New Year comes in cold!

It's a cold, cold new year that has blown in the inlet. 2010 ended well and I look forward to a good 2011. Right away though the new year is a challenge out here in the bush. Our water line has frozen as it always does when it dips below freezing.
The water pipe running through the forest from the stream is in shade and it eventually freezes after so many days of freezing weather. We prepare for it with a lot of 5 gal buckets of rainwater for washing and a drinking water supply on the back porch.
Our little pelton wheel is running but the smaller pipe to the house has frozen. Usually this only lasts a few days. We have lots of ideas to solve this occasional problem, but never seem to get around to it. The easiest solution would be to put some heat tape on the pipe from the house. We have never done this because of the electrical draw on our system. However, we have been getting an increase in amps from the system so we are thinking of trying it.
Just the beginning of fun problems to solve living off grid!
Happy New Year to everyone!