Hi there, are you asking how people collected water or how people stored water?

If you could define your period a bit, I might be able to look up some sources for that period. In the place/time I study (northwest Europe, roughly during the Napoleonic period) fresh water would be collected from rivers, streams, springs, etc. and stored in wooden barrels or casks. Iron water storage tanks were in use by the end of the period. Rainwater was also sometimes collected, if the opportunity presented itself, but it was rarely used for drinking except in extremis (most water aboard ship wasn't used for drinking in any case). Mariners would refresh their water supplies throughout a voyage.