Rainfall collection is a very prudent method to ensure that you have enough water to get you by for whatever reason you are prepping. People have been collecting rainwater since prehistoric times. The practice most certainly predates the use of wells. The collection of rainwater was essential to people throughout history in case of drought, and the harvest of rainwater has become a forgotten practice to most of the public in today’s times.
Technically, rainwater is not potable or drinkable without a water filter, but you will be needing water for a lot more than drinking in a grid down scenario. This topic might be more well suited for our suburban preppers as opposed to our urban preppers, but rainfall capture is a really smart and worthwhile addition to your preps.
If you live in an urban area, you might still have some options. You might have access to the roof of your building. You might have an outdoor parking space in which you can fit your tank at the front of the space and still possibly fit your car in the space as well. Or maybe you have a balcony on your apartment in which this can be done. Those who live in townhouses typically have a fenced in patio where this could definitely be done. It is a little bit more tricky for those in an urban setting as opposed to those with a backyard for sure.
For those who live in a house with a yard, rainfall harvesting is a no brainer. It’s the perfect addition to your stored drinkable water, which you won’t want to use to bathe yourself or wash dishes with if you don’t have to. If you have a suitable water filter, you can drink the rainwater too. If it isn’t filtered, you run the risk of getting sick, but an upset tummy is probably a lot better than dying of dehydration. Given a choice, I would rather drink unfiltered rainwater than unfiltered pond water, if you are within reasonable distance of a body of water like a pond that is. If you have a water filter though, you will have an abundance of drinkable all purpose water that should get you through and help you survive.
Unfortunately, different states have different rules in place for rainwater collection. Bureaucracy at its finest. Some states have restrictions, like your tank has to be such and such size and you can only harvest a certain amount, whereas other states offer incentives for collecting rainwater and you can collect as much as you want. I look at it as more of an ordinance than a law. I would never advocate breaking the law, so if you live in a state with heavy restrictions on this practice, I’d weigh the pros and cons.
If you live in a house, your roof and gutters can collect more rainwater than anything else. Metal roofs are thought to be the best, tile and wood shingle roofs are good, and asphalt shingle roofs can be good too, but only after the roof is a few years old. When asphalt shingles are new, they leach (yucky) stuff. Terracotta, enameled steel, glazed slate and concrete tiles are also great roof materials for rainwater harvesting.
You can also set up your rainwater catchment system on the roof of a garage, greenhouse, shed or outbuilding. When you see the incredible amount of water that can be harvested on the roof of a 1200 square foot house, you might find it more practical to set your system up on one of these smaller roofs you might have access to.
A rainwater collection system only requires a few essential parts. You can design a very simple system where you have a down spout in the gutter which empties into a leaf screen which collects all the leaves. The leaf screen will be a relatively (wide screen) as the holes won’t be big enough for leaves to make it through. Next, a (fine screen) can catch any dirt or particles that the leaf screen didn’t catch. From there, the water will be routed directly into your tank or tanks.
The storage tank or barrel you choose is important. I would advise selecting a storage unit that is BPA free and free of other chemicals. It is also very important to select a storage unit that is not white or transparent. When sunlight isn’t blocked, there is a real risk of algae forming and ruining your water supply. If you got a really good deal on a white or transparent tank I suppose you could paint it, but it would be much better to just purchase one that isn’t white or transparent in color.
When things get bad, if you don’t have your water harvesting system in place, and you’re lucky enough to have it rain, consider setting up a tarp at an angle (perhaps over some lawn chairs), and have the water flow into a barrel. This bare bones method can harvest a surprising volume of rainwater, and
