Sourcing our drinking water from the top of a waterfall—now that’s refreshing!

Living where we do on rural D’Urville Island, we’re used to the fact that we’re on our own when it comes to sourcing our resources. The idea of connecting to a ‘water main’ is as out-there as picking up groceries from a ‘local shop’ or refueling at a ‘fuel stop’. But when it comes to collecting our drinking water, this definitely has me counting our blessings!

There’s no town supply for us my friends, which means no added chlorine, no fluoride, and no recycling (I find the idea of drinking water that’s already passed through several people just a bit disturbing!)

Nope. It’s just fresh, mineralised H₂O straight from the source and harvested through the power of gravity.

Our rural water solution

Now, I know it’s pretty common for rural New Zealand properties to source their own water—we are a relatively small population spread over a geographically challenging landscape, after all. But this usually boils down to one of two collection methods: either channeling rainwater into a tank, or pumping groundwater up from a bore.

We’ve experienced both systems in various past locations, both have their quirks, both can provide perfectly adequate sources of water. But nothing has ever come close to matching the water we have here.

Here, thanks to our isolation and the specific characteristics of this property, our water is just that little bit special!

You see, there are several natural springs that flow through our valley, given height and flow by the steep hills that border us. And these streams, most importantly, have no grazed farmland above them—just regenerating bush and pine plantation. Why does this matter? Well, it means no dodgy farm sprays can run off the hills and contaminate the water—and no animal poop either!

In essence, this enables us to collect our water straight from a clear mountain stream, high up in a gut above the valley floor. Actually, we source it from just above a waterfall—I’m not sure many people can lay claim to that!

This means that our water is fresh, naturally mineralized, and buzzing with good bacteria.

And, as an added bonus, gravity does all the hard work for us—no pump, and therefore no electricity, required. Our water is delicious and environmentally friendly!

Journey to the source

One of the most fun aspects of our unique water supply, is the expedition required to reach the top.

Once through the long grass of the valley, it’s bush scramble all the way—best done in bare feet, of course.

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Reaching the stream, we can just keep tracking the waterpipe upwards. Climbing up besides the four waterfalls gets a bit gnarly, but thankfully we seem to have mountain goats for children, used to rock hoping and rough terrain.

I have to appeal against their better judgement to get them to slow down and wait for me—which they do, by taking detours in search of treasure or getting drenched!

Finally, the end is in sight—quite literally! Sheathed in protective cloth and filters, the end of our waterpipe paints a humble picture, but It’s just one stage in our water’s amazing journey down to our tap.

A journey that on a hot day, is refreshing like nothing else I’ve ever experienced!

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Standing beneath a freezing torrent of water becomes a little like a game of ‘chicken’—who can stay the longest? (Not usually me!)

Keeping it fresh

A couple of small holding tanks at intervals along the pipe help to manage the relatively low flow, plus ensure the water isn’t sitting too long. This, coupled with a sand filter that removes organic particles and large microbes, helps to keep our water safe for drinking—we do have to take some precautions after all.

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And of course, there is a downside to this system (isn’t there always?!) If any part of it gets a glitch, or if, say, a storm pours forth and disturbs the pipe, it can mean a long walk and some sleuthing to try and fix things—which, according to sod’s law, doesn’t usually happen on a sunny day!

But good-old Kiwi ingenuity seems to be part-and-parcel of this Island adventure and, all things considered, I recon it’s a small price to pay.

If you’ve got it, why not drink it?

Obviously, I’m not advocating for everyone to start drinking water from their nearest stream, I mean in some countries that is how you contract cholera! And that’s not forgetting that giardia is ever-present in New Zealand waters—though more people contract it from contaminated town supply than anything else (just saying). Everyone needs to exercise common sense and take care.

But that’s what makes our D’Urville Island water so special, because we can safely drink it fresh and alive straight from the source. Exactly as nature intended, and exactly as human beings have evolved drinking it for hundreds of thousands of years!

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