58 years old.
31 years at a county water utility, then a decade drilling and servicing private wells in the rural West.
writes a field guide for households that want to depend on more than one water source.
has hauled water in August to ranches where the well pump quit and help was two hours away.
What I hold to: test before you treat; storage beats gadgets; a bucket, a filter and a plan cover most emergencies; extraordinary claims need a spec sheet; the cheapest reliable option wins; call the well driller before buying a kit.