Collecting Water

Collecting water

These water collection methods have been used by nomadic peoples for centuries, some can be applied in more than one type of climatic region.

Water from living plants and trees

Condensation capture

Water evaporation from plants can be captured and condensed. The water from the earth that the plants and trees draw up through their roots evaporates from their leaves. Cover the leaves with a waterproof covering. For trees, tie the cover around the ends of tree branches, so that the ‘bag’ hangs down for the water to collect in. Whole plants can be covered by propping up the cover with a stick, enough away from the leaves to allow a clear run for any condensation. Curl the edges of the cover under to create s somewhere for the water to collect.

Dew capture

As the ground surface that warmed up throughout the day loses its heat by radiation, there will be a brief period of time before suns rise where it won’t evaporate. Walking through grasses in the early morning will soak the bottoms of your trousers with dew. Tie some cloth or fine grasses to your ankles especially for that purpose. Then, wring out the dew into your boiling pot to sterilize it ready to drink.

Draining fluid from plant matter

The roots and branches of some trees and vines contain a lot of fresh drinkable fluid. Positively identify them as a non poisonous plant: Avoid milky fluid which is more often than not a sign of toxicity and harmful externally (particularly eyes) and internally. (An exception to this is the Ficus – fig family), also avoid bitter tasting fluid. Cut an arm’s length worth of either and hang them horizontally over, or stand them in a container into which the fluid will drain into. Making a trough from bark to stand them in, that drains off into another container will make it easier to take a drink without disturbing all the ‘weeping’ plants. The fluids start to ferment after 24 hours and are no longer beneficial.

Solar still

Dig a hole about an arm’s length wide and half as deep. In the centre, place a container to catch the condensed water. Stretch a waterproof cover over the hole, secured at the sides with rocks and weighted in the centre with another rock creating a dip, to steepen the sides. As the earth and air heats up, vapour rises and condenses on the underside of the cover, it then runs down the steep sides, collecting in the container sitting underneath the centre rock.

Water sourcing in specific climate zones

Temperate regions

These regions are the easiest regions to find water; all of the methods described above can be used with success.

Desert

Although water is scarce in the desert there are only a few extreme deserts in the world that are totally devoid of water. Less extreme deserts, receive some infrequent, erratic rainfall. This is soon drained up by all the other life forms surviving from it giving it little time to collect anywhere on the surface . If you are lucky enough to witness rainfall, collect as much as possible as quick as possible in as many ways as you can think of, otherwise, you will have to dig for it. The lower land ways, ravines and dips are where water ends up, it is quickly absorbed and collects under the surface away from the suns evaporating rays and these are the places to dig to look for water. Some cacti store a thick liquid held in by their waxy skin, it safe to drink and could save your life.

Some Cacti - Cactaceae that hold drinkable liquid;

Barrel Cactus - Echinocactus and Ferocactus
Prep: Cut through its stem to remove the top and access the liquid

Saguaro cactus - Carnegiea gigantean
Prep. Bore a hole into the cactus

A Solar still is a good method of collecting water in the desert, where the days are hot and nights are cold.See: Solar still

Plains

It is quite difficult to find water in the vast plains. Veins of water created by passing rainstorms or the summer snow melt of surrounding mountains, do run through and sometimes collect in the lower areas. These disappear quickly sometimes absorbed into an underground layer of permeable rock called aquifers where it is held.

See: Draining fluid from plant matter. In the dry arid plains and grasslands, roots are far reaching to find water and relatively close to the surface.

See; Dew capture, another method that can be applied in the plains in the brief moment of dew formation at dawn.

See; Solar still, another good method of collecting water in the plains, where the days are hot and nights are cold.

Tropical and Sub Tropical regions

Cut through A plantain or banana trunk about 32” above the ground and hollow out a bowl shaped inside the remaining stub, Water will accumulate in the bowl, the reservoir will refill, so remove, strain and store the collected water. The first drain of water may have too much tannin in it, afterwards the refilling water should be drinkable for up to 4 days.

Plant: Bananas and plantains - Musa

Found: Throughout the tropics

Characteristics: Growing up to (3-10 metres/ 9-30 feet). Leaves are broad and often split with an angular, squared effect.

Frozen regions

Melt small amounts at a time of snow or ice over a fire. Ice melts quicker than snow, producing more water quicker. If there is little fuel supply to melt ice and snow, collect the ice and snow and use body heat to melt it conserving fuel to sterilize it before drinking. Place ice or snow in a waterproof container and place between clothes (not directly on the skin). Another way is to hang snow in porous cloth over a container.

Icebergs

Icebergs are composed of fresh water. Old sea ice is virtually salt free unlike new sea ice.

Collecting water revenues : methods of the Bureau of Water Register, Manhattan, with suggestions for reorganization, / submitted in November, 1908, to ... of Water Supply, Gas, and Electricity.

Author: Michigan Historical Reprint Series
Manufacturer: Scholarly Publishing Office, University of Michigan Library
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