Converting Rain Water to Drinking Water

[5030]

I don't think you need to soften rainwater.

Bird poop softens it...................:laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Bird poop softens it...................:laughing:

Ewww!

 

[TomSeller]

Anyone use particulate filters followed up by UV irradiation?

 

[alchemysa]

Anyone use particulate filters followed up by UV irradiation?

Yes, I do. Our beach house is entirely rain water. Two 20,000 litre (5000 gallon) tanks. A dual cartridge undersink filter with a UV unit cleans the water that goes to a small drinking water tap on the kitchen sink. Everything else (showers, toilet, laundry, etc) is straight rain water, no filtering at all, although I do throw some chlorine into the tanks occasionally. I have strainers on the rain heads to prevent large bugs and other dead critters falling into the downpipes, and I flush the underground pipes to the tanks regularly.

 

[TomSeller]

Yes, I do. Our beach house is entirely rain water. Two 20,000 litre (5000 gallon) tanks. A dual cartridge undersink filter with a UV unit cleans the water that goes to a small drinking water tap on the kitchen sink. Everything else (showers, toilet, laundry, etc) is straight rain water, no filtering at all, although I do throw some chlorine into the tanks occasionally. I have strainers on the rain heads to prevent large bugs and other dead critters falling into the downpipes, and I flush the underground pipes to the tanks regularly.

Are you happy with the UV unit? Have you tested the water before and after it?

 

[k0ua]

Are you happy with the UV unit? Have you tested the water before and after it?

Where I used to live we had an UV system and it worked well. Yes it was tested before and after and it was 100 percent effective. You do have to change the bulb annually to be safe. I don't need it here as a part of the water treatment system.

 

[bigtiller]

Bird poop softens it...................:laughing:

Hommer says ewwww also.

 

[dmccarty]

...

Who is to blame? You decide. If the Flint water department had added the phosphate in the first place, there would have never been an issue.

On a boat sight I read, there was a discussion about water storage and such on boats and the Flint issue popped up. One of the site members has something to do with water treatment and he basically said what you posted. From what he said and reports I have read, it sounds as if the Flint water department messed this up real bad, which is an understatement and I would rather use a different word than "messed." I would guess that the state also shares some blame since they often have oversight on these matters. I know our local town has been watched for years by the state over water quality issues. Looks like the EPA administrator had to fall on her sword due to this mess.

I never would have guessed that simply switching water supplies like this would have caused such a problem but apparently this is a well known issue if you are in the "trade."

Later,
Dan

 

[alchemysa]

Are you happy with the UV unit? Have you tested the water before and after it?

Never had it tested but we are still here and the water has never made us sick so I guess its working. The cartridges do most of the work. They remove bacteria and organisms from bird droppings for example. These nasties are actually quite large (relatively) as far I know, so a fine cartridge will actually take them out. I'm not actually sure what the UV does, considering that its 'after' the cartridges.

 

[TomSeller]

Never had it tested but we are still here and the water has never made us sick so I guess its working. The cartridges do most of the work. They remove bacteria and organisms from bird droppings for example. These nasties are actually quite large (relatively) as far I know, so a fine cartridge will actually take them out. I'm not actually sure what the UV does, considering that its 'after' the cartridges.

The UV light sterilizes the water. Even though larger particulates are removed, the water can still be contaminated. From Wikipedia:

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a disinfection method that uses short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill or inactivate microorganisms by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving them unable to perform vital cellular functions.[1] UVGI is used in a variety of applications, such as food, air, and water purification.