A tarp, like one used for camping, makes an excellent rain catcher.
With a rain catcher made from a tarp and little ingenuity, you can catch the most natural form of water in the world. Farming rainwater and storing it in containers is a wonderful way to meet the water needs of areas that don't have electricity available for pumping water. Setting up a rain catchment system is easy with the use of a tarp, rope, trees, if available, and tall posts. A large and clean storage container is needed if you wish to store drinking water for long periods of time. With the proper planning, enough rain can be captured to provide enough drinking water for a village. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Level and stabilize the ground that will be under the tank using the shovel. Remove any rocks, stones, or twigs.
2. Place the tank in the newly cleared area.
3. Unfold the tarp and lay it on the ground with one side against the tank.
4. Plant the 2 12-foot posts at opposite sides of the tarp 1 foot inside the edge of each of the corners.
5. Dig holes with the post hole digger to a 3-foot depth.
6. Insert the poles into the holes and fill in the holes with the displaced soil with a shovel.
7. Tamp the soil with the end of the shovel to firmly pack the soil into the holes around the posts.
8. Secure the tarp near the top of the posts by running a piece of rope through the grommets of the tarp and wrapping the closest post with the free ends of the rope and tying them together. Attach both sides of the tarp in this manner to the posts. Allow the tarp to sag and create a funnel when suspended.
9. Dig holes for the 2 6-foot posts at the end of the tarp by the tank.
10. Plant the two posts 1 foot inside the width of the corners using the same method as the previous posts.
11. Attach the tarp to the shorter posts using rope fed through the grommets. Wrap the posts with the free ends of the rope to secure the tarp to the posts, creating a long, sloping funnel into the water-holding tank. Wait for rain.
Tags: drinking water, ends rope, foot inside, free ends, free ends rope, holes with, into holes