Water is such a necessity on a small homestead, that most people will not even buy land without a water source. If you failed to get land with a water source, don't worry, you can still have water, although it may take some work. We have never had a source of water on our properties, but we were able to make-do with rain catchment, which is our favorite source of water. There are others sources as well, including rivers, ponds, wells, and a man-made contraption called an air well.

The basics of any source of water is the same, quality and quantity. You must have both. Having one liter of great water is useless for living, and a million gallons of polluted water is almost as useless as having none at all. Knowing how much water you need is one of the first calculations you should make when planning a homestead. Your source is then planned around this figure.

Rain Catchment
A rain catchment system consists of a collection area or roof, gutter and piping, a storage tank, and a delivery system. The main component is the roof, without that, you can’t collect much water. So, how much water can you collect? On average, you can collect about 1/2 of a gallon for every square foot of collection area. The roof should slope sufficiently to deliver the water. At the end of the roof are the gutters. The gutters are designed to collect the water from the roof and deliver it to the pipes to the storage tank. Your gutter should be cleaned often, and in areas with lost of trees, some sort of leaf protection should be researched. The less trash that gets into the gutters means less trash in the pipes and tank later on.

The gutter pipes should be at least 4 inches in diameter to properly deliver the water to the tank. Smaller sizes can cause backups in heavy rains, creating overflow in the gutter and possible damage to your system, not to mention wasting water that you could be collecting. A screen filter in the delivery system before the tank is a good idea. Just in case some dirt or leaves gets down the pipe, you want to kept that sort of trash from getting into the tank. Be careful, however, and clean these filters regularly, as any type of blockage will create a problem. Keep your pipes and tanks completely dark to avoid growing algae and starting a food chain.

Our first rainwater catchment was kind of an accident. When we first moved to the desert, before we had built anything, we lived in a bus. It was the perfect little starter home, until month number two when a hailstorm hit us. Hail stones the size of golf balls shattered all the windows and even put holes through the sheet metal roof. After that, every time it rained, it rained inside. We knew where the holes were and had buckets at the ready. When the buckets filled up, we’d pour them into larger containers. It was awesome. Free water without having to haul… we were hooked.

Water catchment can provide for a home, even in the desert. Coupled with conservative usage and proper storage, a rainwater system is one of the best water systems available. The water is clean and very reliable. You have decent security, because you don't run the chance that a neighbor could pollute your water storage like in groundwater systems.

Rivers and Ponds
Above ground sources, like rivers and ponds are excellent sources of water, not just for the water itself, but as a form of water and energy storage. Dirt ponds are the cheapest method of storing large amounts of water, however, if made incorrectly, they can be prone to problems. Rivers are unreliable, but can serve a useful purpose for irrigation and raw power. The unfortunate fact is that most rivers are polluted by industry and agriculture. If you are using water from a river in any way, get it tested for everything!

Wells
Water can also be stored underground and used as a source with the drilling of wells. Wells are temperamental, but in some areas, they are all that are available. The sad fact about wells is that in the areas that need water the most, wells are abused the most. If you and your 10 neighbors all have wells in a dry area, chances are, the water will run out. So, you can dig deeper, constantly chasing the water level. The groundwater must be recharged somewhere, and organic matter in the soil plays a huge role in the soil's ability to soak up water. You rarely see runoff in a healthy forest, but in a plant-less desert, runoff is common. So, if you are using a well, you need to be spreading compost and constantly increasing the organic matter of your soil.

Wells are also extremely prone to pollution. The number one cause of groundwater pollution in the USA is septic tanks. For this reason, we are firm believers that septic tanks should be outlawed in all states and countries. There is no such thing as a “safe” septic tank. Municipal water treatment facilities are BIG septic tanks, and they pollute the groundwater at incredible rates. The E-coli outbreaks in your leafy greens and fruits are from contaminated water supplies. The irrigation water is coming from a groundwater source that has been polluted by a septic system, be it a giant one like from a town or a small one from a farm house (most likely is actually the municipal treatment plant).

Air Well
An air well is an interesting device that actually pulls water out of the air. Instead of waiting for rain or drilling a well, you put up an air well. We have never seen one in person, but they are supposed to work very well, especially in coastal areas with fog. The basic concept is a big condenser, something to cool the air down. As the air cools, the water condensates, and you collect it at the bottom. There are many different methods from large screens and fences to huge piles of rocks. They are all very simple and many don't require any input of energy to work.