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• Use the right tool for the job
• Improvise

I’m a big fan of MacGyver’s ability to find solutions to problems using only what was available around him. However, those solutions are generally short-term and temporary (and usually to help him escape from the “bad guys”). When you’re doing something that you need to last a good-long time, or something that you are going to rely upon, you really need the right tools for the job.

My latest projects have to do with water (a very valuable commodity here in the desert we call Utah). Specifically, I’m preparing to harvest rainwater (which is no longer illegal in the state), and set up some filtration systems (you’ll see a portable version of one of those in my next post).

So, when dealing with water you have basically two options for dealing with it: metal and plastic.

Plastic is the easier of the two to work with. Metal is the better choice for durability.

Let’s talk about metal…

When thinking about water storage or collection you’re going to need systems for both, then some way to interconnect the two. You can either purchase prefabricated storage and collection gear, or buy or rent metal finishing equipment to make your own.

The two types of metals that you’ll likely consider are stainless steel and aluminum. It’s important to keep in mind that if you choose stainless you’ll also need stainless steel finishing tools; if you choose aluminum, you’ll need aluminum polishing tools.

My preferred choice is stainless steel for durability, but it is more difficult to cut and form than aluminum (in my experience).

I haven’t built any “permanent” water storage or collection systems yet, but make sure you come back a see what I come up with!

We as humans can’t live long without water, and we can’t stay healthy without clean water. Luckily, where I live, we have ready access to various sources of water (rainfall, streams, irrigation ditches, the Great Salt Lake, etc.), but none of these sources are viable sources of drinking water.

So I decided to build a homemade water filtration system using some off-the-shelf filters, a couple 5-gallon buckets and lids, and a spigot. Total cost of the system was under $150 with the majority of that being the cost of the filters themselves.