Catch Rainwater to Drink
Rainwater is a free source of water that can be used for a number of things, even drinking. There are various ways of catching rainwater for personal use. Some are easier than other to set up, but need more preparation before drinking the water. There is no right or wrong way to catch rainwater, and one way to catch the water is to use the downspout found on most homes to drain water from the gutters and roof of the house. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Clean the roof and gutter on your home, as well as the barrel or bucket you are using. Remove any leaves and debris that collected into the gutters and rinse out with a water hose. Soap and water can be used, but isn't necessary.
2. Cut a 4-inch long piece of PVC pipe. Drill a hole in the center of the plywood big enough to place the piece of 1/2-inch PVC pipe through. Place the PVC pipe through the hole in the plywood and glue in place.
3. Cut a hole in the bottom of the small bucket. Place the five-gallon bucket on top of the PVC pipe that's sticking out of the top of the piece of plywood. Glue the bucket in place.
4. Place a layer of cotton batting 1-inch thick in the bottom of the bucket. Place a carbon or charcoal filter (purchased at aquarium stores) on top of the cotton batting that you placed into the bottom of the bucket. The cotton batting and charcoal filter filters the rain water, so you can drink it.
5. Place the plywood with the bucket attached to it on top of the barrel. This will block out any dirty water from entering the barrel.
6. Measure the height of the barrel with the ply wood and bucket on top of it and cut the drain spout to where the mouth of the spout hangs 6 to 8 inches above the top of the barrel.
7. Measure the end of the drain spout and cut a piece of screen or net the same size as the measurements. Place the screen or net on the bottom of the drain spout. This will eliminate most debris that may enter the drain spout from entering the barrel .
8. Place the barrel underneath the drain spout -- directly underneath it. Level the area as needed with your foot or use a shovel. Bricks and stones also can be used to level the area if needed.
9. Wait for the rain. Place 10 to 12 drops of bleach into every gallon of water you harvest to prevent bacteria growth when storing. Chlorine tablets can be used as well; just follow the manufacturer's instructions. To disinfect small amounts of water, boil the water for several minutes to kill any bacteria.
Tags: drain spout, cotton batting, area needed, barrel Measure, bottom bucket, Catch Rainwater Drink, charcoal filter