wanting to live the dream!

[cws451]

So i have been looking to get some raw land(5 acres) so i can finally live my dream of raising livestock and growing my own food. However with cheap land come many other expenses. In my area(east tennessee) the average cost for well is 10k. I have thought about using a rain catch system and not drill a well right now. Does anyone have any experience with this? i would only need water for washer,toilet and shower. So i wouldnt be using alot. Honestly i would just use a composting toilet for a couple of years if i didn't also have to worry about water from sink,shower,etc.Cost for a legitimate rain catch system i estimated would be around 2-3k. And i would buy any water i would need for cooking and drinking. Any input would be great!

 

[Trent Hardy]

Have you ever considered digging a surface well? Not sure if it would be an option in Tennessee, but I think they are considerably cheaper to install....

 

[cws451]

I did some research on a surface well today and i think it would be a hazard because of all the pollutants on the ground that would seep into the well. Thank you for the suggestion tho.

 

[wyoDreamer]

10 grand for a well sounds like groundwater is deep and bedrock is shallow.
How much soil is there or is it really close to bedrock? Would a sandpoint well work? You could drive it yourself, my husband just helped a friend drive one on his 5 acre "man-land".
Have you checked out the soils on the property? One reference that I use is the USDA's Web Soil Survey to check out the limitations and soil characteristics.

 

[RichnSteph]

10K? Goodness that has got to be a deep well. Down here it costs $1000 per 100 feet of hole regardless of the material they have to drill through. Our place is all sand so at least they'd be able to drill it quickly. If you're planning on a rain catch system you should also consider a grey water holding so you can reuse your water. The water from the sink and shower goes to flush the toilets, stuff like that.

 

[cws451]

10 grand for a well sounds like groundwater is deep and bedrock is shallow.
How much soil is there or is it really close to bedrock? Would a sandpoint well work? You could drive it yourself, my husband just helped a friend drive one on his 5 acre "man-land".
Have you checked out the soils on the property? One reference that I use is the USDA's Web Soil Survey to check out the limitations and soil characteristics.

i know its crazy and its a extra 2k if they miss and have to redrill. i have thought about hand driving my own well but i dont know to much about the process or even where to try drilling. it will be mostly clay and shale. that is the normal soil conditions for our area.

 

[cws451]

10K? Goodness that has got to be a deep well. Down here it costs $1000 per 100 feet of hole regardless of the material they have to drill through. Our place is all sand so at least they'd be able to drill it quickly. If you're planning on a rain catch system you should also consider a grey water holding so you can reuse your water. The water from the sink and shower goes to flush the toilets, stuff like that.

that sounds like a good deal. If it was that cheap here i wouldnt even consider a rain catch system. Thats a real good idea for the grey water system. I imagine u will have to have a pretty large tank though if its just going to be used for toilet