09-22-2009, 05:43 PM
I'm actually happy with catchment, it's one of the reasons I came to Puna. Water has been something people have been fighting over in the western and southern states forever. And the civilized world doesn't avoid catchment because that is what's used everywhere. It's just called a lake and is fed by streams and rivers. Surface water supplies most big cities although some do use wells too. My grandfathers well in central California was 12' deep. My first one there in 89' was 160' and my last one on the same property was at 400'. The water did taste pretty good but when tested it had traces of numerous minerals in it, supposedly below some allowable limit. The problem is there just isn't enough for everyone and it's getting harder to find enough every year.
Most of the drinking water in Los Angeles gets there from rainfall several hundred miles away. Through lakes and streams with not only fish and other wildlife sharing it but but with farms and cities directing their runoff into it. So the city has big filters, and big UV systems, and big tanks of various chemicals that when used together provide water that most folks think is healthy. For myself, I decided that I wanted do take care of that myself, on a smaller scale of course. I'm on the grid and I see that UV treatment would be difficult if I was counting on PV power.
It's a personal choice and of course requires that I pay attention to it rather than just open the faucet and expect to see water.
And when I do see the occasional coqui floating I just skim it out, but I confess that I don't usually mention it to my wife.
Jay
Most of the drinking water in Los Angeles gets there from rainfall several hundred miles away. Through lakes and streams with not only fish and other wildlife sharing it but but with farms and cities directing their runoff into it. So the city has big filters, and big UV systems, and big tanks of various chemicals that when used together provide water that most folks think is healthy. For myself, I decided that I wanted do take care of that myself, on a smaller scale of course. I'm on the grid and I see that UV treatment would be difficult if I was counting on PV power.
It's a personal choice and of course requires that I pay attention to it rather than just open the faucet and expect to see water.
And when I do see the occasional coqui floating I just skim it out, but I confess that I don't usually mention it to my wife.
Jay
Jay