When we established our micro-homestead in Arizona, we decided that water conservation should be an inherent aspect of our life in the desert. The methods described below have proven to be simple, trouble free and a pleasure to use on a daily basis for many years.
Reservoir
Our domestic water conservation methods are centered around a a 200 gallon galvanized steel stock tank which serves as our water reservoir. The tank is located just outside the front door, under a shade roof (ramada) with handwashing, dishwashing, showering and laundry areas conveniently clustered around it. When water is needed, it is dipped out of the tank using a 2 1/2 gallon bucket.
Dipping water from reservoir
Water flows from the water source, which in our case is a windmill, into the reservoir. A float valve automatically shuts off the water when the tank is full. A hinged lid prevents dust and light from entering the tank, keeping the water clean and algae free. The lid is counter-balanced so it stays open as we are dipping out water. This system would work with any water source, and especially with sources providing minimal or intermittent water flows, such as a windmill.
The water conservation aspect
is deceptively simple: we are free to use as much water as we want, but
we must lift every drop we use. To most folks accustomed to running water,
this sounds too oppressive to be taken seriously. In practice, it is quite
the opposite. Consider dishwashing for example. The dishwashing table
is conveniently located beside the tank. Filling a dish basin using the
bucket takes only seconds as compared with the minutes required to fill
a basin from a faucet, especially if the faucet is fitted with a water
conserving aerator as most are these days. Similarly, the laundry stand
and shower are on the other side of the tank, making them equally convenient
to use.
Our primary water use area is thus outdoors, as we can't think of a
compelling reason, in a temperate climate like this, to compromise our indoor living space with all
the complications of plumbing, such as supply and drain pipes, vent pipes,
increased chance of leaks, holes in walls and floor through which rodents can enter, etc.
Although the lifting of the water causes us to be mindful of what we're
doing, we use as much water as we want and don't practice any other type
of water conservation for domestic water use. We use, on average, about
15 gallons of water per day for 2 people for domestic purposes.
Potable water
This system is somewhat akin to the community wells of old and, were it not for our understanding of germ theory, would carry some of the same risks for disease transmission. For this reason we obtain our potable water from a hose bibb located along the water line just before it empties into the reservoir. In the event that water in the tank should become contaminated in any way, it doesn't affect the purity of our drinking water. We store potable water in 1 gallon glass bottles which are filled at the bibb. The bottles are stored in a dark place to keep algae from forming in them.
Filling drinking water bottles
Dishwashing
Dishwashing is done at a small table located conveniently beside the water tank. Two basins, one for washing and one for rinsing, are filled from the tank, dishes are washed and rinsed, and the used water is poured into graywater basins as described below.
Dishwashing table next to reservoir
Dishwater dumped onto bare soil eventually seals soil pores with grease and food particles, resulting in a puddle of gray, smelly, anaerobic and potentially pathogenic water. Conventional methods for processing kitchen graywater therefore commonly involve a grease trap to separate grease and food particles before disposal.
A simpler method that works well because of our very limited dishwater output is to dump it into one of half a dozen or more mulch-filled basins located under nearby mesquite trees. We dump the dishwater into a different basin each day, which allows time for insects, worms, bacteria, fungi and other agents of decomposition to break down the grease and food particles. Dishwater and other graywater quickly disappears in the mulch basins and is absorbed by roots of the mesquite trees, thus helping to provide us with shade, firewood and edible pods. Another advantage of this method is that scientific research has shown that tree roots absorb significant quantities of nitrogen, which is a typical component of kitchen graywater and is considered a groundwater pollutant.
Emptying dishwashing water into bucket...
and then into a mulch-filled graywater basin
(Note: The basins we now use are significantly larger, 3-6 ft. in diameter, and encircle the trunk of the tree.)
Shower
Our shower is located outdoors, beside the water tank. It consists of a slatted wooden platform to stand on. A 5 gallon plastic shower bucket fitted with hose, valve and spray nozzle is suspended from a hook above the platform.
Filling shower bucket.
For showering, the bucket is filled with hot water, tempered with cold water if necessary, and is then suspended from the hook above the platform. One filling of the bucket is ample for two people to shower. Graywater simply drips through the slatted platform into a shallow compost filled infiltration basin under the platform. The infiltration basin is simply a hole about 1' deep back-filled with compost which allows graywater from the shower to leach into the soil. Mesquite tree roots extending into the soil under the platform make use of the graywater, providing shade, firewood and edible pods.
The shower bucket is made from a 5-gallon plastic bucket and lid and ordinary hardware store materials. The nozzle is made from a 1/2" PVC plug. Nozzle holes are drilled with a small #59 or 60 drill bit.
Shower bucket
Shower nozzle
Handwashing
Handwashing is done at the shower stand, using the shower nozzle.
Laundry
Our method of clothes washing is quite simple. We put a galvanized metal tub on the same slated wooden platform that we use for showering, then half fill it with water, pour in some bio-degradable or bio-compatible detergent and put some laundry in the tub. Then, standing in the tub barefooted, we agitate the water and laundry with our feet. A butt-rest built into the shower platform at a convenient height allows us to lean back and read a magazine or book while agitating the laundry.
Doing laundry
Note shower bucket and stand, reservoir to left
Because this method utilizes
leg muscles rather than back muscles, it is much easier to use than the
scrub boards of yesteryear. It is also much easier on the laundry than
scrub boards are. After each "wash cycle", the tub is tipped to empty the
used water into a mulch-filled graywater trench beside
the stand. Mesquite tree roots extending into the soil under the trench
make use of the graywater, providing shade, firewood and edible pods.
Built into the stand is a rack made of hardware cloth which provides a place for laundry to drip between wash and rinse "cycles".
2007 update:
We are now in our tenth year of using the methods described above and are happy to report that all continue to perform well. The only exception is laundry. Although the method described above worked well, in our new location (see the bottom of the Shelter page for more on that), we share a water conserving front loading washing machine with our nearest neighbor.