Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Using Lake for Home Water Supply????

I don't have good records on expense, especially electric. I would guess the electric to be minmal - less than $5 per month.
I probably go through 20 gal. of bleach (for the chlorine) annually at maybe $1.50 per gallon.
I get 5 gal of soda ash for $20 and it lasts 5 years - I only put it in when called for - I relate the faling PH to the introduction of oak leaves in the fall.
I used to spend time and money on water softener salt. Took it out last year thinking my mostly rainwater pond should be plenty soft. The wife complained about the change so I added a device that acts like a water softener. It is called a clearwave water conditioner and it straps onto the main water line. You plug it in and it does something to the minerals in the water - ionization? - that makes them slippery and they don't stick to metal (bottom of water heater, the water heater elements, showerhead, faucets) - they just stay suspended and go down the drain. Wife is happy and no more bags of salt. It is made by Fields Controls and sold through plumbing-heating wholesalers.
You will have plenty of water. Your climate and rainfall are close to ours - our pond is only 100' x 100' and 12 deep in the middle. One year (1988?) it was dry and with 4 of using the water it got low enough (down 4 or 5') to worry me. But it recovered. Now there are only 2 of us. But that is one of the reasons (water security) we added our second pond which is now filling up.
My little pond probaly only has 1/2 acre of watershed. I think the year it got low the fish may have been drinking the water.