Off-Grid Water
Drinking bore and rain water
Both rainwater and borewater are naturally very clean sources of off-grid water. However, there is still a risk with consuming any untreated water. Rainwater may harbour bacteria, from the roof or collection surface, as well as heavy metals and other substances. Similarly, borewater is not guaranteed 100% safe, and may contain contaminants.
Luckily, filtering your own water for home and drinking use is not only a very sustainable move, it is also surprisingly cheap and easy.
How to treat my water
All rainwater, and most borehole systems, will require UV sterilization, to denature any bacteria in the water. A UV filter passes the water through a strong UV light, which sterilizes any bacteria, and prevents it from reproducing. For a UV filter to be effective, large particles need to be removed from the water. To ensure this all off-grid water must be pre-filtered.
Typically, you will end up with a system of two pre-filters and a UV filter. It is a very simple set up with very little maintenance. The canister pre-filters are easy and cheap to replace, and the UV bulb will only need replacing every 12 months ,at a cost of around £100.
The UV filter will need to be powered at all times, and a typical filter for a 3/4-person house will use about 30W continuously. This is not a large load and it ensures that your drinking water is always safe.
What if my water has other contaminants?
There are other filters that can be used to prevent chemicals from making it to your tap. Activated carbon filters are able to absorb chemicals and prevent them from passing through.
Whatever system you think is suitable for you, we always advise that you have a water quality test performed, before and after installing the system. The earlier test will let you know what kind of filtration you may need, and the second test will ensure that all your filtration demands are being met.
Completely Green will help you to arrange these tests if you are considering a water management solution with us.
All in One Solutions
Plug and Play Filter Kits for off-grid water supplies are becoming more popular. There is constant development in equipment for the treatment of bore and rain water. It is now possible to buy all in one water filtration kits, for rain and bore water, that are ready for us to plumb in and go.
These systems are able to package the three-step filtration process discussed above, into one small, easy to install package.
We are happy to discuss your water treatment requirements, whether they be for an all in one system, or a more custom set-up