A Chemical Plant Just Proved Why Your Water Supply Is Never Guaranteed

Yeah. That Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So do Codie Sanchez, Scott Galloway, Colin & Samir, Shaan Puri, and Jay Shetty. And none of them are doing it for fun. They're doing it because a list you own compounds in ways that social media never will.

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It rained three inches last week. I did the math on how much water hit my roof: roughly 1,870 gallons. Almost two thousand gallons of water fell on my house and I captured exactly zero of it. All of it went down the gutters and into the storm drain. That felt like a missed opportunity worth fixing.

Here's what I've got today.

Rainwater Harvesting: Free Water From the Sky

Rain falls on your roof, runs through your gutters, and disappears. A rain barrel changes that equation by capturing water you'd otherwise lose. For garden use, washing, and emergency backup, it's one of the simplest water preparedness upgrades you can make.

The basic setup is straightforward. A 55-gallon barrel sits beneath a downspout with a diverter that channels water from your gutter into the barrel. Most include a spigot near the bottom for easy access. When it rains, the barrel fills. When you need water, you open the spigot.

One inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof produces about 600 gallons of water. Even a modest rain event can fill a 55-gallon barrel in minutes. That's enough water for days of garden irrigation, car washing, or emergency non-potable use.

For emergency preparedness, harvested rainwater is not immediately drinkable. It's collected from your roof, which means it may contain dirt, bird droppings, and other contaminants. But it's excellent for washing, flushing toilets, and watering food plants. Run it through a quality filter (like the ones we covered in Issues 1 and 22) and treat it with purification tablets, and it becomes drinkable.

Before you buy a barrel, check your local regulations. Most states allow rainwater harvesting, but some have restrictions on volume or require permits. Colorado, for example, limited collection for decades before loosening the rules. A quick search for "rainwater harvesting laws your state" clarifies your situation.

Placement matters. Your barrel needs to sit under a downspout on a level, stable surface. Elevating it on cinder blocks gives you gravity-fed pressure at the spigot. Keep a screen over the inlet to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in standing water. In winter, drain the barrel before freeze temperatures arrive to prevent cracking.

Multiple barrels can be linked together for greater capacity. Two 55-gallon barrels connected with a short hose give you 110 gallons of captured water. For families with gardens, this can significantly reduce municipal water use during growing season and provide a meaningful emergency water buffer.

Look at your downspouts and identify the best one for a rain barrel.

Find the downspout closest to your garden or a flat, accessible area. That's where your barrel goes. If you're ready to buy, a basic 55-gallon rain barrel with a diverter kit runs $60 to $120.

Iran-Linked Hackers Are Actively Targeting US Water Treatment Plants and Power Systems

The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a formal warning in April that the Iran-linked group CyberAv3ngers is actively exploiting internet-exposed programmable logic controllers (PLCs) at US water utilities, wastewater systems, and energy facilities. The group has caused confirmed operational disruptions and financial losses. Targets include controllers made by Rockwell Automation and other industrial vendors. Water treatment is a direct preparedness concern: a compromised plant can lose the ability to purify or pressurize water for an entire region with little warning.

Source: Defense One, SecurityWeek, Palo Alto Unit 42

Joshua Enyart (Gray Bearded Green Beret) covers water procurement extensively in Surviving the Wild. While the book focuses on wilderness sources, his underlying principle applies directly to home rainwater harvesting: the best time to collect water is when it's abundant, not when you're thirsty.

Enyart teaches a concept he calls "water discipline," the habit of always collecting and storing water when it's available, even when you don't need it yet. In a wilderness context, that means filling every container at every water source. At home, it means capturing rain when it falls and maintaining your stored supply. The effort of collection is always smaller than the crisis of not having enough.

Chemical Plant Explosion Kills 2, Injures Dozens in West Virginia — Toxic Gas Release Forces Evacuations

A metal refining facility in Institute, West Virginia, exploded April 22 when workers dismantling the plant accidentally mixed nitric acid with a chemical called M2000A, triggering a violent reaction that released toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. Two workers were killed and at least 19 people were injured, with upwards of 30 people evaluated or transported to area hospitals. A shelter-in-place order was issued for nearby residents. State and federal investigations are now underway. The Kanawha Valley has seen a string of industrial accidents at aging chemical facilities in recent years.

Source: West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Mountain State Spotlight

Good Ideas Rain Wizard 50-Gallon Barrel

I've been using this barrel for about eight months. It's a 50-gallon capacity unit made from recycled plastic with a flat back for wall placement. The included brass spigot works well with a standard garden hose connector.

Setup took about 20 minutes. Cut the downspout, install the diverter, position the barrel, connect everything. I elevated mine on two cinder blocks, which gives enough gravity pressure to fill a watering can in about 30 seconds.

In my area, a moderate rain fills it completely. I drain it for garden use and it refills with the next rain. During a dry spell, I have 50 gallons of backup water for non-potable use.

The overflow outlet on top connects to a second barrel or directs excess water away from your foundation. That detail matters. About $100.

Budget alternative: A clean 55-gallon food-grade barrel from a local barrel supplier or Craigslist ($15 to $30). Add a spigot ($8) and a downspout diverter ($12). Total: about $35 for a DIY setup.

Overrated: Expensive decorative rain barrels. They look nice, but a $250 faux-terracotta barrel collects exactly the same water as a $30 recycled drum. Function over aesthetics.

Underrated: Using rain barrel overflow for foundation protection. Directing overflow away from your house via a hose or french drain prevents the water damage that standing water near foundations causes. Your rain barrel setup can actually improve your home's drainage.

Drought.gov — Current drought conditions and outlooks for your area.

ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association) — Resources on harvesting regulations and best practices by state.

Extension.org: Rainwater Harvesting — University Extension guides specific to your region.

Grokipedia: Rainwater Harvesting — Background on collection methods and history.

CDC: Rainwater Collection — Health guidance on using collected rainwater safely.

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PS: My rain barrel paid for itself in reduced water bills within the first summer. The preparedness benefit is a bonus. Sometimes being ready is also just cheaper.