Outdoor Water Supply from Lake

[Dave1985]

So I'm looking at buying a house in New Hampshire where the winters get cold. They use water that comes from the lake which is about 30-40 feet away.
they had a buried water line that is crushed and they replaced it with another water line that is on the surface, so obviously it freezes in the winter.
Assuming I can not fix the underground pipe and assuming I do not have enough land to drill a well, what are my options for the pipe above ground?
Insulate it? Use heat tape? Both? and then bury it a little under the ground?
Thanks!

 

[LLigetfa]

Insulate it. As long as it get regular (frequent) use, it should not freeze. For less frequent use some people put in a drain-back system.

http://www.cottagewatersupply.com/

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jimbo]

In souther NH the freeze line is probably about 42" deep! Insulation does little to keep a pipe from freezing. You could use heat tape, which is an expensive solution. Is this a year round occupancy? If not, figure out how to winterize. If it is year-round, get the pipe installed at the proper depth.

 

[hj]

The bigger question is whether the "lake water is really potable water", unless you only use it for utility purposes.