A lot of people who are homesteading want to provide their own water. There are a variety of different sources of water as many as there might be uses but before you consume any water you should know if it is safe to drink.
Freshwater Springs are a pretty common occurrence but just because the water looks clean and it is exiting from a source you can see doesn’t mean that it is safe to drink. Spring water could be some of the best tasting water you ever had and even if it isn’t contaminated with bacteria it can still be unhealthy for you to drink. High mineral levels may not be a problem right away but could end up causing you health problems if you consume a lot of it over many years.
Standing Ponds are a source of water that is often connected to a spring. They are slightly different from ponds that are fed by streams because the source of water is underground. Often it is coming from the bottom of the pond. An easy way to know where your spring is exiting into your pond is if your pond ices over in the winter. The spring feeding the pond will normally make the water above it too warm to freeze over or at least it won’t be the same thickness. Ponds of this type can be dangerous to ice skate or fish on in the winter so you have to take special precautions. Just like a spring which this is you should have your water tested before you use it for any reason. This includes even swimming in it. If some crazy person sunk an oil tank or pesticide tank in the pond it could be very dangerous to use that water for anything. The cost of a water test is minimal especially when you are just purchasing your property.
Stream Fed Ponds have an added problem because the water source is distant from the water reserve. If the water source is on your property then you can inspect it and the creek that feeds the pond. Remember if any wildlife was to die in the pond or creek it would pollute the water source. You also have to be careful to protect the source, the feed creek and the pond. If the source of the water is well off your property and you can not inspect it then you should consider all of the water to be undrinkable without full treatment. Even with treatment it still may not meet healthy standards. This will mean testing the water often and for that reason you should probably avoid it completely for consumption but it might be fine for other uses such as irrigation. You will not know until it is tested.
Water Wells are very popular because they allow you to access water that is deep into the ground. You can expect most wells to be from 75feet to 400 feet deep. Often if you are digging a well they will recommend that you do not use water if it is very close to the surface. This reduces the possibility of contamination. It is very unlikely that your well will test passable for drinking without some type of treatment. Particulate filters will remove debris in the water and other filtration methods can remove tastes and odor problems. For bacterial treatment you will likely be using a UV Ultraviolet Light filter that basically cooks the bacteria. They have to be closely matched to the flow rate of the well because if you don’t treat the water long enough then its like not treating it at all. Proper testing will be required when the well is established and then normally yearly.
Rainwater Collection is another possibility if your area sees enough rain and you have the ability to collect and store the water. Normally rainwater collection is something that off grid properties do but it can be very difficult due to the fact you are always waiting on the weather to supply you water. In an emergency situation you can have a tanker truck deliver thousands of gallons of water for your storage cistern but this can be expensive. If you have a metal roof, gutter system, roof washer and storage tank you can collect water but you will have to test and treat this water. Additionally pumps and filters will be needed. If possible it is always better to go with an artesian well or a pump system well over rainwater collection but in the remotest locations without other resources this option can get the job done.
Final Note
We have not gone over the equipment required to harvest your own water but I hope that you have taken away one important thing. That water even if it looks clean still needs to be treated. Even the purest spring will still benefit from treatment. Yes there may be people that tout the benefits of spring water and growing up there were many people in my community that would travel miles and wait in line for free spring water but the fact is you never can trust any water source unless it is treated.
It is just not worth it to consume water that hasn’t been tested and treated no matter the source.