A Comment on the Comments

I should clarify that we do have "mod cons"--its just that anyone outside the city limits has to haul water and fill cisterns.  There is an old well on our property [err--it was our property until Friday morning!] and we originally hooked into that.  The water was abundant but of a harsh quality which left my long hair feeling like a horses' tail, left streaky white deposits on the dishes and glassware and clogged the dishwasher and built up on all the faucets.
So, J. installed the cistern and we have hauled water.
We have been careful in our use and a tank lasts a week, with daily showers, the laundry, using the dishwasher every other day with two of us.