how potable is roof rain water?

[mmurphy]

I would worry more about dying from thirst then not drinking it!!!:laughing:
However, is your roof galvanized metal? Could have more problems of heavy metals in water. A water test will put mind to rest if that is the case. Definately find away to flush first amount before storing in reservoir. Do a search on the internet should give you ideas.

Treating water for bacterial. If it was me, I would buy a kit from Hack and treat my water after being filtered, with a NSF aproved bleach.

6% solution would = 60 mg/L (milli gram per liter) for each mL (milli liter).
Drinking water max of total CL2 is 4 mg/L. (may possibly need more) But some of this will be consumed from what may be in water. It would require a contact time to deactivate bugs or what may be there. That would give you a close amount for 4 galons. (60 mg/l / 4mg/l = 15. 15 liters /3.785 liters/gal = 4 galons aprox.)

Biggest problem to worry about is organics and bleach solution forming Trihalomethanes. So get water as clean as possible first before adding cl2.

Other then CL2, may need a ultra violet light set up to take care of any bacterial , virus, or what ever could be there.

 

[kleetus]

Oh, I thought you meant to say goat.:thumbsup:

both have been known to throw poo, so it could happen

 

[J_J]

kleetus,

Your best bet would be to collect a good sample off the roof and take it in for a water purity test. or chemical test.

Have you noticed the shingle roofs that have a galvanized metal air vent , the patch of shingles below is free of mildew. Chemicals apparently kill the mildew.

With that said, would the metal roof provide too much of the components in the galvanizing process to make it unsafe. plus acid rain, bird poop, etc.

The people back in the Roman days did not know about the lead in their goblets of wine and that is probably why some were crazy.

Small amounts of certain metals will kill you, and who knows the long term results.

Someone said they have been drinking water off tin roofs for 40 years.

My dad could hold a spark plug wire from a running engine, but I couldn't.

Some people get away with things and some of us suffer with the slightest amount of things. .

Just saying.

 

[bp fick]

I think submarines recycle water and I'l bet the space station does as well.

Point being, that with the right equipment, of course you can drink rain water.

 

[valley]

At our place in Australia we had all the water from the roof into a tank and used it for everything, for drinking we ran it through a filter.
Galvanized is no problem, most houses have gal water pipe we just started using copper some years ago.

 

[alchemysa]

Our beach house is entirely on rainwater. We've had no health issues. A 20,000 litre tank (about 5000 gallons) keeps us supplied for most of the year unless we are staying there a lot. Shower, toilet, laundry etc is all rainwater. For drinking it runs through a 2 stage undersink filter with a UV sterilizer light. (all up about $100 to $300 depending on the quality you buy.)

Don't buy a reverse osmosis filter for rainwater. I'm advised they clog easily with algae.

A couple of times a year I throw in some liquid chlorine. About 40mls per 1000 litres. I think thats about 1 oz per 200 gallons roughly. (I got this dosage from a Govt advisory site.) Put a strainer of some sort at the top of the downpipes and make sure you have a strainer at the top of the tank to catch rubbish before it falls into the tank. Bugs and bird poo are annoying but dead birds are the worst. They can accidently fall into downpipes.

 

[kleetus]

so after some research, using the advice from here i found this company

Portland Purple Water | Rainwater Harvesting in Portland OR

going to meet with them tomorrow and see what they offer and have to say.

I will update with any info I get

 

[woodlandfarms]

Being in the PNW we have an added issue to our water which is arsenic from well water. Washington state had a mandate to help rural communities with the issue. We got onto a lud (local utility ) and have regretted it ever since. It cost us over 30k and now the county comes by once a week to test water. Wish we had just gone to rain collection.

 

[Egon]

Being in the PNW we have an added issue to our water which is arsenic from well water. Washington state had a mandate to help rural communities with the issue. We got onto a lud (local utility ) and have regretted it ever since. It cost us over 30k and now the county comes by once a week to test water. Wish we had just gone to rain collection.

Where does the LUD souce it's water from. Is it well water or runoff water?

 

[woodlandfarms]

It comes from a400 ft well about 1 mile away. It is located next to the Clark river and uses a chlorine injection to reduce iron which in turn reduces arsenic.