How to Collect Rainwater

Collecting rainwater is a great way to boost your fresh water source. During a survival situation collecting rainwater is a very important. Freshwater may not always be abundant so when it is available collecting and storing it is essential. As long as the US government is not in control still during a natural disaster or major catastrophe collecting rainwater will be allowed. Unfortunately many states have laws against people collecting rainwater because the city or state does not get their tax dollars when you do this. You will also be accused of stealing water from others by collecting rainwater. Rainwater can be collected in a multitude of fashions. The best way to collect rainwater is to have a barrel or container to store it in. A large flat surface that comes to a slight point making 170-degree angle will nicely channel water into your storage container.

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Fresh water can also be stored in large jugs or containers and then placed in a cool dark room to utilize later. Having rainwater collection barrels is a great way to keep up with fresh water. Even though this water is fresh and should be drinkable, it should always be boiled first. Unfortunately, in the world we live in today even the rain can be toxic. Not only have our government and world leaders managed to poison the people's public fresh water supply have managed to start poisoning the natural water supply of the planet as well. Collecting rainwater is not as hard as it seems and rain barrels should be emptied immediately upon the end of rain, so the water does not sit and become stagnant.

 

You say the rain can be toxic, but rainwater is a great source to collect from for obvious reasons. What can we do if we're collecting rainwater to purify or filter it? It's literally free water falling from the sky, would be a shame if it wasn't useful due to toxins.

 

I know someone who has made a real serious hobby out of collecting her rainwater. She says she can fill up a barrel pretty fast, just from collecting the dewfall every morning.

 

We have been to Batanes last year, it is a backward place and the northernmost province of the Philippines. I said backward because they have no convenience stores, ATM, and everything is rural. But anyway, there is a makeshift cafe that serves brewed coffee. It is an old house although the owner looks quite well off. Something caught the eye of my husband... an over the ground cistern for collecting rain water. The owner said that collecting water is a tradition in their province since they have no water system in the olden days. And the cistern is still being used although the owner, a middle aged woman, said it is difficult to pump out the water - the drain is not working so they resort to the pump. But the rainwater can still be collected.

Here is the photo of that overground cistern with me in the background -

 

Learn how to make and install gutters as this will ensure that you collect as much rain water as you can. If it rains heavily once, I'm sure you'll collect enough water to fill all your storage containers. After you learn how to make and install gutters you'll need to find ways to store as much rain water as you can if you don't have enough containers that can hold enough water for you to use until it starts raining the next season.

 

I watcched a show once, I think it was Bear Grylls, that was showing you how to collect water from plants when it's hot. I think you had to tie a bin bag around the leaves and it would collect the water coming from the plant. Obviously you wouldn't get much but a little is better than none.

 

In our country, there are some areas that are inaccessible and aridity is the order of the day. I live in the tropics and there are some places that are dry. The popular method of water harvesting is use of water pans. We are sorrounded by the ocean (we are not landlocked) and desalinisation is quite expensive). It behoves people to tap runoff by building collapsible tanks during periods of heavy rainfall. I reckon that the future belongs to to those who are able to tap water resources (those which are inaccessible) in order to check drought situations.

 

I believe that collecting rain water should be legal all area and that the government doesn't have the right to claim something that isn't theirs. With water supplies decreasing ever so often on this planet collecting rain water is going to be essential. Although it has toxins you can boil it as you said or you can use this unique tool called the Life Straw. This tool is a straw that filters water through epicenter and removes bacteria, pollutants, and toxins. Not only is this easy to use but it's easy to clean as well. In conclusion, soon rainwater will be essential for us as humans.

 

I have an 80-litre water butt in the garden; given the amount of rain we have in England it's very rarely empty!

I am quite shocked to hear that in the US, it's actually illegal to collect rainwater! But - could you not have one in your garden and disguise it as something else - you could hide it behind a big bush, for example - surely there must be a way?

 

Wow! Collecting rainwater is illegal in US? That's NEWS to me! Why is it illegal? The rainwater just falls freely and it can't be helped if some of it falls into an open water container!

 

I actually don't have a proper system made for collecting rain water, I simply set up a couple of big buckets and let the water pile up, then I use an alcohol filter or a basic one to get rid of all the impurities. The water is without any residue and it tastes perfect.
That over the ground cystern looks pretty incredible, @Corzhens.

 

Hahaha, I wasn't sure but it had to be one of them! I think the Bear Grylls one was him drinking snake juice or something.

 

This sounds like the best way to go in a survival situation. It's a shame that some places made this illegal, this is something nature provides there shouldn't be any regulations on that. I think boiling it would be wise, or if you need to drink some right away use a life straw. When I watch these survival shows only a few people try to collect rain water most look for shelter and stay there until it's done.

 

I am interested in large collection containment units for harvesting rainwater as an off the grid means of supplying a self sufficient residential cabin. I have seen many articles and You Tube videos on the different materials, shapes, and types (above ground or underground) of containers available, with no definitive answer as to which type is least toxic and best suits the minimal need for a family of my size (myself and 4 children).

 

I have a large water butt, and It saves a lot on the water usage, and also could supply you for months if well treated. Its all well and good doing other water prep stuff, but if you don't have 200 litres at the click of a finger, then all your filtration stuff will be useless. Water Butts are one of the foremost things a prepper should have.

 

I agree. I believe the government has no right to restrict the use of rainwater considering the fact that it is not something that can be owned by government OR individuals. Here in Georgia, RWH is not only allowed, but there is an online PDF here which outlines the harvesting guidelines. The PDF speaks about how burdened the public water supply is, the benefits of RWH, and gives a history on rainwater harvesting among other things. I invite others to check it out as there are some very interesting facts contained in the reading.

 

Im also planning to collect rain water as my main source of drinking water supply. Buying mineralized or distilled water is becoming a burden , purifier doesn't actually do the job well if you attached it to your tap. With rain water, im sure its clean.