Couple Living Off-Grid in Hawaii Uses 7,000-Gallon Above-Ground Pool to Collect Rainwater for Showering, Cleaning and More (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Ellie Rose and her fiancé decided to live off-grid in Hawaii to escape the high cost of rent.

• Their home relies on a giant above-ground pool to collect rainwater, as well as solar panels and a backup generator.

• Although this lifestyle taught Rose many new skills, it also showed her how much she took for granted the daily comforts of before.

Ellie Rose and her fiancé don’t rely on a traditional water supply to run their Hawaii home. Instead, they collect rainwater in a “giant above-ground pool,” which provides water for showering, cleaning, and other household needs.

But when the island goes weeks without rain, their supply can become dangerously low, sometimes leaving them without enough water to flush the toilet or even do the dishes – a much less glamorous reality compared to the carefree life some might imagine.

“I feel like a common misconception is that there’s a lot of free time to relax living off-grid, but people maybe don’t take into account all the work that actually goes into daily life and all the mental gymnastics you have to do to make sure you’re saving enough energy and keeping the house running smoothly,” Rose, 25, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

The couple, who moved from upstate New York to Hawaii in 2019, initially came to the island looking for a change of scenery.

They were only 18 at the time and always talked about traveling and living away from home. But after spending several years paying too much rent, they realized that building a life on the island was costing more than expected.

Wanting more financial flexibility, they began looking for land and eventually found a forest property with a small cabin that needed some work. By August 2021, the couple had purchased the one-acre property for around $70,000 and began their off-grid life.

But without access to city water, the couple had to find another way to meet their daily needs. And ultimately, their solution was to use an above-ground pool “that could hold about 7,000 gallons” as a rain harvesting system.

When it rains, the pool collects water which passes through a pipe to a pump and enters the house. It powers their shower and water heater, as well as water for cleaning and other household chores.

As rainwater is not filtered or treated for consumption, Rose goes to free public taps to fill containers with drinking water, alongside a multitude of other errands, such as shopping, getting gas, and taking their waste to the transfer station.

This arrangement may be manageable when rainfall is plentiful, but a long dry spell can change everything instantly.

“During the summer we went weeks without rain and my parents would stay with us,” Rose recalls. “It was a tough time, and we had to start flushing toilets with our drinking water…and filling very large containers with water just for cleaning purposes. We weren’t showering or doing dishes every day until we could get a delivery of water from a tanker company we called.”

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Rainy weather also brings its share of challenges.

Although the watershed receives plenty of water, cloudy days mean their solar panels produce less electricity. Their system consists of four 330-watt panels and four lead-acid batteries, with a generator available when they need additional power.

The generator is especially important because their water pump relies on electricity. Without enough electricity, having water stored in the pool doesn’t necessarily mean they can bring it into the house.

During rainy times, Rose and her fiancé often run the generator for a few hours in the evening to keep their refrigerator, lights, water pump and other essentials running overnight. Appliances like their microwave and air fryer also require the generator, meaning even cooking can involve deciding how much electricity they have.

For work, Rose cleans an Airbnb treehouse, while her fiancé works at a zipline company.

Both have long commutes and the nearest main shopping district is around 45 minutes away. As a result, Rose says she usually shops once a week to avoid making unnecessary trips. “It sometimes feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done,” she says, noting that their remote location can also make simple repairs surprisingly complicated.

When they started remodeling their home, they relied on YouTube tutorials to learn how to use equipment and fix things they’d never worked on before. But with no cell service on their property, getting online meant driving about 15 minutes down the road to download videos before returning home.

And when storms knock out their Wi-Fi, Rose sometimes has to leave the property just to edit and upload her videos to social media. Between work, travel, and house maintenance, there isn’t always a lot of downtime.

Still, Rose says the experience taught her to take on responsibilities she never imagined taking on at such a young age. Whether it was starting a generator, maintaining their water heater, or hauling trash, water, and gas, she became more confident in her ability to figure things out.

“Honestly, you’re starting to realize how many modern conveniences you…took for granted before!” » Rose admits. “It’s hard to feel nice and tidy when you’re worried about running out of water or not having enough gas in the generator to run the refrigerator.”

And while the couple isn’t sure if living off-grid will be practical for them forever, especially if they decide to start a family, they are currently happy with their lifestyle.

“I’m glad we did it young, and I’m really not sure what the future holds,” Rose told PEOPLE. “I always want to have this cabin because it holds a very special place in my heart and it’s a place I can call home and feel the most free.”

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