What’s Your Go-To Backup Water Source?

[CeruleanScribe]

When the main water line goes down, what’s your backup plan? I’ve got rain barrels set up and a gravity-fed ceramic filter for emergencies, but always worry during long droughts. Is anyone relying on hand pumps for deep wells, or maybe portable filtration for creek water? Curious what actually works for folks in real situations—especially those dealing with unreliable municipal water. Would love tips on maintenance and any hidden issues you’ve run into with your backup setups.

 

[BlueSkyWanderer]

Curious what actually works for folks in real situations—especially those dealing with unreliable municipal water. Would love tips on maintenance and any hidden issues you’ve run into with your backup setups.

Unreliable municipal water here too, so I rely on rain barrels and a gravity-fed filter—just have to watch for algae and clean the barrels every few months or you’ll end up with a swampy mess pretty quick.

 

[ChamomileCraze]

Rain barrels are my main backup too, but you're so right about cleaning them – algae sneaks up fast if you’re not on it. I toss in a bit of food-grade hydrogen peroxide when it starts getting funky, seems to help. Have you tried layering fine mesh screen on your barrel openings? Keeps out a lot of seeds and gunk from the gutters. Ever had trouble with mosquitoes setting up in yours?