Long Lines for Water? No Worries….Water Catchment

When news of an upcoming hurricane happens, the first thing people do is go buy water. It’s essential, but sometimes water can be costly and it can run out. What do you do then? I wonder to myself, “why is this even a question?” We are about to have hundreds of gallons of water poured down on us in a matter of a few hours.  Use what God gives free to your advantage. Introducing – Water Catchment.

One thing that you can do is make a quick emergency water catchment system. Antoine and I have been tinkering around with a miniature emergency catchment system and we are going to share what we have with you! You can most definitely increase the size of the container. In fact, I highly suggest you do. Also, keep in mind, in some places, this can be illegal, so make sure you check your municipal laws. However, in emergency situations, hey you have to do what you have to do. I do NOT advocate breaking the law, but I DO advocate living. So, if you are able, here is a quick way to create an emergency water catchment system that you can use.

Of note – In an emergency, you may not have time to drill and what not. Just use the quick method. Then, if you have time, try the more intricate one. This tutorial has been put together after doing my own research of how catchment systems work. You may need to tweak things for your purposes.

Things you need:

• CLEAN and sanitized (with a little bleach and air dried), BLACK or DARK garbage cans, Tote containers, or food grade buckets (you can usually get buckets for free from your local grocery store bakery). Do NOT use any container that has had chemicals contained in it. Use a dark/black container to help prevent algae growth. Also, if possible, get containers with wheels for easy mobility.
• Spigot that can turn on and off
• Waterproof sealant
• Washers and rubber rings (if you have the above spigot or spigot kit, you may not need these)
• Drill
• Mosquito netting, landscaping fabric, or other tight knit fabric to keep bugs and debris out of your water
• Water purification/cleansing tablets (optional)
• Empty gallon water/juice jugs or 2L soda bottles

What you will do:

1. With this catchment system, we used free 3 gallon frosting buckets our local grocery store gives away for free. They are white, so to make them “dark” to prevent algae, we used black gorilla tape to cover the container and lid.
2. Drill a hole near the bottom of your container. This is where you will place your spigot. Make sure you leave enough room for a bowl, cup, or pot to be placed under the spigot.
3. Place a washer on your threaded side of the spigot and place the rubber ring behind the washer. Now place your sealant around the rubber ring to help prevent leaking. Remember this step, you will use it again in the next step.
4. Then, place the threaded spigot end through the hole you created with the drill. Repeat above step (step 2) from inside the container. To keep the spigot in place, use a hose clamp.
5. Next, you want to make a funnel. Most people would now be ready to place their water catchment container under their downspouts from their roofs, but I do NOT suggest that for drinking purposes. If you are catching water just for washing or flushing your toilets, the downspouts would be just fine. But, do not DRINK the water from your roof! There are too many contaminants such as pollen, dead bugs, bird poop, etc..

To make your funnel:

1. There are many things around your home that you can use to make a funnel. You could use…
   1. …old plastic gallon water/milk jugs
   2. ….plastic 2L soda bottles, or
   3. …if you have tin laying around, clean and use it to let the water flow down into your container.
2. We used an old orange juice container. If you choose to use plastic bottles, cut the bottom off. Cut a hole in the lid of your trashcan or container just large enough to place the mouth of the bottle in snugly. We anchored ours down with a couple of zip-ties.  You can even use some sealant to keep it in place. Use as many “funnels” that can fit in the lid of the container.
3. Cover the container with your netting. Cut this netting large enough to cover the container opening. This will keep bugs and debris from getting into your water.
4. Finally, place your lid with your filters attached over your container and wait.

How to use it:

After the storm has passed and the winds die down, but WHILE it is raining, place your water catchment system in an OPEN space, meaning, away from trees, your roof, or any place anything can fall onto your container. Then, collect your water. When ready to use, open the spigot and get what you need. If you plan to use the water for consumption either BOIL the water for 1 minute according to the CDC, or use water cleansing/purification tablets – you can also find those in your outdoors stores.

Quick Method – If you do not have time (or money) for this set up:

Need something in a pinch? Simply take a black/dark trash can or container, clean it, and cut a hole in the lid big enough to collect water. Next, put the netting over the opening of the trash can or container, secure the lid to the can and follow “How to use it” above. You won’t have a spigot, so you will need to use a clean bowl, cup, pot, or container to draw your water from the water catchment system.

There you have it. An easy way to get water if you don’t have access to bottled water!

Let us know how this worked out for you. We pray you all stay safe in this weather!