Collecting rainwater can become a lifesaving task.
Learning to collect rainwater serves as a life-saving tool if you ever encounter an emergency where you lack water. Alternatively -- and more practically -- many gardeners desire to collect rainwater to utilize them for watering their plants. Most techniques revolve around finding an area of water accumulation or installing a device to re-distribute rainwater.
Installing a Rain Barrel
Roofs have extremely large surface areas in most cases. Due to their design -- usually flat planes creating corners -- rain will generally flow off of several different sections of most roofs. A technique to utilize what would otherwise be wasted rainwater is installing a rain barrel, which can be bought at home improvement stores. Some of these devices collect water for later use, while others redistribute rainwater immediately.
Using Hollow Objects
Nearly anything that has a large volume and empty space becomes a useful collector of rainwater in an emergency situation. Items, such as cups, buckets and cans can collect empty flowing water. Alternatively, with the right cloth or clothes -- meaning water-resistant material -- a folded container can be created to collect falling water. If you lack water-resistant clothing, use any other cloth material to soak up water, which can then be squeezed out into containers.
Ground Holes
If you come across a standing puddle, the water should be avoided at all cost, as bacteria commonly accumulate in still water; however, creating a hole in the ground can be extremely useful in an emergency. When rainfall occurs, create several large holes in the ground; each will collect rainwater, which can then be transferred to a container if needed. After the water sets for over a day, it is far more likely to be bacteria-infested.
Solar Still
A bit more creative solution is a solar still, which doesn't require rainfall in order to be effective. The contraption requires a can or container and a large piece of plastic or similar material. Start by digging a large hole in the ground, making sure the plastic will completely cover the hole. Place the can in the center of the pit. Cover the hole with the plastic, making it air-tight. Hold the plastic in place using rocks or other objects. Leave a little slack in the plastic and place a small rock in the center to make a dip directly over the can. Moisture should collect on the non-exposed surface of the sheet, which will flow to the lowest point on the sheet and drip into the container.
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