Current State of the Water System

[Update: A tree fell on the "janky overhead power line"!]

So here's our current water system. It leaves a lot of things to be desired but I wanted to document the state we found it in before creating something new.

Downsides to this system:

• Clean (tested) spring water mixes with creek water
• No long-term storage, pressure tanks are just that, not for storage
• Pump relies on sketchy power system and PG&E
• Nearly every part of the system is old and in need of attention/replacement

I've been reading a great book on water systems called  "Water Storage" that has fueled quite a lot of ideas about how we can do this better. I haven't drawn up the system I'd like to build yet but I think I have a good idea what it might be like.

Qualities I'd like to see in our new system:

• Keeps clean spring water isolated to maintain quality
• Use gravity to pressurize water (we have a tall slope behind the house)
• Use solar energy to power all pumps involved
• Long-term storage, 5,000 gallons maybe?
• Use of sand/natural filters as a prefilter for drinking water
• Online before the end of summer 2012

I'd love for the new water storage container to be made with ferrocement like the reccomend in the book but it seems a bit much to chew off right now so it seems like the tank will likely be some sort of non-leaching plastic as a compromise.

Up next? Drawings of the dream water system :)