With all the rush and stress of modern life, more and more Americans are seeking getaway vacation homes in rural areas. The idea of a place where you can't hear horns honking, people talking, or dogs barking is very appealing to urban dwellers. To that end, many people are seeking out homes in "off the grid" locations. The problem with this is the lack of utilities and services available in such areas. While it is nice to get away, most of us don't want make do without basics like electricity and indoor plumbing. So what do you do if you don't have access to these utilities?
Lack of Electricity:
Generators are one option; however, these do consume a lot of gasoline and can be quite noisy and polluting, which is exactly what most people are trying to get away from when they seek out a rural retreat. A far better and more eco friendly solution is solar power. Solar panels can be purchased for less than you might think, and when hooked up to a battery system to store energy, they can easily power a small home. If your vacation home is in an area that doesn't get much sun, or perhaps your roofline is shaded by large trees, you might want to consider harnessing the power of the wind. Very small wind turbines can be placed on the peak of your roofline and used to gather energy which can also be stored in a battery system. A combination of solar panels in conjunction with a wind turbine is a great option for most rural homes.
No Sewer or Septic Access:
Assuming you have some source of freshwater, a lack of sewer or septic access is easily remedied. You'll need to deal with wastewater in two different ways, depending on the source of the wastewater. When it comes to toilets, the best solution is to purchase a composting toilet. A good composting toilet system will be completely odorless, and can be installed in a day. The toilet is designed to convert all waste into compost, an ordinary dirt-like substance that is clean, dry, and non-offensive. A composting toilet will cost about $1,500, but it should last approximately 20 years, and will not give you the problems and headaches that a septic system will. You'll never have to worry about a sewage backup or a septic tank that needs pumped out.
Graywater, or the waste water that comes from sinks, showers, bathtubs, and washing machines, can be dealt with via a graywater recycling system. Unlike wastewater from toilets, graywater is not toxic and is actually a good source of irrigation water for trees, plants, and lawns. Graywater recycling systems are designed to collect and filter all graywater in the home and then pump it through an irrigation system to recycle the water and nutrients. Again, graywater recycling systems aren't cheap, usually costing between $2,000 and $4,000; however, they are far less expensive than installing a new septic system, and they'll save a lot of money on water costs if you do want to irrigate your outdoor plants.
As you can see, living off the grid while still enjoying modern conveniences is far from impossible. With a little research and thinking outside the box, it's easy to create a restful rural retreat where you can enjoy the peace and quiet of nature, while still enjoying the basics of running water and electricity in your vacation home.
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