My water supply is dependent on rain water collected off the shop metal roof during the wet season, usually November through March. A little over an inch of rain will fill the 500 gallon tank next to the shop and is pumped up to the house water tank, which holds 2500 gallons. Sometimes there is more water than can be used and it overflows. All water collected after March is stored for summer use, about 5000 gallons in three tanks, mostly for watering plants and fire protection. During the dry season from May into October, water is delivered by truck that carries 2200 gallons that is owned by Jerry Harris under the name, "The Water Boy." The water comes from the city of Oakland and cost $75/truck load based on the hauling distance. Early in the dry season Jerry can deliver water within one or two days after calling him for a delivery. Yesterday I called him for a delivery and got his voice mail. About 9:30 pm last night, after he got home after delivering water all day, he returned my call telling me he could not bring a load until Friday afternoon and said it is crazy with wells and springs going dry. He operates two trucks and at times one truck is busy delivering potable water to fire camps.
There are 10 families living on this mountain and only two have dependable wells and the water quality is not good, high in sulfur. One neighbor had a spring that went dry last month, first time since 1987. Two other neighbors have seasonal wells that went dry early this year. My last load of water was June 5th and there is about 400 gallons in the house tank as of yesterday, which will get me through until Friday. Daily usage is about 45 gallons this time of year.
If you need water, plan ahead, times are tough.
One of our big worries is our well going dry! In the 30+ years we have lived up here it has never happened... YET. We have been thinking about getting a storage tank..thought about it when we first built up here but never did it. Our well turned out to be very good. Even in the couple of summers the kids came out for a week or so, it handled the extra water use. Every time I turn a faucet on now I fear nothing will come out! Any recommendations about who to contact about getting a storage tank and plumbing it in?
ReplyDeleteThe Co-Op sells tanks and may install or knows somebody that does. Another possibility is the Pump Company outside of Oakland.
ReplyDeleteAlso, some public water sources are in peril. I recently saw a pic on Facebook of some guy backing his pickup into the spring at Busenbark County Park. His excuse, oft heard, was "the pipe is too short." Fortunately, my friend Curtis Young is proactively offering his services and some pipe to lengthen it from the spring source. Some signage and/or fencing may also be warranted to prevent people from causing degradation of the spring there.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, we can really relate to your writings. Our folks had two large cisterns, and collected water from their roof top. To their credit, they were minimalists, with little landscaping and no gardens to water. Even so, we appreciated knowing a water truck could make deliveries if/when needed.
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