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ReVision co-owner Erik Mitchell pauses to give an update while digging a trench for the plastic pipe which feeds water from the well to the storage tanks.
A project that ReVision co-owner Josh Baston developed recently came together with the help fellow ReVisionistas, Thomas Tutor and Erik Mitchell. Josh designed and organized the project to build an off-grid water pump and water storage system for the Harpswell Community Garden located at Mitchell Field off Harpswell Neck Road, Harpswell, ME.
The Harpswell Community Garden is a town-sponsored recreation program and is organized by a volunteer committee, with financial support from the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust. There, novice and experienced gardeners alike can rent two sizes of plots, and access the Harpswell heritage orchard and a children’s play area.
Erik Mitchell and Josh Baston admire their work.
The relatively simple system is made up of two 200 gallon storage tanks that gravity feed water to two hose hookups, providing water to the gardens. To keep the tanks full, there is a submersible pump that goes into a well about 50? away from the tanks.
When the sun comes out, a single solar module provides power to the pump, which in turn pumps water through a 1/2? plastic hose buried underground that feeds the tanks. Once the tanks are full, a float switch kills power to the pump.
Josh Baston, Thomas Tutor and Erik Mitchell arrived on Friday, planning on getting a good start on things and finish up during a second session on another weekend. However, after only a few minor setbacks and one trip to Lowe’s, they were able to finish that same day!
They packed up Friday afternoon as the tanks were filling. Erik went by the next night to check in: “My wife and I went to dinner in Harpswell on Saturday night and swung by the Community Garden afterwards to find the tanks were full of water!”
