[coldandwindy]

Didn't know what to call this topic as the main problem is I'm a bit vague about what I need!! 

We have no mains water, for the house, plot or croft, just a spring and collected rain water. The spring is getting less reliable so our rain system needs to be less random/Heath Robinson!
I seem to spend a lot of time carrying buckets of water because something has either run out or frozen, or is in the wrong place to be used. (One cow drinks 8 buckets a day - ask me how I know this  )

The spring water is pumped into a tank above the house & can be used for everything in winter when the flow is strong. We've got the house guttering flowing into a water butt, a row of buckets under the shed eaves, that I carry into the greenhouse. When there's a drought, like now, we collect water to flush the loo by scooping it out of the shower with an icecream tub, into a bucket - sharing that so you realize how much we need you!
A lot of the time I end up using top quality, electrically pumped spring/drinking water for things other than drinking, just because its easiest.

I want to move the rain water about so it can go to animal troughs, greenhouse, toilet, and make more organized use of grey water.
For starters I need a small, portable pump but what would be reliable without breaking the bank? I looked at stirrup pumps but that's not right - I'd be pumping from a water butt some of the time, or sometimes from the shower or washing machine into the toilet cistern.
Where is the best place to buy butts, taps, hose, etc?

Most of all I need inspiration please & a basic idea what other people do to start me off.  Tell me anything at all, however irrelevant,  about your water system ,
thanks, Windy

[coldandwindy]

...OR is pumping & piping the way to go? Am I better buying/making a bowser?

[snowdrops]

Not sure I can help really, but the name that springs (no pun intended) is Dick Strawbridge, he did this sort of thing. At my old allotment there was no water on site & I was able to get hold of an ibc tank & hubby connected the shed guttering to it, it was amazing how quickly it filled up, so I’d certainly be thinking about getting a host of those.
My allotment was on a gentle slope & I had a few plastic & metal barrels that were big, so I strategically placed them down the plot & linked them together with hosepipes that were in turn connected to the ibc tank at the top. I used to mover the water down the plot to save carrying it to the crops at the bottom etc.
You can get solar powdered pumps now, would they help?
Have you got or could you construct more water collecting roofs around where you want the water the most. Even a funnel type device on top of an IBC tank would fill it over time.
What about underground water storage containers for grey water etc?
Perhaps look at the eco friendly house type build website/ YouTube there’s bound to be a whole host I should think.
Good luck &  I’ve always fancied visiting that area, since I watched Castaway with  Ben Fogle before he became a celebrity,it sounds a lovely place to live if a bit harsh at times.

[Yorkie]

I remember someone on here using one of those large white ibc containers on their plot.  It went green inside from algae - if memory serves right, that is because light could get to it.  Perhaps something to bear in mind.

[snowdrops]

I remember someone on here using one of those large white ibc containers on their plot.  It went green inside from algae - if memory serves right, that is because light could get to it.  Perhaps something to bear in mind.

I’m not sure if you can get black ones or people paint or wrap in black plastic as I’ve seen black ones but not up close

[coldandwindy]

I remember someone on here using one of those large white ibc containers on their plot.  It went green inside from algae - if memory serves right, that is because light could get to it.  Perhaps something to bear in mind.

Good point thank you. Would be almost impossible to clean.

[coldandwindy]

I remember someone on here using one of those large white ibc containers on their plot.  It went green inside from algae - if memory serves right, that is because light could get to it.  Perhaps something to bear in mind.

I’m not sure if you can get black ones or people paint or wrap in black plastic as I’ve seen black ones but not up close

I've seen covers for sale - just a cube shaped plastic tent thing. I'm guessing it would take one about four minutes to blow away here! 
Very useful point though. If I go down the "home-made bowser" route I could look at small black tanks in general - it wouldn't need to be an ibc.

[grinling]

I attach a hose to my water butt to water polytunnel, but also to move water from butt by house to refill butt by polytunnel.

[coldandwindy]

I attach a hose to my water butt to water polytunnel, but also to move water from butt by house to refill butt by polytunnel.

Do you pump it grinling, or is it arranged so gravity does it?

[grinling]

just gravity
another good trick is to put the end of the hose into a watering can, so it continues to fill whilst you water