Why We Still Use a Holding Tank

 Why We Still Use a Holding Tank 

(And Why I Don't Mind Telling the Story)

When people visit our little homestead, one of the first questions they ask is, "Why do you have a holding tank?"

It's a fair question.

Most people expect a house to be connected directly to city water. Ours isn't—not yet.

But that holding tank tells the story of this homestead better than almost anything else.

When I bought this place, there was no electricity, no running water, and no finished living space. The room I'm living in now was just an empty shell. Before I could ever think about decorating or planting flowers, I had to make the house livable.

After getting the electricity turned on, I called about water.

That's when I was told the water line had been disconnected years ago and that reconnecting the house would cost several thousand dollars.

At the time, that simply wasn't possible.

So instead of giving up, I found another way.

I bought a 275-gallon holding tank and started hauling water from McAlester. At first, I hauled just 55 gallons at a time in the back of my old Ford F-150. Some days I made three or four trips just to keep enough water for cooking, washing dishes, and taking a shower.

It wasn't easy, but it worked.

As time went on, I learned how to install PEX plumbing, connected the holding tank to a pump, and slowly brought running water into the house. My son built my kitchen cabinets, and together we made this little place feel more like home.

Eventually we added a small water heater, a working shower, and a toilet. It wasn't fancy, but after months of hauling water by hand, it felt like a luxury.

Then something unexpected happened.

After Chris and I got back together, we decided to investigate an old frost-free hydrant on the property. We traced the line toward the road, dug a little, and discovered the old water meter can.

The water line had been there all along.

Once the septic system passed inspection, the city installed a new water meter.

Today, city water fills our holding tank through a simple garden hose, and a pump supplies water to the house. One day we'll connect everything directly, but for now, this system serves us well.

Every time I refill that tank, I'm reminded of where we started.

This homestead didn't come with all the conveniences.

It came with possibilities.

Every project we've completed has been one more step toward making this little place our own. From carrying lamps into the bathroom before the lights were wired, to finally hearing our washer and dryer run for the first time, every improvement has been worth celebrating.

That's something I've learned about homesteading.

Not every homestead is move-in ready.

Sometimes you don't inherit a picture-perfect farmhouse.

Sometimes you start with an empty room, a few tools, a whole lot of determination, and a dream.

And that's okay.

Because homesteading isn't about perfection.

It's about building a life, one project at a time.

Our story is still being written.

And honestly, I think that's the best part.