Lifestyle, Weather

How To Catch Rain for Emergency Drinking Water

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During times of drought or disconnect with local water supplies, having an alternate supply of water is essential. Most disaster preparedness experts recommend families reserve 1 gallon of drinking water per person and pet per day. ( See additional details about disaster preparedness at “Storms and Power Outages”.)

The average disruption time during emergencies is about 3 to 7 days. For a family of four with two dogs, this translates into 42 gallons of reserve drinking water. In other words, a lot of plastic and glass jugs lying around.

Most people just don’t have room to store that many extra jugs so they don’t keep enough emergency water on hand. Catching rainwater for drinking is one way to solve this problem. Finding space for one large 50-gallon container outside is much easier than 50 small ones inside. One catchment system is also easier to access, clean and maintain. You can also use the water for routine irrigation in the yard and garden to cut down on water bills.

I recently made a simple rainwater catchment system in six simple steps that required nothing but a trip to the local hardware store and about two hours. Here’s what I did:

Step #1 – Sighting

Identify a flat and level location in the yard suitable for a large garbage can. Ideally, this should be under a downspout, a leaking gutter or near a downspout on the wettest side of the house. At my house, rain almost always comes from the northeast. I identified a leaky gutter over a level spot on that side of the house.

Step #2 – Shopping

Hardware store run. Here’s the shopping list:

  • Large 30- to 50-gallon commercial-grade plastic garbage can with a lid
  • Brass hose spigot (3/4-inch fits most garden hoses)
  • Brass washer for hose spigot (also 3/4-inch)
  • Rubber washer to fit between brass spigot and brass washer
  • Tube of silicon sealant
  • Roll of replacement screen material
  • Clothespins
  • Eight concrete blocks

Step #3 – Assembly

Now it’s time to put the system together. On a dry, sunny day, start by drilling a hole into the container about 6 inches from the bottom. A regular household drill with a large bit will work. Next fit the spigot into the hole so that the handle faces out. On the inside of the container, run a single bead of silicon sealant around the edge of the cut out opening. Fit the rubber washer over the spigot’s threads until it is flush with the container’s side and making contact with the silicon. Run another bead of silicon around the spigot threads and thread the brass washer onto the spigot. This will secure the spigot to the container and prevent leaks. Set the container in the sun and let it air dry 4 to 6 hours.

Step #4 – Placement

Next create a stable, waterproof platform for the container that is high enough to place a 3- or 5-gallon bottle under. Arrange four of the concrete blocks into a square in the catchment location. Stack the remaining four blocks on top of them. Place the container so that is sits firmly on the blocks. Back fill around the blocks with dirt as needed to stabilize. Cut 4 sheets of screen material large enough to cover the top with excess drape. Place the sheets of screen over the container’s opening and attach to the sides of the container with clothespins. When not catching water, cover the opening and screens with the can’s lid.

Step #5 – Drinking

In most urban and suburban locations, common air quality and roofing materials (asphalt shingle) make filtering and boiling necessary before drinking. In many locations, rainwater contains pollutants, plant parts, insect parts, algae, bacteria and soil that need to be removed. Fill a 3 or 5 gallon container (such as a refillable blue jug found in office water coolers) with catchment water. Run it through a filter pitcher (like a Brita). Then boil for 3 to 5 minutes. The water is ready to drink.

Step #6 – Maintenance

Every few days, check to make sure that the screen is in place and securely fastened. Drain the container and wash out any built up residue with a household bleach. Rinse the container well. Be sure to check the spigot for any clogs and remove any items that may be blocking it. Replace the screens and set up for catchment.

Having a rainwater catchment system on hand provides an easy to maintain alternate water supply that could be lifesaving during an emergency. A 50-gallon container will provide enough drinking water for a family of four with two pets for a week.

The other plus of a rainwater catchment system is that the water can be used for lawns and plants during non-emergency periods. By attaching a drip hose to the spigot, watering the landscaping with rainwater, especially in drier areas, has the added bonus of relieving demand on already strained municipal supplies. It just doesn’t make sense to use drinking water on the lawn anyway.

Culture, Environment, Lifestyle, Politics, Travel

Maui Harbor Expansion Would End Surfing and Paddling There

On August 15, 2005 then Mayor of Maui Alan Arakawa noticed an increase in the use of Kahului Harbor by cruise ships. He commissioned a report. One of the findings is prophetic:

The canoe clubs fear that an increase in the number of cruise
ships will require harbor expansion, and may eliminate their
activities in the harbor altogether.

To accomodate the Hawaii Superferry, Governor Linda Lingle and the State Department of Transportation (DOT) want to expand the harbor inward by building an additional pier. This pier, the proposed Pier 5, will destroy water sports in the harbor, including surfing and canoeing. It will also prevent tug boats from turning around. However, it won’t prevent wave surge, which keeps the Superferry from docking already.

The other harbor expansion option is outward to the East, which would truly increase the future viability of the harbor while allowing the tug boats to turn around. An outward expansion would probably require a second breakwater. The problem with this plan is that it will take more time, more money and actually require more thoughtful planning than just a fancy new ramp. It won’t help the Superferry immediately, which seems to be DOT and Lingle’s goal.

DOT noted recently that the state’s harbor expansion plan would have “no significant impact on cultural activities.” Surfing and outrigger canoe paddling have been conveniently downgraded to “recreational” activities rather than cultural ones. But how is this rationally possible? The ancient Hawaiians invented these activities; and modern Hawaiians, among others, still practice them. Just because they also happen to be fun doesn’t mean there isn’t a deep cultural connection. In the 2005 Arakawa report, the cultural relevance of the canoe clubs were noted:

The canoe clubs of Maui serve many important social functions
in our community. They provide Hawaiian cultural education for
children and adults and strong positive education and support
for at-risk children. These programs are also held up as
successful drug prevention programs.

Chances are, if you’ve shelled out for a Maui vacation, you are either curious about or appreciate local culture. Certainly if you’ve decided to live here, you understand that surfing and paddling are metaphors for our way of life. It’s time for Maui lovers, both visitors and residents alike, to speak out against idiotic harbor planning that only serves one private company’s interest. Come to a meeting, wave a sign, complain to the cruise ship or Superferry management, or tell other people. Not everything is for sale.

The full 2005 Mayor’s Cruise Ship Task Force report is available at: www.savekahuluiharbor.com .

Family, food, Recipes, Travel

Kauai Vacation Rental Cooking

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My partner and I went to Kauai and opted to avoid large hotels and instead stayed in a vacation rental. We arrived pretty late in the afternoon and didn’t know the secluded area very well. Our hosts were happy to point out a few of the local attractions and resources. But by the time we finished our fabulous romantic dinner out, we realized that the local grocery stores were already closed. At a loss for what to eat in the morning for breakfast (it was not included with the rental, but a kitchen was), we decided to play random cupboard cooking.

We stopped at the only open convenience mart. With a nervous eyes on several teenage boys on the verge of mischief, the clerk rang up our 12-pack of eggs and bottled water without a smile. We figured we could do make just about anything work with eggs, and since we hadn’t eaten them in a while they actually sounded good. Everything else in the store was loaded with sugar or high fructose corn syrup so we didn’t have so many choices. Sensing trouble from the teens who had begun to eye us, we grabbed our eggs and hopped into our rental car.

The next morning we woke up to the delightful sounds of tropical birds chirping and looking forward to a long day of hiking through Waimea Canyon. Breakfast is all the stood between us and the trail. So we pulled the eggs from the fridge and surveyed the cupboards. Hoping to find some edible and compatible ingredients, we scored big on a half-eaten bag of long-grain brown rice. Soy sauce in the fridge pointed to a very solid start.

We brewed a pot of tea and imagined bacon crisping in the pan alongside the eggs. Without any on hand, I went in search of something to round out the the meal and found a couple of canned items in the top cupboard above the fridge. I wondered about the vacationers who left them: How long ago were they here? Were they on their honeymoon or retirees finding a second wind? Where were they from? Did they usually eat canned food?

While my partner sauteed the eggs and kept a watchful eye on the rice, I stared at the canned food selection and finally chose the green beans and beets. Flashbacks of church socials during childhood, when all vegetables came from cans (an experience I hadn’t had in the years since I discovered farmer’s markets), reassured me that these combined well. I opened, drained, tossed them together with some dried Italian seasoning, and voila an appealing side dish.

We gobbled down the eggs, rice and canned veggie salad. Fueled and ready to hike, we drove to the top of Waimea Canyon and found our trailhead. We spent the rest of the day carelessly taking in the island’s stunning beauty, not worrying at all about what was for dinner.