On January 9, 2014, a local chemical company experienced a significant leak that contaminated the public water supply for over 300,000 people. Complicating things was the local government’s lack of planning, and inability to prevent the contaminant from being distributed throughout the largest public water system in the state.

Scenarios such as this, not a made-for-TV false-reality show, is the reason many responsible people have some plan to care for themselves and their families when the disaster happens. I say “when” because it will happen.

Last spring I set up two food-grade containers to collect rainwater. I primarily used it for my container garden, but it also serves as a source of water for times of emergency. During the initial days of our water crisis, I worked out just how much water I routinely needed for day-to-day activities.

 

If you’ve ever considered creating a water collection system, you may be interested in the book Rainwater Catchment Systems for Domestic Supply: Design, Construction and Implementation.

The book will help you determine what type of system is best for you. There are multiple sized projects that help you provide supplemental water or a complete household system.

 

 

By Robin Holstein

Tags: chemical spill, chemleak, collection systems, emergency, preparedness, water