A properly maintained rainwater tank can provide good quality drinking water. As long as rainwater is clear, has little taste or odor, and comes from a well-maintained water intake system, it is likely to be safe and unlikely to cause any illness for most users. While clean rainwater is safe to drink, it can easily become contaminated when dropped, which could pose a major health hazard. Collecting and using rainwater can be a great way to conserve resources.
Some people use rainwater to water plants, clean, bathe, or drink. However, it is important that the stormwater system is properly maintained and that the water quality is adequate for its intended use. Rainwater, if properly harvested, can provide an alternative and potentially sustainable source of freshwater for a wide variety of domestic uses. It can also be used as drinking water if strict safety measures are implemented and carefully maintained.
In that sense, filtering, boiling, or disinfecting (or a combination) of rainwater can make rainwater safe for human consumption. However, it's important to have a reliable collection, treatment, and test before you drink it. If you have any questions about your ability to ensure the above, we recommend that you limit the use of collected rainwater to things such as gardening, washing clothes, or bathing (and try to keep it away from your eyes, nose, and mouth). Most Americans, including myself, are content to trust and trust in the safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of drinking water provided by our local community water system.
With all due respect to everything we have discussed above, the simple answer is: Yes. It's safe to drink, but only as long as it doesn't come in contact with anything. Unfortunately, that's not easy to examine. That's why more people rely on rainwater for everything else, except for drinking.
Consider adding a grate to the water inlet or emptying the rain barrel at least every 10 days to prevent mosquitoes from using the rain barrel as a breeding ground. The best and safest way to collect rainwater is through the use of storage containers specifically manufactured by a reputable company that produces steel rainwater tanks for the purpose of directly collecting rain. Harvesting domestic stormwater, such as “greywater reuse,” can also reduce demand for existing drinking water supplies and water runoff. People who collect and store rainwater for drinking or other household uses are responsible for ensuring that their water is safe to drink.
Any water tank is better than no water tank, just make sure it's completely closed or covered in some way. Collecting, storing and using rainwater, called rainwater harvesting, can be an effective way of conserving and reusing local water. Cisterns, rain barrels, and other containers intended to store rainwater should also be properly maintained and disinfected, and according to the CDC, especially after floods and heavy rains. Aeration helps to oxygenate the water and keep it moving, decreasing the stagnant, smelly water that is common when it remains at rest for a longer period of time.
When rainwater is used as a source of supplemental water, homeowners should ensure that rainwater cannot enter pipes that contain drinking water. Combining the roof with a seamless galvanized steel gutter will help you go even further to ensure pristine water in your catchment tank. Communities where residents receive treated public water for drinking, homeowners and businesses are increasingly turning to rainwater collection systems to address non-potable water needs, such as garden irrigation, especially in dry regions. A number of factors can affect the safety of rainwater, such as how often it rains in your geographical area, levels of air pollution, and the methods and tools used to collect, treat, analyze and store water (.
Rain can carry different types of pollutants into the water you collect (for example, bird droppings on the roof could end up in the barrel or water tank). If you collect and store rainwater for drinking, you have an individual water system and are responsible for ensuring that your water is safe. . .
