Water system is essentially based on gravity.  There is a bucket that catches the gravity fed water, which is used to bucket flush a toilet.

The difference is in price between the S-Pod water system and the Global Model system is mainly the electricity and plumbing equipment that is needed to pressurize and heat water instead of gravity feeding water from a cistern straight into your home.  

We have recently invested in a $20 pump that uses very minimal electricity and 5-gallon water container next to the 45 degree plastic (south facing windows) in an insulated box that allows for gravity fed hot water and a kitchen sink within the home.  The pump works off of a one-room power system that is integrated into the S-Pods.  Normally, in a Global Model Earthship, we spend about $5,000 on hot water.  This is about $50 or less for this system.

The shower has no plumbing and drains directly into a rock bed which feeds into a botanical cell.  The toilet is directly over its septic tank (“outlaw” septic system), which is basically a combination between an outhouse and a conventional toilet.  It is a bucket flush, so there is no pressurized water system.  The shower water is directed into botanical cells where the plants clean the water (like that of the global model) and is reused and recollected with the $20 pump and that is run into a bucket.  It is controlled by a switch that is powered by the one-room power system that will be used to bucket flush the toilet.

The power system is a one–room power system.  It is a unit on the market for jump-starting cars, but we have modified and put a charge control on it with an 8-year battery.  This takes something off of the market that is usually about $250 dollars and spending a few hundred more dollars to add to it which creates a power package with a $200 PV panel creating enough power to run a few LED lights in one room, the water pumps, and allow for a phone/laptop charger.  Can be added to each room or “U” to the building.

Here, instead of a $30,000, you have a $700 power system.  Altogether takes a $50-60,000 set of utilities and brings it down to a few grand to operate.  This is extremely significant.

The S-Pod is ideas because it provides shelter with a situation that then requires no fuel to heat or cool.  It is a fraction of the cost and can always be modified and added to.