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Thread: Green without going new age or supertech

  1. #21
    Diamond Member wynn's Avatar
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    Boreholes are an option but expensive, does anybody know what the thumbsuck cost per meter drilled is?
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  2. #22
    Diamond Member tec0's Avatar
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    I will have to get back to you on that but I know it depends on the contractor doing the drilling.

    Our winters is not that cold and our summers is murder but again with some proper insulation and cheep running fans it is manageable.

    Still I want to come back to the luxury thing. I want running water because I pay for running water; I want electricity because I pay for electricity. I do not mind spending money if the property was my own. But with housing cost as it is... owning your own home will remain a distant pipe dream for a long long time to come.

    I right now I am looking for mobile solutions to my power problems and water problems because I am not going to spend the money just so that it can get taken away from me. Fact is there must be a dynamic change in housing cost. If the house is NOT green then drop its value so that the owners are forced to upgrade. This attitude adjustment will go a long way and “thinking green” will become a way of life thus allowing for technology to be used and hopefully get cheaper along the line.

    I feel government can also help by allowing “imported “green” equipment” to go without import tax. This will make it cost effective and allow the market to be flooded with alternatives. The bigger impact will be education and use of these systems and will allow generalisation.

    Again government needs to participate actively and that is perhaps our biggest challenge. Fresh food and fresh water in my eyes must not be considered as a luxury.
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    Disclaimer: everything written by me can be considered as fictional.

  3. #23
    Diamond Member tec0's Avatar
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    More to a relevant point....

    Photo via Red Ferret

    How I didn’t hear about this sooner, I’ll never know. Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, went into water filtration awhile back.

    Apparently this year he has unveiled the Slingshot, a filtration system for turning any water-containing liquid, including pee, into drinkable water. Not only that, but it can be run on cow poo.

    Sound too good to be true? Maybe it is, or maybe Kamen doesn’t want it to take a giant belly flop like the Segway.

    Read on for some interesting details about this product, and watch a video of Kamen on the Colbert Report.

    The machine works by using vapor compression distillation. Any liquid, from sea water to mud puddles, can be run through the machine and come out as distilled, drinkable water. No filter is required, and since it runs on cow dung, it can be used in many rural areas and developing countries. Plus, it generates electricity as a byproduct.
    I can honestly say I can see it working here. " if it works "
    peace is a state of mind
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  4. #24
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wynn View Post
    Boreholes are an option but expensive, does anybody know what the thumbsuck cost per meter drilled is?
    Depends on a thousand and one different things.

    Up to around 9 meters depth is a standard well point with a surface mounted self priming jet pump. A well point should be less than 10 grand and might only be R5000.00 all in. It depends on how many holes they make to find good water. It also depends on the type of ground you're on.

    Between 9 and 16-18 meters you can use a syrface mounted pump with a venturi half way down the hole, obviously a little more expensive.

    Finally below 20 meters is usually a bore hole with a multistage submersible pump. Again depending on the depth and the ground (shale, gravel or coffee Klip as they call it requires codex drilling where they sleeve the hole as they drill) you could be looking at anything between 30 and 250 thousand Rands.

    It's very geography specific, the best thing to do is to contact a reputable company and get a quote. They should know from other holes in your area what depth and difficulties will be involved.

  5. Thank given for this post:

    desA (03-Mar-10), wynn (03-Mar-10)

  6. #25
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    If you're a tight wad like me and you live in an area where the water table is fairly high you can make your own well point. I dug a hole 8.5 meters deep and placed 4 x dairy crates wrapped in shadecloth into the hole and positioned a 32mm class 10 HDPE pipe in the middle of them and filled the hole back in again. Less than a thousand Rand later for a pump voila...one well point. Gives me approx 70 liters per minute of crystal clear water all year round. Great for irrigation and other garden water, also use it for toilets and filling the pool. It's very rare I ever go above the free water allowance.

  7. Thank given for this post:

    desA (03-Mar-10), wynn (03-Mar-10)

  8. #26
    Platinum Member desA's Avatar
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    Stunning...
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  9. #27
    Diamond Member tec0's Avatar
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    I take it that you have the water tested before you start using it? I know of one or two places where the wells ware actually poisons. I strongly recommend that you test the quality of water before you start using it.
    peace is a state of mind
    Disclaimer: everything written by me can be considered as fictional.

  10. #28
    Platinum Member desA's Avatar
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    Durban poisons?
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  11. #29
    Diamond Member AndyD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tec0 View Post
    I take it that you have the water tested before you start using it? I know of one or two places where the wells ware actually poisons. I strongly recommend that you test the quality of water before you start using it.
    We don't drink the water though I'd be surprised if it's not potable, just use it for irrigation, pool and toilet flush which is around 80% of our water consumption.

  12. #30
    Moderator IanF's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AndyD View Post
    I dug a hole 8.5 meters deep and placed 4 x dairy crates .
    Andy,
    I am intrigued, how do you dig an 8.5M hole? That is deep.
    Only stress when you can change the outcome!

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