After going to the council to apply for a water permit and try to be connected to the public water, we decided to go with a water pump. First because the guys at the council office didn’t look like they were in a hurry to grant the permit. Also, it’s not like they have a price list available or something. They announced a price, then bargained it down, and I didn’t like it.
The costs of having public water
$110 upfront. For what, the guys just shrugged and said ”you have to pay”. After talking to our neighbor we realized it was plain corruption.
$500 pipes. To plug from the nearest neighbor with public water 500m away to my house. Again, should be covered by the council…
$300 labor. Conservative estimate, we would need to dig a whole for the pipes and cut a lot of bush first by the side of the road.
$100 yearly fee. Down from $150, if you pay a year in advance. There is no meter so whatever the use you pay $100. Once more, it is just $25 for villagers but we looked rich enough to pay fourfold.
TOTAL: $1010.
If a pipe bursts between my house and the neighbor’s, I have to fix it. If the neighbor changes his mind and doesn’t give me water, I have to re-wire. If the council is too broke to buy gas to pump the water (it happens), I have no water for a few days. If the council decides all waterfront properties will be denied public water, I can pay all that and have no more water in a few months.
Hence the pump. We went for an electric one, you can have a gas pump too, but you would have to keep a gallon of gas and think about it, electric seems easier. I won’t pretend like I know a great deal but I’ll share what I learned.
Costs of installing a water pump
$140 pump. This is the second smallest pump, which is supposed to pump 20 meter high. The property is about that high from the lake shore to the water tank so it may be a bit weak…
$125 water tank. Luckily, there was one left by the previous owner, about 250 gallon of capacity.
$100 pipes, glue and materials. You need pipes from the lake to the pump, and from the lake to the water tank. Those were already installed, we just checked for leaks and fixed a few ones.
$130 electric wiring. There is a special plug ($30) in the house to turn on the pump. Electric wires ($100 for 100 meters, we didn’t use it all) go down to the pump. Those wires are protected by a plastic pipe, that was also already there, and after a good clean and some patience, we managed to put the wires inside and save a bit of cash.
$20 labor. The handyman helped us, so I put a bit of his salary here, but we mainly did the work. Take that, council!!
$90 per year It takes 3KWh of electricity, or $0.75 ($.25/KWh) here, to pump 250 gallons of water. We are not big users, but I will take a high number and say this tank lasts 3 days. Monthly it would cost $7.5, or $90 per year.
TOTAL: $605, a $405 saving and the freedom to access water whenever we please. I think we saved an extra $200 with the water tank and pipes already present.
Ok, on to the install!
First you need to install the plug for the pump. You can have it next to the pump or at your house, which is more convenient. Then the wiring comes out of it and has to go down to the pump. You should protect your wires from the rain by putting them in a plastic pipe. Ours is buried in the ground. Since you are digging already, you can put the water pipe next to the electric one.
You need to make a small hut to protect your pump too, and fix it well to the ground. Make a pipe to go out to the water, with a little filter at its extremity. The rest of the pipes go from the pump all the way up to the water tank. And then down to the house.
All in all, it was a full day of work because we fixed an old plumbing system. Having new pipes and new everything would have made life much easier. But costs more money.
We ended up burning some pipes to bend them or enlarge their extremities to fit other same sized pipes, and I am still not 100% sure that the install is leak-free.
After about 4 months of usage, everything is going well, no leaks to report and the electric bill is actually lower than expected.It is nice to be more independent from the council’s whims and rely on ourselves. And we saved $400.
Do you have solar panels, a generator, or other off the grid installations at home?
I live in an apartment, so no, I don’t have any off the grid stuff. But after spending a week without power, I am very interested in obtaining some kind of portable solar panel that I can use to at least charge my cell phone. I looked for a few online and there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of quality products.
We have a big charger that is meant to start a car if the battery is dead, it comes with two plugs so you can charge a cellphone. My laptop would use too much to charge on that though. And it recharges only on power. I was a few cellphone solar charger, but they looked like cheap gadgets.
My dream is to have a mostly off-grid home. Just one wire connecting me to the outside world, the internet. Of course, that may be a bit of a cheat, because I would still have cellphone and satellite tv, but those don’t have wires. 🙂
Personally, I think well/pump is the prudent choice for anyone in a rural setting, at least if you don’t live in an arid or semi-arid environment and there is ground/surface water to access.
I can’t have cable internet since there are no phone lines around, and wifi modems are pretty slow but they do the job. This is the one thing I wish I had too.
Interesting post Pauline. There are many things to consider when living further away from cities.
Does the pump fill a cistern? Or does the motor run when you pull the water? Also do you need to filter the water? Sorry for so many questions. I’ve always lived in the suburbs with easy water access.
The pump fills a 250 gallon tank in about 45 minutes. We run it 2-3 times a week at the moment because tons of water are needed for the construction work, I hope to go down to once a week in normal times. I put a little chlorine in the water, mostly to avoid mosquitoes laying eggs there. We don’t drink it, a truck delivers 5 gallon tanks of drinking water to our door for $2 once a week. People nearby drink water from the lake but I’d rather be safe.
I think you’re making a wise choice by buying your water from town. You never know if there is oil or other chemicals from runoff in the water.
Living off the grid would be awesome and something that I would be interested in. Right now, I don’t plan on sinking any more money into my house, but when we purchase our new home, then that is something that will come up again.
Don’t know about the US, in Europe there are plenty of green home equipment tax credits that make it worth installing solar panels and efficient appliances. But it is still costly.
There are plenty of tax credits for “green’ updates to your home here in the US. I looked into adding solar panels to my house when I had to get a new roof, but the time it would take to recoup the cost of installation is just to long to make it worth it right now.
It sounds like the water is being pumped from the lake? Do you also have a system, UV or Chlorine to sanitize it? That would probably be a big concern for me.
We pump from the lake and I put chlorine to kill mosquito eggs. We have drinking water delivered so this water is just for showering and cooking things like pasta that will boil for a long time anyway.
That makes sense. Whenever we are in Mexico or the islands we typically drink bottled water and use the tap for showers and cooking. the chlorine will sanitize the water you are pumping as well so it sounds like you’ve got it covered, nice work!
Does a rain barrel count?! because I don’t have one of those, yet. I reaallllly want one though for my garden. I also may look into solar for our next home 🙂
How do you get the water out of the barrel? with buckets? I have started like this with the garden and it is a lot of weight! Now I plug a hose and the water pump does the rest!
I have a rain barrel on our property and it has a hose in the bottom that is gravity fed where the water is forced out. It has saved us money in the summer with all the plants we have in the gardens. We pay for water usage but we also have to pay for sewage so the rain barrel was a good investment. I think I have a piccie on the blog of it. I was amazed you said they must think you are rich so you pay four times the amount. Do you find that often that you are charged more?
yes, when the prices aren’t listed, it is common for them to overcharge me. Then they have no problem accepting a price 40% lower than what they say. I hate bargaining and I lose respect for people who ask for 40% above and then settle at the fair price like ”ok, I tried to screw you, now let’s do it anyway”. Usually I walk away until I get a good price.
Sounds like they make the rules up as they go along over there Pauline 🙂
and it is just the beginning, can’t want to see what they invent when I submit a land development…
I have never been off the grid, but water is a huge hot button issue in Colorado. There isn’t enough. I do know many people who have to haul water and store it on their property. I bet you wouldn’t take long showers in that situation!
We looked into solar panels a few years ago. Our house is in a great spot for solar energy, but the cost was prohibitive. I hope it goes down over time. I would love to be less dependent on the electric company.
I went to Colorado last year and my friend was a rafting instructor. He couldn’t take us on the river because there was too much water, but we couldn’t shower at his place because the truck had to deliver water. they couldn’t pump from the river because other land downstream had the right to use water and not them. Here people live like water is infinite it unnerves me!
I would definitely have made the same choice!! Is the pressure and everything good? What sort of hydraulic head do you get from Council supplies vs your own?
the pressure is good! don’t know what a hydraulic head is but the water tank is about 10 meters above the house (1100 liters) so water goes down by gravity to the shower. The council would have filled our tank as well and our pipes would distribute to the house so I guess there is no change, except council does not provide water for a while when they have no money to activate the pump. With a full tank we could last 3/4 days but if they don’t warn us they could get us with an empty tank. In-de-pen-dence!
That doesn’t sound too bad at all! One thing that sucks about not being connected to city water here in Minnesota (we are but have friends who are considering houses that are not) is that you have to dig a well and a new well can be over $10,000 (and it can get more and more expensive depending how far down they have to go…). I definitely would rather be connected to city water.
it is much easier to have city water, and digging a well that could freeze in winter… brrr! we will probably have to dig one on the 90 acres development, that is going to be expensive.
Looks like you made the right choice to me. We have a water pump to connect our water tank to the house although we bought ours with the house and it looks much smaller than yours.
mine was one of the smallest models but it pumps 20 meters up so it is quite strong.
Great work, great behaviour and great savings Pauline! Now, after a year the pump is still working fine? My pump has gone after 6 months of intense usage! Is only my fault, because I underestimated its consumption! Perhaps the fact that we dug a well of 3 meters where we entered the pump, contributed to its early burning. In the meantime I replaced it with a high power one, because I also installed a water treatment system, including water softeners and filters. Here in Latvia we use this water for day by day consume, both internal and external. Bothe for cleaning and for drinking! And we are all healty and happy to live free and in the heart of nature. Kindly, Gertrude!
Today everyone want to install water pumps at their home but it is very costlier for poor people and middle class people as there are lots of things for which we have to pay like labours, pipes, installation machine. And you cannot install water pumps at all places. Before installing water pumps at any place ,first check whether that place water level is high or not and then start installation.
My utility bill is well over $800 a month (electric, sewage, garbage inclusive) and I simply can’t pay it and eat. My parents used a well pump for years but decided to go with public utilities. It’s not that old so I’m going to try and start it back up. Even if it doesn’t work, I appreciate the advice. It gives me confidence. Thanks!
And DIY it is. Imagine the savings you get, plus the fun you get. It might be best to make sure you know what you are doing though before taking on some DIY, otherwise the cost might be more than expected (with damages).
Great post here. Thanks for sharing.
Putting in a water tank and pump seems really expensive! But it definitely does sound better than public water. However, I don’t think I could do it myself, so I would have to hire professionals to help. Thanks for the information!
This is great information to have for someone wanting to install their own water pump. I like how you compared the cost of public water to a pump you installed yourself, it looks like there are a lot of benefits as well as money saved. I just wonder how much it would cost in repairs if it were to break? Thanks for the helpful article.
The list of costs for the different parts of installing a water pump system was really helpful. I would think that if you don’t have any DIY experience that hiring someone to do it could be helpful. Though it could also be smart to just hire a professional to help you with some things and learn to do the rest yourself. It’s a good point that having new parts is easier but also more expensive.
Wow! Fantastic stuff !
This is so chock full of useful information , I can’t wait to dig deep and start utilizing the resources you have given me . Your Exuberance is refreshing.
There are several water pumps specifically designed for transporting water throughout gardens with different features such as pressure and flow rate.
Thanks Buddy ! Have a great day!!
Nowadays we’re all looking to live frugal and make cuts wherever possible in our lives, homes and actives (understandable.. I do it too!) but the amount of time it will take and the potential risk on the back of damages and damaged / replacement of water pumps can in turn end up leaving you with an empty wallet in my experience. My biggest tip is to do your research and always check water levels and then double check before you even considering starting on the water pump installation process!
A friend of mine is thinking about getting a well installed on his property, and I was curious about the benefits. It’s crazy that you can actually save quite a bit of money using a well instead of public water. He is always telling me that money is tight, so it would be nice for him to save a bit.
This sounds like it’s very convenient for you. You may be doing this for some time now, how’s it working for you nowadays? Also, I’m glad to know that you’re not drinking the water from the lake, those who do are very brave. Or may be I’m just spolied, not sure if I would be willing to consume water from a lake either.
I had no idea that having water pumps installed can save you so much money! I always assumed it was cheaper to use public water because you’re already plugged into the system. Thanks for the tips, I’ll have to be sure to pass them along to anyone looking into water pumps.
Some of these plumbing fixtures include hands-free faucets and low flow toilets. These plumbers also have ample experience installing water filters, water heaters, handicap fixtures, and automatic shut off valves for kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
Great Post 🙂
Thanks for providing information regarding cost of installation of Water Pumps.
Your post helps me to save bribe and stops Corruption.
Hi,
Such an intersting post!
Installing the water pump is the best choice for any one in a rural setting.
Installing the water pump is very important and very effective for those who don’t live in an arid or semi-arid environment and with the help of water pump, there is ground/surface water to access.
I like, how you compared the cost of public water to a pump you installed yourself, it looks like there are various advantages.
Thanks for providing the useful information with us.
Regards
William I. Nicholson
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I just buy my water from town, is that alright?
This is some really good information about the water pump. It is good to know that it would be smart to try to protect your wires from rain. It might be smart to find a water generator that can last longer as well.
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