Making water run uphill.

[ecogeorge]

I think that you will find that the electricity required to run a pump is  minimal.  You will need a pump  that can still give a reasonable  flow at 15 metres in order to slowly fill a tank. The pump would be  a  little specialized,  but  you would only need something like  100 watt  hours per day for a 500 litre  daily supply.    It would be wise to have a spare pump that can be easily fitted  and good  non blocking protection for the water  intake.  

You could consider  collecting  drinking water in containers from a  well if there is  one available in the area.   Where I live now  there is well water on tap  but the previous house was supplied with river water that wasn't very nice to drink.

A NewZealand link for hydraulic ram pumps,  they look like an expensive option.
 
http://williamsonrampump.co.nz/capacity.html

Naw , build your own  http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterPumping/Ram%20Pump/ram.htm

[offthegridandy]

Ram pumps in the UK used to be supplied by a co called Vulcan,  I know of one nearby that has been supplying a local farm for 50 plus years.

When we had well water we had a large 1000 ltr tank in the top of the water  tower.  self priming pump at ground level lifted to the tank. Pump was powered by a 240 v motor made by Hoover of Merthyr Tydfil. Pump was switched on/off by a mercury float switch in the water tank.  Very simple and never went wrong in 10 years. I'm told that storing 1000 lts of water is a now a no no as bugs and noisome beastys can breed. But it never harmed us and I liked having a large store if owt ever went wrong.

link to info on Vulcan http://www.sust.org/tgd/products.php?view=271

Andy

[numenius]

I've emailed the manufacturers Green & Carter to see if a ram pump can be used in our setup - unfortunately they give no indication of price, so I'll have to wait to hear back from them. It would be a brilliant and really "green" solution. I've seen one working before (or rather you could hear it under the ground as it worked from an underground stream) as it supplied a few houses for absolute years - certainly from me being a kid to hearing it still working in my 30's - it's probably still there for all I know. The company actually guarantees them forever - which says it all really.

We'd still need some sort of pressure pump, but at a lot less amps than pulling it up all those metres from the stream. Meantime I'm going to have a look-see in the forest as there is a very small stream a little higher up on the map, though I'd have to get Forestry Commission permission to pipe through from it..... going to take a look this weekend.

Wish we had a setup where we could use this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOn7Zu3CCxo   . How neat is that?

[camillitech]

. I'm told that storing 1000 lts of water is a now a no no as bugs and noisome beastys can breed. But it never harmed us and I liked having a large store if owt ever went wrong.

It's a miracle we're still alive Andy, we have 5000lts of storage for the annual drought in May/June. Up until a couple of years ago we only had 2000lts and used to run out regular. I used to fill a bowser,



OK, my converted fish cage float    that could hold 700lts and pump it into my tanks. I was a little worried about getting accused of stealing water as I took it from a standpipe at the pier. Always the good citizen I phoned up Scottish Water in Edinburgh and offered to pay for it  the woman thought I was mad 

Things have been alright since I found this,



floating in the sea and added it to our supply  OK, for all I know it could have been a slurry tank, but hey it's been in two years and we're still alive 

Cheers, Paul

[knighty]

LOL paul... I like your style

but you must get some very funny looks... and have an understanding wife !