We're standing on the large rocks for the shower. When It gets a little warmer I'll be raising them so the water level doesn't get above the top of the rocks before the end of the shower. The mint garden bed is to trap, soak up, and hold the water do it doesn't go down the hill onto the walkway. Standing in the mint would be a very muddy experience - it would smell nice though :) We don't bother with a curtain so we usually wear our bathing suits, flip flops are optional. We boil the rain water mainly because hot water is easier and more comfortable to clean with. Rain water has already been distilled with the sun - any contaminants it would have picked up would be from the air and clouds. After collecting rainwater into larger storage tanks we treat it with the appropriate amount of chlorine - iodine could be used as well. This treatment isn't so much to purify the water, but to prevent bacteria or algae (if sun light can get to the water) from growing in it. If I was planning on drinking the water or treating it further, then I would go with an under sink 3 phase water filter - they are about $180 or so from amazon. Boiling purification is more for viruses and bacteria and would not remove any heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, or other industrial contaminants that might be in water - where ever it comes from.