The Two-for-One Pump: Smarter Off-Grid Water Management System

Having a reliable water source is an absolute game-changer for any off-grid hunting or fishing camp. This project outlines how to build a robust, fully functional plumbing system designed around a single shallow well pump that can be run on a mid-size generator.

This setup handles everything from pulling water out of an IBC tote to distributing pressurized cold and hot water throughout your entire camp.

Best of all, the system is designed with a built-in transfer loop, allowing you to use the exact same pump to siphon fresh water from a truck-bed transport barrel directly into your main storage tank.

For more DIY ideas, checkout my full list of projects on Reckon I'll Outdoors.

Disclaimer: This project is presented for educational and demonstration purposes only. Any modifications, alternative material selections, or use of this guide for your own builds are done entirely at your own risk. Always follow safety precautions when working with power tools or customized equipment.

Note: Some of the Amazon links below may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support future DIY builds!

Materials

1. IBC Tote Tank
2. 2-in x 1-in Schedule 40 PVC Reducing Bushing
3. 2-in. Flexible PVC Coupling
4. 1" PVC Ball Valve
5. 1" PVC Tee
6. 1" PVC Inline Spring Check Valve
7. 1" PVC Schedule 40 Pipe
8. 1" PVC 45-Degree Elbows
9. 1" Slip x 3/4" MIP Fitting
10. 3/4-in FIP x 3/4-in MHT Brass Multi-Turn Inverted Nose Garden Valve
11. Shallow Well Pump
12. 1" PVC 90-Degree Elbows
13. 1" Slip x 1" MIP Fitting
14. 3/4" Male Adapter x 1" Slip Reducer
15. 3/4 in. Brass PEX-B Barb x 3/4 in. FNPT Adapter
16. 3/4" PEX and 1/2" PEX Pipe (Lengths as layout requires)
17. 3/4-in PEX Press Inlet x 3/4-in FIP Water Heater Connections
18. 3/4 Pex Inline Ball Valve
19. 3/4" PEX Crimp/Clamp Rings
20. 1/2" PEX Crimp/Clamp Rings
21. Open Cold-Side PEX Manifold
22. 3/4" Push-to-Connect Brass Tee Fitting
23. Thermal Expansion Tank
24. 3/4" FNPT to 3/4" PEX Fitting
25. Closed-End PEX Manifold (Hot-Side)
26. Water Heater Tank
27. Heavy Duty Strapping
28. WEN 6800 Dual Fuel Generator

Tools

1. PEX Crimp or Clamp Tool
2. PVC Pipe Cutters or Hacksaw
3. Teflon Thread Sealant Tape
4. PVC Solvent Cement (Glue) and Primer

Slide the 2-inch flexible PVC coupling directly over the coarse threads of your IBC Tote Tank outlet valve and tighten the first hose clamp. Press the 2" x 1" PVC reducing bushing into the open end of the coupling and secure it firmly with the second hose clamp.

Solvent-weld a short section of 1" PVC pipe into the reducing bushing. Glue the 1" PVC ball valve onto this pipe segment to serve as your primary gravity-fed isolation control for the entire source tank.

Attach a 1" PVC tee directly after the ball valve, orienting the branch leg downward. Use two 1" PVC 45-degree elbows and short pipe sections to steer this plumbing path cleanly toward the ground. Glue the 1" slip x 3/4" MIP fitting into the bottom of your downward-facing tee leg.

Thread the 3/4" brass multi-turn garden valve onto the exposed male threads to complete your auxiliary suction/intake leg.

On the straight run coming out of the tee, install the 1" PVC inline spring check valve. This ensures water only moves forward toward the pump and guarantees the system holds its prime when the pump cycles off.

Thread a 1" slip x 1" MIP fitting securely into the front suction port of your shallow well pump using thread sealant tape. Use 1" PVC pipe and 90-degree elbows to bridge the distance from the ground-level check valve directly into this front intake fitting.

Thread a second 1" slip x 1" MIP fitting into the top vertical discharge port of the pump and glue a short section of 1" PVC pipe into it. Glue the 3/4" male adapter x 1" slip reducer onto that pipe, then thread the 3/4" brass PEX barb adapter onto the exposed threads.

Connect a length of 3/4" PEX line to the pump's discharge barb using a crimp ring and run it to your utility backing board. Crimp the other end into the intake side of your open-ended cold water PEX manifold.

Install a 3/4" PEX inline ball valve on the main line to allow for easy system isolation.

Run individual 1/2" PEX lines off the manifold's branch outlets using 1/2" PEX crimp rings to supply cold water to your camp fixtures.

Extend a 3/4" PEX line out of the open end of the cold manifold and install the 3/4" push-to-connect brass tee fitting inline. Connect the top port of your thermal expansion tank into the bottom branch of this tee using a 3/4" FNPT to 3/4" PEX fitting, then anchor the tank to the wall with strapping.

Run the remaining 3/4" PEX line from the tee over to your water heater. Thread 3/4" FNPT to 3/4" PEX adapters directly onto the water heater's inlet and outlet ports to lock the PEX lines seamlessly in place without needing independent braided hoses.

Run a red 3/4" PEX line from the water heater's hot outlet port straight into the supply connection of your closed-end hot water PEX manifold. Crimp your hot 1/2" PEX distribution lines onto the manifold ports to complete the hot water supply network for the cabin.

Cut a length of 3/4" PVC pipe long enough to reach the bottom of your external water transport barrel, cutting the bottom tip at a 45-degree angle so it won't suction to the floor. Glue the 3/4" slip x FHT PVC hose fitting to the top of the wand so a standard garden hose can attach to it.

Attach a supply hose from the auxiliary garden valve (built in Step 4) to the transfer wand, and place the wand into your external water barrel.

Attach a second hose to an external cold-water faucet on your cabin and route the open end of that hose into the top fill port of your main IBC tote.

Turn on the external cabin faucet so water loops from the main tank, through the pump, and back into the tank. Slowly open the auxiliary garden valve so the pump starts pulling from both the main tank and the transport barrel, then gradually close the main tank's inline valve once primed to force the pump to pull exclusively from the transport barrel until your main tank is full.

With this setup, you now have a fully pressurized, off-grid plumbing system that provides hot and cold water while doubling as its own self-filling transfer pump! If you build this for your own hunting lease, fishing camp, or off-grid cabin, be sure to click the "I Made It!" button below to show off your work.

For more advanced design notes, system calculations, and off-grid project ideas, be sure to check out the full build article over on Reckon I'll Outdoors.