How to collect rain water?
There are many ways to collect rainwater, most of the ways use gutters to stream the water down into a container such as with a 55 gallon drum. Keep bugs out with netting or make sure to secure the gutter to the hole of the barrel so there’s no way for bugs or other debris to get in. You can also make a DIY trash can rain collection or even use it 275 gallon totes.
If you live in an apartment, you can still collect rain water in something like several 5 gallon buckets on your balcony. Get creative.
Should you collect rain water?
Many people worry about the safety of rain water. However, with proper sanitization, the water can be consumable. The water can also be used for your garden or animals with little or no processing, depending on the source of the rain water.
Is collecting rain water illegal?
It can be illegal to collect rain water in certain areas. Check your local state and city laws.
Where can I collect water?
Water can be collected from rivers, streams, creeks and other fresh water sources.
Is collecting water from open water safe?
Always know the source of the water before collecting. Is there a plant nearby that could be dumping toxic chemicals in the water? Has there been mining in the area lately which could contaminate the water? Some water may not be safe to drink, even if sanitized, as some water sanitization methods won’t get rid of some types of chemicals.
In this saying this, all water from open sources should be sanitized first. Take a look at our water purification section.
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