# Rain Water Treatment For Drinking



## wobbly (30/1/17)

Have looked through a lot/most of the topics on using rain water for brewing but unable to see if/how those that use rain water for* normal drinking* do they treat the water in the holding tank with anything to eliminate algae growth 

Do you dose the tank with anything and if so what, how much and how often
If you filter the water coming out of the tank what type of filter do you use
Anything else you do to stop algae growth
Cheers

Wobbly


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## Flash_DG (30/1/17)

I have a double filter on our tanks carbon filter and a 5 micron. other then that I don't treat it any other way.
Been drinking it for years not dead yet


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## Ducatiboy stu (30/1/17)

Had a 5micron filter at the pump

Drank it straight.

Raises 2 babies on tank water, They are strapping lads now


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## Ducatiboy stu (30/1/17)

wobbly said:


> Have looked through a lot/most of the topics on using rain water for brewing but unable to see if/how those that use rain water for* normal drinking* do they treat the water in the holding tank with anything to eliminate algae growth
> 
> Do you dose the tank with anything and if so what, how much and how often *Do NOT put anything in your tank PERIOD*
> If you filter the water coming out of the tank what type of filter do you use. A fine one
> ...


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## drsmurto (30/1/17)

I have a standard twin underbench filter for drinking. Sediment then carbon. I don't filter the rainwater for the entire house, just the drinking tap. 

Grew up on rainwater. Dad used to put a drop of paraffin oil in the tank if there were noticeable numbers of wrigglers but it was never filtered.


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## Bribie G (30/1/17)

Considering that for drinking you don't use all that much, I just use a Brita Jug from the Supermarket. So far since September it's only gone through 80% of the first filter ( the modern jugs have a LCD indicator on the top of the jug but I take that with a degree of scepticism as the tank water is basically pure anyway).

For general tank hygeine - we only have a 500L - I run it dry into a garden bed every now and again and clean it out through the manhole. A good storm always fills it.


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## Ducatiboy stu (30/1/17)

DrSmurto said:


> *I have a standard twin underbench filter for drinking*. Sediment then carbon. I don't filter the rainwater for the entire house, just the drinking tap.
> 
> Grew up on rainwater. Dad used to put a drop of paraffin oil in the tank if there were noticeable numbers of wrigglers but it was never filtered.


Looked at that, but one day when the pump shit itself, it was a good reason to go a 500mm x 100mm filter in at the tank ....got a pic some where....

I never bothered with a carbon filter. Had 2 x 20k & 1 x 30k all linked. 

Rain water is da bombsky


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## Benn (30/1/17)

Grew up on unfiltered tanks, love it.


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## Mr B (30/1/17)

We're on rainwater, no filter on the output at all.

Has fine mesh screens on inlet and overflow.

About every year or so I would clean the inlet screens on the washing machine etc, but no biggie. Just would suck a bit of fine particulate up when stirred up from water coming in when almost empty.

Recently put a particulate filter just after the pump to keep this sort of stuff out, just for fun. From the irigation shop, a disc filter type jobbie, cost about $16.

So, you dont need to filter, but you can.

You shouldnt really need to sanitise either, but you can dose with hydrogen peroxide occasionally if it tickles your fancy. I dont, but could one day just for fun.


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## Ducatiboy stu (30/1/17)

Here is the filter I had... the blue thing at the back


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## Batz (30/1/17)

Drink it straight from the tank, yes could be a bird shit, possum piss, frogs...what are they doing??
I do add salts to my brewery water but unfiltered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ2P4DKQ5ZI

Take a minute from your life and listen to this, warms up.


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## Benn (30/1/17)

Sounds like a cross between Danny Devito & George Carlin


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## Midnight Brew (30/1/17)

Benn said:


> Sounds like a cross between Danny Devito & George Carlin


That was my first impression, holy shit is this Devito and Carlin


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## Hpal (30/1/17)

I grew up on tank water, never had a filter or any water treatment, tasted great and never got sick. Only downside is Dad yelling at you after your 3 minutes in the shower was up!


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## michaeld16 (30/1/17)

Hpal said:


> I grew up on tank water, never had a filter or any water treatment, tasted great and never got sick. Only downside is Dad yelling at you after your 3 minutes in the shower was up!


ha yeah i remember my father yelling the same thing, i used to think ya bloody shower nazi. I now have two daughters on tank water, i now understand his frustration

As for my water treatment, 10 micron filter replaced every couple of months or so when i remember


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## rude (30/1/17)

What about PH of you're rainwater in the tank, have heard some people put limestone chips in

to bring it up as some areas might be too acidic ??

I'm no expert & have'nt got any tanks but would'nt mind a couple

Why do water authorities aim for a PH of 7 to 8 ?


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## billygoat (31/1/17)

michaeld16 said:


> ha yeah i remember my father yelling the same thing, i used to think ya bloody shower nazi. I now have two daughters on tank water, i now understand his frustration
> As for my water treatment, 10 micron filter replaced every couple of months or so when i remember


Been on tank water for the last 23 years.
No filter on the outlets and only a mesh strainer where the water comes into the tanks.

When my daughter was younger, she's now 21, she was a shocker when it came to long showers. I'd tap on the door to let her know she'd been in long enough, usually about 10 mins, if that didn't work I went outside and turned the pump off.
I could hear the screaming from outside.


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## rude (31/1/17)

/www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/.../enhealth-*rain*tank

Tried to copy link but failed but if you do a google Guidance on use of rainwater
Department of health it comes up for a good read Wobbly


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## Ducatiboy stu (31/1/17)

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-publicat-document-metadata-env_rainwater.htm

Pretty much all common sense in that document.

Its a pretty good read actually


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## mstrelan (31/1/17)

Bribie G said:


> Considering that for drinking you don't use all that much, I just use a Brita Jug from the Supermarket. So far since September it's only gone through 80% of the first filter ( the modern jugs have a LCD indicator on the top of the jug but I take that with a degree of scepticism as the tank water is basically pure anyway).


I believe the indicators are purely based on time elapsed since their last reset.


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## rude (1/2/17)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-publicat-document-metadata-env_rainwater.htm
> 
> Pretty much all common sense in that document.
> 
> Its a pretty good read actually


cheers for posting that 

I right clicked copied link but it never works


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## wide eyed and legless (2/2/17)

If you could get hold of some bottled DT that would keep ALL the nasties out.


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