The Pump House

The backup and supplementary water source that only gets called when the Sky Well is critically low. Manages a well, provides solar or manual backup pumping, and enforces rain-first logic.

Footprint Small dedicated structure or well house at the well headwell, pump, pressure tank, controls, solar/manual backup. Yield Supplementary / emergency supplywhatever the well can sustainably deliver when rain is insufficient. Cycle On-demand when called; monthly/quarterly tests; annual quality and maintenance.

Cost tier committedDifficulty monthLand lotFirst benefit ~14 days

② The Manifest

The parts list. Cores are what you actually need; “if you prefer” opens cheaper, local, or heritage swaps — never budget fallbacks, just other good ways.

Well / source

Drilled or dug well with known sustainable yield and good water qualitymajor capital cost

Know your aquifer — static level, drawdown, recovery rate. A marginal well is still better than no backup.

if you prefer… (1)

Spring or high water table hand-dug welllower in right conditionsLower cost in suitable geology.

Pump

Submersible pump sized to well yield and lift (or jet pump for shallow)~$300–1,500

Match pump to sustainable output. Include check valve and easy pull system.

if you prefer… (1)

Hand pump or solar direct-drive pump as primary/backup$200–800True sovereign option when electricity is unavailable.

Power for pump

Dedicated small solar array + MPPT + battery (or direct solar pump) + manual/hand backup~$500–2,000 for dedicated small solar

Pump House must run independently of main house power. Size for worst month.

if you prefer… (1)

PTO-driven pump from tractordepends on tractorGood for short-term emergency.

Pressure tank and controls

Pressure tank + pressure switch/controller with 'rain priority' input or manual override~$150–400

The enforcement mechanism. Default must be 'well pump is off.'

if you prefer… (1)

Simple manual valves with clear labelingminimalLowest tech, requires disciplined operators.

Treatment

Sediment filter + UV or other treatment appropriate to well water~$300–1,000

Well water often has iron, hardness, bacteria. Treat for what your water actually needs.

Monitoring

Well level sensor or airline, hour meter, flow meter, simple logbook~$100–400

You must know how much you are taking and how the aquifer responds. Over-pumping ruins wells.

if you prefer… (1)

Manual dip tape or airline + notebookvery lowWorks if disciplined.

③ The Sequence

01Know your well1 day + lab Professional or self evaluation: static level, drawdown at various rates, recovery time, water quality. Know sustainable yield in gallons per day/week.
02Install pump, pressure system, and dedicated power1–3 days Set pump at correct depth. Install pressure tank, controller, dedicated small solar or manual backup. Must run independently of main house.
03Build the priority switching logic4–12 hrs Sensor or manual system that only enables Pump House when Sky Well is critically low. Test thoroughly. Default = locked out.
04Add treatment and monitoring4–8 hrs Install appropriate treatment. Add level/flow/runtime monitoring. Create maintenance schedule (monthly test run, annual static level).
05Document the 'only when necessary' discipline2–4 hrs + ongoing Write the rule plainly and post it. Example: 'Only when Sky Well below 20% and no rain forecast for 7+ days. All non-critical irrigation suspended first.'
06Integrate and test in drought simulation1–2 days simulation + first year observation Simulate low-rain period. Confirm critical loads still served while non-critical uses are curtailed. Hierarchy must be physically enforced.

⑤ The Echo

The Reluctant Backup12 min

Why the Pump House must be the last resort. Energy cost, aquifer depletion risk, maintenance burden. Designing the whole Well domain around 'rain first' changes the psychology.

Know Your Aquifer Like You Know Your Soil10 min

Deep responsibility of drawing groundwater. Measure sustainable yield. Over-pumping is slow-motion disaster. Deep Reserve + demand reduction must come before relying on the well as primary.

⑥ Feeds

How this rig connects to the rest of the Ark.

← energy The Sun Bank Solar → powers backup well pump
← energy The Backup Rack Emergency power → pumping during extended outages
← information The Sentry Well pump status alerts
→ material The Porch Garden Backup water source when rainwater is not available — well water or aged tap water (chlorine off-gassed 24+ hrs) works fine for wicking-bed reservoirs
→ material The Guild Ring Backup water source during long dry periods, especially in the first 2 years; after establishment, the guild should be water-self-sufficient in most climates
→ material The Walipini Backup water source if Sky Well and Deep Reserve are insufficient — particularly during long dry spells or after heavy harvest demand has emptied rainwater storage
→ material Field Plot Supplemental irrigation during establishment year and drought windows. A mature Field Plot rarely needs this; year-1 plots and drought-prone climates depend on it. Drip line or hand-water from the Pump House.

Well · The Pump House · well/pump-house Offline? Same path on any Ark Mirror.