water system. Mine uses spring water.

mark

 

[randy41]

why 300' downstream?

 

[scesnick]

why 300' downstream?

Good question. But I am also putting in a micro hydro system to power my home this coming spring and it will also have a pipe coming out of the dam to power the turbine 600ft. downstream. So, no sense in building 2 dams. The 300ft. from the dam would put the tank the closest to my house and still allow the overflow to run back into the creek.

 

[scesnick]

You'd want to check for bacteriological contaminants. Critters, campers and hunters might be using the creek upstream for a lavatory.
There may be prohibitions about damming that creek too...so check the legality.
And, you may still have a high mineral content.

Just things to consider...

Good thoughts, But i already have that covered. The creek originates on my property and I have already tested the water for iron. I plan on running this whole system through my whole house filtering system that includes UV.
I work as a powerhouse operator and I have to do daily test on the water here at work and i plan on testing my home water once a week for just those problems.
If i encounter one of these problems I will still have my crappy well hook up and could easily just use it until i clear up the problem ...

 

[RonMar]

Well open water is exposed to any creature that want's to use it for whatever purpose(including sometimes drowning). Of course, whatever they leave behind will flow downstream. that is the beauty of a spring box, you isolate the water from these random contaminants at the source.

That city may have used it for domestic water, but I will bet it was treated heavily in the process. I would also guess that it was monitored in such a fashion that any detected contamination could be shut off before the water reached the final distribution point. IE tested more frequently than the time required for the water to transit thru the water plants system. Then the system could be flushed and the supply re-certified before distribution was again allowed. As long as your system and program of monitoring can provide this same protection, it should work well.

As some background, An older distant relative of mine was killed by domestic water contamination. The contamination was discovered, and the system isolated for cleaning, They thought they had it contained so no warnings went out to the public. Unfortunatly they were too late in their discovery and a large portion of the town water supply was contaminated. The warnings to boil the water before consumption started going out after people started getting sick...
Good Luck, it sounds as if you have some interesting projects planned.

 

[scesnick]

Good Luck, it sounds as if you have some interesting projects planned.

Well, The water project is a necessity, My well water is so poor the water is pretty much unusable.
The Micro Hydro project is more of a want than it is a need. My states utility company recently announced that they are going to raise rates 75% !!! So, for roughly $5,000 I can make all my own power and pretty much tell them where to stick their 75% rate hike.

 

[Egon]

Have you considered having a storage tank that is filled with treated water, tested and then used till it needs refilling and then whole treatment testing process is redone. Maybe even two separate storage tanks so one is used while the other is being filled.

A week between testing as you have stated may be too long for potable water supplies.

I do think you have a situation that will work but may need a few tweaks. Have you considered getting some Professional advice?

 

[scesnick]

Have you considered having a storage tank that is filled with treated water, tested and then used till it needs refilling and then whole treatment testing process is redone. Maybe even two separate storage tanks so one is used while the other is being filled.

A week between testing as you have stated may be too long for potable water supplies.

I do think you have a situation that will work but may need a few tweaks. Have you considered getting some Professional advice?

Egon,

Once again, you have come up with a very good idea. The only problem is that the water is not going to be treated UNTIL it gets to my basement and runs through my filtering system.
I could however bury 2 tanks side by side down by my creek. I could fill one tank, test it for contamination, seal it up to prevent future contamination and use this tested tank while i refill the other.

The main problem with this is what I stated earlier, I have all my filtering equipment in my basement. SO, any treated ( not just tested water) water would not be possible until i pumped it up to my house. I love the ideas though, keep them coming !!!!

I have considered "Professional Advice" but not for my water problems []

Seriously though, I have looked for some local professional help but no one wants to touch this subject in my area...