Portable rainwater collecting and purifying system

Abstract

A self-contained, portable rainwater collecting and purifying system for collecting, filtering and disinfecting rainwater or other precipitation primarily for drinking purposes. In a preferred embodiment the portable rainwater collecting and purifying system is characterized by a housing which contains the system components. The bottom of the housing is typically fitted with skids or wheels, and a pair of sloped water collection panels is typically hinged to the housing for receiving the falling rainwater. A collection gutter receives the rainwater from the panels and drains the rainwater into a vertical standpipe fitted with a typically screen filter or filters. As the rising water in the standpipe eventually overflows, the overflowing, partially filtered water leaves the standpipe and enters a water collection tank through a hopper typically fitted with a gravity-flow filter or filters. A typically battery-operated pump automatically pumps the water through a pair of particle filters which remove dirt and other particulate impurities from the water, and finally through an ultraviolet light sterilizer which kills bacteria and other microorganisms to render the water suitable for drinking. In another embodiment solar panels provided on the respective water collection panels collect solar energy for energizing the pump, ultraviolet sterilizer or both. In still another embodiment, a heating blanket is provided beneath each water collection panel for heating and melting accumulating snow, sleet or ice on the panels, and the melted precipitation is filtered and disinfected through the system.