The power is out and the water is off!
You may be feeling the effects of the power cuts by PG&E very deeply, especially if you are a rural homeowner with a well and submersible well pump that supply your water. Loss of power most often means that you don’t have any water at all. As you know, this means the toilets don’t flush and the dishes pile up in the sink! In this article, we’ll try to give homeowners that supply their own water some options to help keep the water flowing, even when the power is off for several days.
Let’s start with the most straight forward and least expensive option. Many experienced well owners know this trick, but we’ve included it for those that are new to rural living. If you are aware of a planned power outage, clean and disinfect your bathtub and fill it with water, perhaps mixing in 2-3 tablespoons of laundry bleach to it to minimize stagnation. Make sure that this water is not a safety hazard for children or animals! This water can be dipped out with a bucket and used to flush toilets by pouring directly into the toilet bowl. This water can also be useful for general cleaning purposes. It would also be a good idea to have several 5 gallon water bottles that you can fill and add a few drops of chlorine to ensure it stays safe to drink and doesn’t stagnate. This water would be set aside for drinking and washing dishes with.
Another solution is to use a generator to power the well and house. Please check out our previous blog on considerations of using a generator for your well pump when the power is out. The last half of the blog on generators also explores additional methods of providing water during power outages not discussed in this article, make certain to check that blog out as well.
If you have a public water supply nearby, check with them to find out the cost for a connection. Even though the cost to get a connection may be expensive, the cost of a connection may be similar to the cost of a properly installed generator-without the maintenance or hassle. Check out the generator blog link above if you’re curious about some of the hassles associated with owning a generator.
Installation of a storage tank is another option to explore. This will offer a significant amount of water that will get you by for a few days, but keep in mind that the storage tank will need to be elevated on a hill if you want to have enough pressure to supply water to the house during a power outage. Check out our blogs on water storage tanks to help give you more information on if this is a viable option. This blog will give you a good overview, but there are several other blogs that will help you understand the best location for a storage tank and what size storage tank is necessary.
Several of our customers have had us install a hand pump in their well alongside their submersible well pump. Even though they still have to head outside and pump to fill a bucket, they have access to as much water as they can possibly pump and can share good clean water with their neighbors during emergency events.
If you have a neighbor with an uninterrupted water supply: consider knocking on the door with a plate of cookies and see if they would be willing to help you out. A few garden hoses and a double female hose connector (readily available and most small hardware stares) and you can connect from one of their faucets to one of your faucets and you are back online. The pressure may be a bit lower, but you should be able to shower, flush and maybe even hand water some plants. Whether this neighbor is using a generator to run their well pump equipment, has a spring, an elevated tank or has a city water connection, they incurred legitimate expenses to plan and install such a system. With this in mind, be conservative with the water you use and show your appreciation of their help!
Perhaps you have an RV or camping trailer. Great news! Make sure to keep it ready/prepped with the propane/fuel tanks filled, the batteries charged, the water tank filled and the grey/black water tanks emptied. Plan on a bit of “camping” during the power outage! As a bonus, there may be enough power for the generator in your camper to run your fridge/freezer in your house via extension cord to keep them from thawing out.
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Whatever your situation is, don’t wait to make the preparations! If you are certain you’re going to purchase a generator, check out this blog post about the shopping for generators. The stores and fuel stations are usually inundated just prior and during these events and are not always able to keep up with demand.
Please contact Oakville Pump Service if we can help you keep the water flowing during your power outages. Our highly trained and experience project managers can help you look for solutions specific to your property and situation. We have technicians available 24/7 that can help you get through the water situation you are facing.