When you live in town getting a glass of water is as easy as turning a tap. But what do you do when municipal water isn’t instantly available? Here are 5 different ways to get clean drinking water when you live off grid.

Find A Spring

A spring is a point where groundwater flows through an aquifer to the surface. They are often found being gravity fed on hillsides, but can also be pressurized from within the earth to the surface. Spring water should be tested to make sure it is drinkable. A local well water testing company can usually do this. Count yourself lucky if you find a clean running spring on your property! Just make sure you have a back-up plan for drinking water in case the spring freezes or dries up in a drought.

Dig A Well

A little more work than just finding a spring, digging a well has many advantages. Setting up a proper well and housing will allow for water pressure and ease of use around the property. When built properly, a well house will keep a well from freezing, so the water can be used year round.

Collect Rainwater

This one is seasonal where we are, but may be used year round in other places. Rainwater collected for drinking should still be put through a sediment filter to get out bugs or debris. The best way to collect it is in a clean container directly from the sky. For larger quantities, it can be collected from the roofs of buildings, but should be filtered or boiled before drinking. Rainwater left in warm areas or the sun will often grow algae. Refrigerating or using water treatment chemicals will retard the growth of microorganisms in the water.

Filter Local Water

If there is a stream, creek, or pond on the property, filtering it is one option. When taking water from a pond avoid bathing or watering animals in the same water. Before drinking, water should be boiled, treated or filtered. There are many kinds of filters, like this Berkey Filter (Affiliate link), or the option to DIY one like we did here. Just make sure whatever filter you use has a pore size of 1 micron or less. This will filter out parasites that might make the drinker sick. The CDC has more information on water filters on this page.

Haul From Town

Another option for having drinking water while living off grid is to haul it in from town. Local fire stations are a good place to ask to fill water containers. There may be water delivery options due to area need. And I have even seen places that have a “community well” with water offered to neighbors at a bartered rate, sometimes a bit of cash for well upkeep, or even just a pie now and again.

All the above said, we often mix and match where we get our drinking water throughout the year. Sometimes we bring it from town, sometimes we drink rain water or collect water from a nearby friend’s spring. And some day soon we will be digging our own well!

Be sure to check local laws on water collection and use before beginning to harvest water, as some states may have restrictions.