The Know Your H2O team invited Amethyst Johnson to share the story behind Rural Home Helper, an online educational resource for rural homeowners. Its guiding message is simple: Be the Solution!

Why Rural Home Helper Exists

I grew up in the back country of Washington State. One place we lived did not have indoor plumbing. On our property, my dad built an outhouse, and we got our water from a well with a hand pump on it — fond memories. Watching him figure things out with no manual and no one to call stuck with me.

Years later, I started noticing how many people were navigating well water and septic questions with basically the same lack of clear information my family had. I did a research project to map out exactly where those gaps were. What I found: well test results that list contaminants in parts per billion with no explanation of which ones actually matter, septic guidance that assumes you already know what a "biomat" is, and pressure tank sizing charts built for contractors instead of homeowners standing in their basement trying to figure out why the pump won't stop cycling.

Three Practical Resources for Rural Homeowners

So after tons of research, I started building websites to fill those gaps. Rural Home Helper is three sites, not one, because the three problems are related but different: MyWellWaterTest.com for understanding what's actually in your water and what a test result means, SepticHomeFix.com for the maintenance and troubleshooting most homeowners never get taught, and PressureTankSizer.com for the mechanical side — sizing, symptoms, and fixes for the tank and pump.

None of it is abstract to me. It's the resource I wish my dad had when he was out at that hand pump, working it out on his own. If a well test result, a slow field, or a short-cycling pump sends someone looking for answers, I want what they find to actually make sense.

Hope You Enjoy !
Amethyst Johnson

Other Websites

• Know Your H2O
• B.F. Environmental Consultants
• Carbon County Groundwater Guardians
• Keystone Clean Water Team (Donate)

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