how to get, keep and purify rain water?

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 18 May 2006, 19:51

aliwood wrote:How are we progressing here?

After our third thunderstorm in as many hours I'm very grateful for the butts outside, but I'm really wishing it was drinkable.

It is

I bet it wouldnt kill you. Say ?10 ?

If you're feeling fussy you could always boil it first. I know you'd drink it if you were really thirsty.

aliwood · Post by **aliwood** » 18 May 2006, 20:50

skeptik wrote: I bet it wouldnt kill you. Say ?10 ?

How many jars of jam is that?

OK, I'm up for boiling it and trying it - tomorrow though. If you don't hear from me within 24 hrs you know why.

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 18 May 2006, 22:06

aliwood wrote:

How many jars of jam is that?

Bout 5 or 6? Dunno. Hopeless at remembering prices.

er...you'll be fine. Looking forward to your report on boiled buttwater.

hmm.. that sounds sort of rude...

SherryMayo · Post by **SherryMayo** » 18 May 2006, 23:59

Aussies use rainwater without any significant processing and only very rudimentary filtration (to stop leaves falling in). A lot of the particulates settle out in the tank and you can use first flush diverters (an example at following link) to remove most of the crud prior to going in the tank.
http://www.enviro-friendly.com/first-fl ... rter.shtml

Here is our local environmental health advice (most people aren't as fastidious as described below and seem to have not problems):

Collect and store your water carefully
If you collect and store your water carefully, you can reduce the risk of contamination. You should:

* Make sure surface runoff and leakage from sewage pipes and other drainage cannot enter your water storage.
* Seal your water storage so animals, birds and sunlight cannot get in.
* Collect water only from clean roofs - not from those painted recently or painted with lead-based paints or coated with tar.
* Clean your roof, gutters and water tanks regularly.
* Install screens or filters between the supply and storage.
* Install a 'first flush' diversion - the first rain after a dry period contains most of the contaminants.
* Disinfect your water supply. (optional see below)

Some water supplies will need to be disinfected
In most rural areas of Victoria, rainwater collected from a clean roof and securely piped into a well maintained above ground tank should not need to be disinfected.

Groundwater from a shallow bore should be disinfected in case the water has been contaminated with farm waste or leaking effluent from a septic tank. If your water is dirty or cloudy, you should filter it first because dirt particles can make disinfection ineffective. People with suppressed immune systems should only consume water that has been boiled.

[Sherry: I love this bit...]

What to do if there's a dead animal in the tank
A dead animal in your tank will not necessarily cause illness if you drink the water. As a precaution, you should:

* Drain all water from the tank.
* Clean inside the tank with household bleach.
* Refill your tank with good quality water.
* Disinfect it with chlorine.
* Remember to maintain good ventilation when you clean out any tank and always work with an assistant outside the tank.
* If you can't get clean replacement water, all the water used for cooking, food preparation or making ice should be boiled for at least one minute.

simonrichards912 · Post by **simonrichards912** » 19 May 2006, 14:17

search the web for "rainwater harvesting". Untreated rain water is not safe to drink.

aliwood · Post by **aliwood** » 20 May 2006, 12:31

For anyone beginning to panic. I am still here.

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 20 May 2006, 14:24

simonrichards912 wrote:search the web for "rainwater harvesting". Untreated rain water is not safe to drink.

Why?

See SherryMayo's post above. I'd quite happily stick a cup outside my back door when its raining with some improvised collection funnel above it and drink the rainwater thus collected without any treatment

Rain is just condensed water vapour. It's very pure. Likely a lot purer than anything that has ever come out of your tap. ( unless you happen to live in a highly industrialised region where rain is likely to be acidic rather than closer to neutral pH - unpolluted rainwater is normally slightly acidic due to dissolved CO2 forming carbonic acid - but well within the range of potability - a can of Coke is far more acidic)

SO what's the problem?

aliwood wrote:For anyone beginning to panic. I am still here.

Nary a flutter. I had every confidence you would be

aliwood · Post by **aliwood** » 20 May 2006, 16:33

I don't have a problem drinking rainwater, just roof water runoff.

bobcousins · Post by **bobcousins** » 21 May 2006, 00:50

skeptik wrote:
simonrichards912 wrote:search the web for "rainwater harvesting". Untreated rain water is not safe to drink.
Why?

See SherryMayo's post above. I'd quite happily stick a cup outside my back door when its raining with some improvised collection funnel above it and drink the rainwater thus collected without any treatment

As a skeptic, do you really think that constitutes a practical collection system?

XENG · Post by **XENG** » 21 May 2006, 02:44

In an emergency it might be your only chance of survival.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 21 May 2006, 11:28

There's a similar discussion on the Green Building Fourm

aliwood · Post by **aliwood** » 21 May 2006, 12:48

According to the best figures I could find last week - sadly I don't remember where. I live in the second driest area of the UK (based on an average yearly measurement). In the past week I have collected something like 700 gallons of water from my roof. 500+ gallons of that in two days, I'd say that was a pretty efficient way of collecting water.

Thanks for the link BV, I think I need those people.

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 21 May 2006, 14:20

bobcousins wrote:
skeptik wrote:
simonrichards912 wrote:search the web for "rainwater harvesting". Untreated rain water is not safe to drink.
Why?

See SherryMayo's post above. I'd quite happily stick a cup outside my back door when its raining with some improvised collection funnel above it and drink the rainwater thus collected without any treatment
As a skeptic, do you really think that constitutes a practical collection system?

Ha! no of course not... just an illustration that I'm quite happy to disprove "Untreated rain water is not safe to drink" If I was serious about it I'd by a large tank and a diversion/filtration system to collect off the roof. - there are systems which allow the first flush of water to go down the drain before switching to the tank. Very sensible. The first rush of water when it starts to rain will carry any leaves or pigeon poo away. A filter will catch the small stuff. No water treatment should be neccessary as apart from falling through the sky the rainwater hasnt been anywhere where it can pick up pollutants.

caspian · Post by **caspian** » 21 May 2006, 15:56

skeptik wrote:No water treatment should be neccessary as apart from falling through the sky the rainwater hasnt been anywhere where it can pick up pollutants.

But if the sky itself contains pollutants (e.g. in the skies over most major towns and cities), the water droplets will pick up particles of pollution as they fall. I assume that's why it's not advisable to drink untreated rainwater.

The skies around airports and major flight paths are crammed with nasty chemicals. I wouldn't want to be drinking rainwater that had fallen through a haze of kerosene vapour.

andyh · Post by **andyh** » 22 May 2006, 01:10

I've been here in NZ for 8 months now and have drunk rain water (collected as roof tank water) all around the country. Basically if you live out of town here you wont be on a water supply so most rural houses collect rain water from the roof and store it (sounds just like Aussie). It tastes fine - some folk do boil it but I dont see the need for it. Bout the worst risk is a possum crapping on the roof, but hell poo gets uv- sanitised on a roof in NZ within days so folk dont worry about it.......