Rain capture project for off-grid cabin

By Yana DeMyer

Two years ago, my husband Jim and I started building a 12-foot by 16-foot cabin in a remote wooded parcel in Wisconsin. Because it is landlocked, but on a river, we had to float every stick of it, via our aluminum boat. Although I was more of a “Prepper” at the start (which was right about that time “Doomsday Preppers” aired on TV) we now only semi-jokingly refer to it as our “bug-out” location of last resort. I am happy to report that Jim has steadily bought into the idea over the years, and we truly enjoy our time there, pre SHTF. It’s our little getaway and hunting/fishing cabin.

A year later, we added an eight foot by 10-foot “master bedroom”, which fits two beds and has a door to a small deck outside. It can now actually sleep eight people pretty darn well, as it has two loft areas above. One thing it still lacked was water for drinking and washing up. So, our next project became a rainwater catchment system. While It’s not 100% complete, I hope you will find value in seeing what we designed, and essentially installed, in just one day.

Now, for sure, it took at least five trips to the hardware store for everything which was needed, but at least now we can share with you a list of what we eventually used. Hopefully this could save you much time and frustration, should you wish to build your own.

First let’s talk about our goals. We wanted a system that would:

1) Catch water, filter out leaves and gunk and keep bugs and pests out

2) Let the water be easily purified using a series of products that would: a. Not clog and therefor require filter replacement. b. Guarantee water safety in a non-chemical-dependent way. c. Require only a bare minimum of power to be operational. d. Cost under $500.

We decided on a rain gutter-based system, which we lined with a sponge filter to keep out the large bits of leaves and twigs. The downspout water is intercepted by a rainwater colander, which has fairly large holes, so, we lined it with a nylon stocking.

This is what we recommend doing:

Start with drilling a one-and-a-half-inch hole for the inlet bulkhead fitting on the top of your barrel. Install the bulkhead fitting. (11) Next, install the brass fitting (12) that will adapt to your drinking water hose. You can figure out where to place the outlets later once you have your barrel in place.

Next, place your endcaps on the gutters, using metal screws. You can then hang the high end of the gutters on your house. A one-fourth drop per foot is the angle you need and using a string will help you keep things aligned. Work your way to where you want the downspout. Place the end of the gutter where you want the downspout to be and insert your “drop with outlet”4). This will determine how high you can go with your barrel. We wanted ours to be as high as possible, as we wanted to use gravity rather than a pump to get water to our outlet fixtures. It is possible to use barrels lying on their side to gain greater height, but since ours had a screw-on top which we didn’t really trust it to be leak-free. In the end, we decided to use it standing upright.

Once you know how high your barrel will be, build your base for the barrel with two-by-fours and wood screws. At 8.33 pounds per gallon, our pickle barrel is 65 pounds which equals about 541 pounds. Make sure you build it nice and sturdy.

Place the barrel on the stand in its permanent place. We only had about four inches to spare so that became the dimension of the downspout that led into the colander. Cut the down spout (6).

For a good video describing how to do this, check out “Cutting Downspout: Starting the Cut, Making Straight Cuts, Tool Use, Crimping, and Connection!” on YouTube, by AC Service Tech LLC. Then attach the downspout to the outlet with metal screws.

We then attached the colander bracket and then the colander (7). The center of the colander connects to a standard downspout and goes down to the ground. The rainwater collector part of the colander shunts the water to a male garden hose, to which you will attach the first part of your RV drinking water hose. Measure how much hose you will need and cut it. Place the swivel barb fitting (9) in the cut end of the hose and secure it with a hose clamp (10). You can then screw it into colander, and the top of the barrel. The rest is pretty self-explanatory.

You will continue to locate and drill holes where you want your outlets. In our case we wanted one for inside the cabin, one for an outside shower, and one for an overflow hose near the very top. The parts specified here all connect to garden hose style fittings. The outlets all have shut-offs so you can work on adding in sink fittings, etc., without having to fight the water later on.

You are now on your own for how to attach the garden host to what ever fixture you have in your house. There are just too many ways to do it! As far as making sure the water is safe to drink, we chose a unique new technology that you may not have heard of yet. An electrolytic ozone generator made by a Wisconsin based company, Roving Blue (our invention). We have a small device, called the Ozo-pod 10, which infuses the water with ozone. Not many people know this, but ozone, when dissolved into water, is actually far stronger than chlorine. So, in minutes, a drinking water dispenser such as the one we chose, will be zapped with ozone strong enough to kill any microbes that might make a person sick. The neat thing about ozone is that it quickly reverts to ordinary oxygen. This means there are no chemicals to buy, no filters to clog and no chemicals remain in the water. You can check these out at www.rovingblue.com.

Remember, in some areas, collecting rainwater for human use can be considered illegal, even if there is a clever and effective way to purify it installed. Please check local regulations before attempting. Included is the list of parts we ended up using and a diagram of where they were used that follows the article.

The world we live in is a dangerous place. The possibility of violence happening in the workplace is a real and present danger. In 1999, twelve students and one teacher were shot and killed at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado and an additional 24 students were injured. In 2012, twenty-six people were shot and killed and twenty-four additional students were injured at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The likelihood of one of these incidents happening again in the future is likely. Regardless of what the shooter’s motivation is, be it a mental condition, a disgruntled employee, or a terrorist, it is imperative that you know the proper signs to look for, precautions to take, and what your actions should be in the event of an active shooter scenario taking place.

Look for the signs

Start by using your situational awareness to identify pre-attack signs that something is wrong, such as:

• Signs of aggression or threats directed at coworkers or supervisors

• Existence of unapproved weapons

• Severe mood swings

• Depression/withdrawn behavior

• Talks of suicide

• Paranoia

• Strange behavior such as flashbacks

• Drug and alcohol abuse

• Repeated violation of policies in the work place

• Talk of personal problems such as marriage or finances

It is not always possible to predict an active shooter incident and not everyone who exhibits these signs is a potential active shooter. These are just situations to be sensitive of and to notice when someone displays one or multiple signs. In any case, you should report this behavior to your supervisors or to the local authorities, depending on the severity of the situation. Doing nothing is rarely the right answer.

How to respond

If you find yourself in an active shooter situation, you have several options regarding how to respond. Your first choice should always be to help others to evacuate the area. If there is an opportunity to evacuate, make sure you:

• Have a plan: Make sure you have an escape route in mind before you move

• Leave your belongings, they will just slow you down

• Help others escape, if possible

• Prevent other people from going near the area where the active shooter incident is happening

• Call 911 immediately

• Go out in the direction first responders are coming in

• Do exactly what the police officers tell you to do and keep your hands visible. Evacuating the area may not always be an option. If you find yourself unable to evacuate, consider finding a place to hide.

The location you choose should:

• Be out of the view of the people or person doing the shooting

• Provide good cover (be able to deflect bullets fired in your direction), such as a concrete wall

• Have an escape route if possible/try not to box yourself in

• Have doors that lock from the inside

• Have heavy objects like furniture to block the door.

Remember to put your cell phone on silent and hide behind the largest items you can find in your location. Stay calm, cool, and collected, and call 911 as soon as you get the chance.

Taking action

In a worst-case scenario, you may find yourself having to take physical action against the shooter.

This is a very difficult situation, particularly if not trained and conditioned in the art of hand-to-hand combat. Still, it may be your last resort in a desperate situation and when innocent people are dying. If this is the case, remember to:

• Have a plan

• Commit to your actions

100 percent

• Be as aggressive as possible

• Improvise weapons if you can find any…throw large objects if they are available

• Get others to help you incapacitate the shooter if possible… several grown men can often combine their strength to tackle down a lone shooter. Taking action against an armed aggressor is extremely risky but it may be your only chance (or the only chance for those you are responsible for) of survival.

What to do when the police arrive

One of the most dangerous times during an active shooter scenario is when first responders arrive. It is extremely confusing for them to differentiate between the victims and the perpetrators when these incidents take place. The best thing you can do when you make contact with the police is to:

• Stay calm and follow the instructions of the police

• Put down anything you may have in your hands

• Raise hands high in the sky so they can be seen by the police and keep them there

• Don’t make any quick or jerking movements

• Avoid screaming and yelling. Maintain your situational awareness so that you will be able to provide the police with:

• Location of the shooter(s)

• Number of shooters

• Description of the shooter(s)

• Type of weapon used by the shooter(s)

• Estimated number of casualties

Being prepared for an active shooter scenario requires not only personal situational awareness but also teamwork, leadership, and practice through response drills as well as continuing education on the topic. In a work environment, actions to take should come naturally through rehearsal and duties and responsibilities should already be assigned long before one of these instances occurs. Additionally, remember, if you see something, say something. All too many active shooter events could have been mitigated or stopped all together had people that observed signs that something was happening out of place and reported those events to the proper authorities.