It comprises 70% of the earths surface and the human body – but to get water into our bodies and for our daily uses (cleaning, food preparing, washing), an elaborate network of water infrastructure has had to be created, often to detriment of the overall and even direct environments of those same water sources.

The level of insulation we feel in our consumption mindset with the luxury of our magical “away” for our all our wastes has caused us to forget where our Water comes from. In nature, fresh clean drinking water doesn’t come out of a water faucet, a bathroom sink, or in a (not always recyclable) plastic bottle (that has been driven or flown to wherever you bought it from). No matter how we get or the manner in which we use it, water in the Urban Environment doesn’t come easy. But there is an easier way for all of us to get (for now) at least some of our water needs met. For irregardless of the vast water network infrastructures we’ve created, it still rains on both the cities and the plains. Yes, that’s right the answer to our water need is literally falling from the sky and into our laps (or the tops of our heads or umbrellas).

That’s why we are proud to present are easy to make alternative water collection and drinking option:

THE BIOBRELLA

We take nature’s water faucet and reduce it to a single straw for you to drink from. Why should preciously needed water soak your clothes when it can quench your throat, or be used to wash your hands, dishes or saved away for a “un-rainy day”

Not only will Schools and Business lower their water intake with your reduced usage of their water – but by providing their own water, each individual can go along way in reducing the waste of plastic water bottles.

“The Biobrella” was chosen as the name for this easy to make, do it yourself water collection contraption. What makes it “Bio” is that allows anyone to use existing or readily available materials to substantially reduce the level of environmental impact caused by something we all need to do everyday to survive, drink a cup of water. And because it uses and can be expanded to make even greater use of Biodegradable materials for it’s cup and other parts – The Biobrella is an earth friendly way to capture and capture cleanly the earths natural resources.

The Biobrella can be constructed in just minutes without any substantial damage to your existing umbrella. Whenever possible we have attempted to construct the Biobrella from the most rudimentary and commonly available of items – to help further demonstrate its positive Do It Yourself ethic as an approach to alternative solutions. That said, the makers of the Biobrella can easily envision the advantages and many convenient designs that could be made from a mass production approach. The mains stems of the “Biobrella” could be easily (but outside our budget or technical expertise) manufactured to replace the current plastic tube and handles could be designed with detachable water bottles built in. We have sought instead for this prototype to demonstrate how an existing umbrella could be modified into a biobrella and still be fully useable (keeps you dry and still collapsible).

The Biobrella functions quite simply. A funnel mounted atop your normal collapsible umbrella drains via tube into a water bottle attached to the handle. When the bottle is full: the filter equipped lid is screwed on and the water is squeezed out (either to drink directly or pour the now filtered contents out. The pressure pushes the water through the filter, and eliminates pollen, or other debris that may collect. Additionally we have provided with the biobrella, a biodegradable plastic drinking cup we were able to make ourselves (and the mold you use to make one cup can make replacements as needed).

Most of the technology required to construct a Biobrella is widely available and can be found at the local supermarket, drugstore and hardware store. The water-filtering bottle, while mass produced by a nationally known company is currently however, only available for purchase at select locations.

To construct Bio-degradable plastic cups or other parts for a  Biobrella simply buy gelatin from the market, and Sorbital or Glycerin from the drugstore. Next buy (borrow or make) a funnel, some plastic tubing, rubber sealant, and plaster of paris from the hardware store. The plaster is be used to make a mold of your favorite cup which is then formed with gelatin and sorbital. The rest of the materials are attached to the standard umbrella you already have. We have provided more detailed instructions on a separate page.

With any luck the Biobrella will teach people how they can make biodegradable plastics, help to quench the worlds thirst, and hopefully if even just a little bit  raise consciousness regarding the fragile interconnectivity of our ecological footprint.

Use a Biobrella today and enjoy watching your water bills run down while the water does too - through a plastic tube!

How to build the Biobrella:

The first step in the construction process is to acquire all of the materials needed (all of which are listed on the materials list for this project). Once you have all of the items, follow the steps listed below. These are the same steps that the biobrella group followed in order to have a successful end result; a working umbrella that catches rainwater efficiently.

Step 1:
Start by taking your funnel and, using any sharp knife or scissors, cut the bottom ¼ of the funnel so as to make it fit onto the unscrewable cap on top of every standard umbrella.

Step 2: Make a hole, using an electric screwdriver, on the bottom ¼ of the funnel.  Note: Make it big enough for your ¼ pattern funnel to fit through.

Step 3: Cut the ¼ pattern funnel and then, starting on the inside of the funnel,  punch the smaller portion of the out through the hole you have just made.

Step 4: Now, punch a hole through the material of your umbrella with a knife, or anything sharp. The hole should be made exactly half way between the top  and the very bottom of the umbrella.

Step 5: Take your tube and cut it to measure 29 inches in length. Once it is cut, you can connect it to the ¼ pattern nozzle, which is now connected to your funnel, and string it through the hole in your umbrella.

Step 6: You need to make a handle for the Brita Fill & Go cup that you purchased  at the bottom part of the umbrella’s handle. Take a regular wire hanger and  cut it so that it is approximately 12 inches long (not including the “already bent part” of the hanger). Keep in mind that the bent part is the most important part of the “cup holder” creation process.

Step 7: Wrap the long, straight portion of the wire hanger tightly around the            handle, leaving the original curved part out to the side so that it can serve as  the actual holder for the cup.

Step 8: After the wire is wrapped around, take some gauze (found in every drug  store or first aid kit) and wrap it around the wire to secure it. Make sure to            avoid the “automatic open button” of your umbrella if it should have one.

Step 9: Get some tape and wrap it around the gauze.

Step 10: You also need to make a holder for the Brita bottle cap: Cut 8-9 inchesoff of the hanger you used for the cup holder and fold one side to form a  circle custom made to fit around the top portion of the cap. Next, twist the  other side of the wire around the bottom of the “stem” of the umbrella and you have your cap holder.

Step 11: Take your Silicone household glue and seal and attach your funnel to the  top of your umbrella. Wait about one day for it to completely dry.

Step 12: Use the glue once more to seal the ¼ pattern nozzle to the funnel, so the  rainwater does not leek through while having to flow through the tube. This also needs to dry for approximately 24 hours as well.

Step 13: After everything is dry, and you are ready to step out into the rain and use  your new biobrella, you can attach the Brita bottle onto the holder you made and place the hanging tube into the bottle. Once the bottle is full, which will occur after an X amount of time depending on how heavy it is raining, you can put your bottle cap on and drink the rainwater you collected.