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RAINWATER TOILET FLUSH
Save your tap water and let the rain in.
By Eric Muhs
I found several nice, free 55-gallon steel drums a
few years ago. I used some of them as musical
drums in Metal Men, a noisy, homemade instrument
my friend John Hawkley and I made together.
I gave another to students to make into a smoke
ring generator.
The last two I made into a rain barrel system
for collecting the runoff from my roof. Eventually
I figured out the best use for them — flushing!
Catching the Rain
Photograph by Eric Muhs
For my rain barrel system I removed part of a downspout, and replaced it with an accordion-folded
plastic extension from the hardware store. This
runs into a funnel, and into a 3" hole conveniently
provided in the barrel lid.
Overflow from the primary barrel runs via a hose
outlet at the top of the barrel to a second barrel.
MATERIALS
55gal steel drums ( 1 or more)
Rain gutter downspout extension
Funnel
Cinder blocks or other support
½" hose bib
Hose
2-way hose divider and adapters as needed
Plumber’s goop
Plastic gaskets cut from the lid of a 5gal bucket
Both barrels have a lockable lid, an important
feature to keep the water relatively clean and safe
from drownings by squirrels or small children. In
certain areas of the country, mosquitos would be
another reason to keep the lids closed.
Linked in this way, the barrels gather water
pretty effectively: they fill easily after a rainy day,
Make: 133
