Rad Anthony

The main thing to worry about in water is total coliform, fecal coliform. Then you have nitrates, lead/copper if you have such pipes, pfos if you have said factories in the area. For farms the main one is nitrates and the coliforms.

Local labs will test them for about 30-50 per test. Or you can buy the test strips to give you an idea of what's going on.

A basic filtration would be a 30 micron filter, followed by a 5 micron filter, then an activated carbon filter. Activated carbon also pulls out pfos and taste and odors like low levels of sulfur. Any iron or manganese will need a special type of filter unit. Same with hard ess. That's usually in well water.

You can get a uv light if you have the voltage for it or sit it out in sunlight.

If you want to stick to that municipal water quality I suggest get a basic filtration going for your shower and grey/black water, then get you a simple reverse osmosis system for your drinking water. You can plumb the reverse osmosis(RO)filters under the sink and also plumb it to your ice maker on your fridge.

They have cheap basic water test kits. Gives you an idea of what's going on with your water. I seen folks build filtration ponds where each ponds contains filtration media that trickles into another pond. They add combinations of fish and plants to clean up the water.

Phytoremediation is a big key to pulling out or storing toxic chemicals from soil and waters. There so many common and so call invasive plants that pull out heavy metals and toxins in the soil. They utilize this is constructed wetlands and wetland restoration. And Superfund sites.

Swales more or less slow the water down. They will buy you time. If you have 16 acres, you should go with passive storage via catchment and drainage ponds. Drainage systems to flow into a big pond....series and Cascades of ponds. The trees can be in neat rows or guilds and will start holding the water in the soil more and establish water table for the future.

Go with ponds for drought and by the time the trees come up you could pump water lines drip irrigation type from those ponds to the trees.

Think of swales like capillaries in your circulatory system. Cover the soil via mulch, leaves, straw etc that will keep the soil moist always for your plants. You could even do bowls ie zuni bowls for the trees instead of swales also. Probably less work for you too. Place them clay vessels in the ground for water if you want.

You could also do giant cheap sturdy roofs and collect rainwater. Or short and wide solid tarps to catch the water or funnel it into storage.

You local forest conservation ie dcnr could give you advice too. Sometimes they have incentive to come out and provide trees seeds and labor for your property. Need to do research on this.

Some ideas hope that helps

Place your water in a glass jar out in sunlight for 24 hours. It will sterilize any bacteria and dissolve any minerals.

If you don't believe it, get yourself a cheap tds/pH meter online for cheap and do a before and after. You will see the dissolve solids drop down the sunlight will dissolve the stuff in the water. Keep storage for rainy days etc.

And or add baking soda to alkalize it to kill any pathogens, and or lemon juice to help with digestion if anything gets through. Also these two help preserve water in bottles for long time.

Filtration all depends on your raw water whether rain barrels or well.
You have to know what to treat. When it comes to water you have to pay the piper there's no free lunch. Unfortunately those days of clear springs are getting far gone. The purest water today has some sort of infiltration or starting to. It's sad.

Plant okra. Okra loves clay soil. Then plant pole beans using okra as a trellis. The soil will get darker over time. This is if time isn't an issue for you.

I spoke to a permie in here a while back. Something he told me stuck with me. What do you have in abundance? And what do you lack?

Any arrangement you want to learn, there's gotta be something you have to offer whether it's your manpower or skills trades that the other person you would like to learn from may lack or want to learn as well.

That's community. Think of a group of islands.

One island grows, tomatoes, one peppers, one builds chicken coops, etc. each islands has its thing it's good and thus there will be something that island needs.

Children and young folks are very hands on. They need to explore get dirty and try things to get things to stuck inside them forever. Or else they won't care. This movement or lifestyle ain't cool lol. It's hard work. But it's rewarding and worth it and you build a legacy. And once you master it yes it can be fun and enjoyable. I think they need to see and feel that for themselves rather than someone trying to convince them, and it sure helps when they see others their own age group too.

Getting dirty learning, making mistakes, trying new things outta be fun or else you won't savor the experience. Thats all rooted in love. You have to spark that love within someone to care about themselves, their neighbor, their community, the world etc. If we master it within ourselves, it resonates outward to others. Much love the children and young folks are really the key right now. A lot of us are spiritually tired and frustrated because we are ones doing the detaching, deprogramming and detox from the current lifestyle. It's really tough at times. Fighting lots opposition, family friends coworkers etc. Most people think getting back to nature is crazy or odd. But that what our ancestors did and we are so out of tune with that it's so sad.

We make the sacrifices, then pass the wisdom to the young, they will surely take off to the sky and that our payoff. Not in money or material things, it's that feeling we are all doing our part take care of the earth as fellow planet keepers. That we may be able to all see life go on.

Much love y'all.

Should be the same as ponds. Add some copper to the tank. Line a piece of copper sheeting around the top perimeter of the cistern or lid area. Hide it well between outside the liner and how you seal the top. When it's touching the water, thats a old school way of killing bacteria.

If you want to keep the water potable try adding a little peppermint oil to the top. It will create a layer of oil on the top to keep mosquitos out. Pull the water from the middle or the high bottom. Or run the water through filters. If not possible add some baking soda and lemon juice it will alkalize the water.

Use lime mix with clay to create a breathable floor.. Using lime as a medium will help seal but keep the surface breathing still. Or lay down some cheap stone pack it in good and lay like putty or cement between. If you have the time and money. Plastic vapor barrier is hit or miss depending on your grade of your ground and the walls etc. but that will seal it too. Everything is always breathing pulling and pushing water/air out. Plants, the earth, even the air, it's a divine cycle.

Put some plants in there for oxygen and some cheap lighting system. I don't know how long you plan on surviving in here worst case, if you gonna plan on staying here long you will need tunnels and some sort of vent to outside air.

Study ant and termite tunnel systems.

Honestly though if a bomb ever did go off heaven forbid, at that very moment you won't care a lick about the dirt on your floor.

I been trying sweet corn, sweet peas, and watermelon/cantaloupe. So far they're ok. The sweet potato found herself in and climbing through the corn. Most of my corn seeds didn't come up. That's ok I just wanted to try it. I noticed you have to base the varieties on how big they get and their purpose as mentioned above. If you plant sweet corn the stalks are smaller so you can't use a seed bean you have to use something less weight on the corn trellis.

And timing is key. I use the moons to guide me. I focus on roots more than anything. Lot slower but it's worth it to me. And the mound is also key. I think all three these plans love mounds. But that also depends on the area you're in too etc.