In article rs.com, gabriel
says...

I've wondered about putting a tank on the 2nd floor of the house. (Like a

This is exactly what the third world countries do (except the tank is on the
roof)...


Yep, this is what I found in rural Thailand in 1995. The water system ran
throughout the country, primarily an exposed 3" pvc pipe alongside the road,
and buried very shallow to cross a road. Every house had a single tap connected
by a small flexible water line (about 1/2").

People simply used the central water system to refill their existing water
containers, which were large, outside pottery jars in the most primitve cases,
indoor cement tanks in the moderate homes, and rooftop tanks for homes and
businesses that had water pressure.

In most cases, people just left their tap open *all the time*, so flow was
reduced to a mere trickle, but that was enough to slowly refill the tanks.

Homes without water pressure used water by dipping from the tanks. A smaller
tank was beside the toilet to permit flushing by pouring water down the hole.
In the home we stayed in, a small frog lived in the indoor tank, which was
about 200 gallons or so. Didn't drink the water, but locals used it for
cooking, washing dishes, etc., so a case of intestinal something followed me
home despite my being careful.

DT