# Question about rain water



## budgetprepp-n

Hi,
I'm installing a set of water tanks in the basement of my BOL and I was thinking of making it so I could catch
rain water and fill the tanks with it. Do you see any reason that I could't use it for everything except
drinking? Like washing dishes showering and stuff like that? I would probably have a filter but it 
would be mostly just for catching the small gravel off the shingals and stuff like that.


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## 7052

budgetprepp-n said:


> Hi,
> I'm installing a set of water tanks in my basement and I was thinking of making it so I could catch
> rain water and fill the tanks with it. Do you see any reason that I could't use it for everything except
> drinking? Like washing dishes showering and stuff like that? I would probably have a filter but it
> would be mostly just for catching the small gravel off the shingals and stuff like that.


Who says you can't use it for drinking? Finter it properly, and if needed, boil it.


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## Camel923

Consider getting a device that lets the first small amount of rain water into the ground then divert the rest to your storage tanks. That way you get less bird droppings Rainwater Harvesting First flush diverter. There are numerous ways to filter it for drinking. How To Purify Water ? Water Purification Process and lifesaver-jerrycan are good starts. http://extension.psu.edu/natural-re...terns-design-construction-and-water-treatment for a filter.


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## HuntingHawk

I have a rain catch & storeage system but other then for the garden, all water is filtered or boiled. You are going to take contaminated water & contaminate dishes with it? Can you guarantee bathing with contaminated water that none with get on your lips, in your ears, or in your eyes? Better safe then sorry.


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## Slippy

Like Camel said, use a First Flush Diverter. You can make one with some PVC and an empty water bottle or rubber ball. Or you can buy one already assembled with a screen. Knowing you, Budget, you'll make one. 

Just be aware that one inch of rain can fill up a large water tank REAL DAMN FAST. So if you have the tank in your basement, make sure that your relief overflow valve send the water out of your home or into a series of tanks. There is a calculation for your SQ FOOTAGE of ROOF and Number of inches of rain--to determine how much water you can collect. 


A 1" rain can fill up a 500 gallon tank with some to spare on just one just one side of my roof. I haven't done the calculation since I installed my system but if memory serves, one side of my roof collects approx. 700 gallons in a 1" rain.on


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## HuntingHawk

One square foot will collect .6 gallon water from 1" of rain.


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## Salt-N-Pepper

Slippy said:


> Just be aware that one inch of rain can fill up a large water tank REAL DAMN FAST.


You bet it can... VERY VERY fast.


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## Kauboy

If you want to use this water for anything you would consider "sanitation", then you *must* treat it like drinking water.
If you intend to do any kind of cleaning with it, it must be safe.
It shouldn't be too difficult to filter rain water into drinkable water. Evaporation into the clouds did most of the work for you.
Your main concern will be filtering out the "stuff" that gets picked up as it flows across your roof.
Granules, bird droppings, tar, leaves, bugs, etc... all need to be accounted for in your filtering.
The "first flush" addition is great for taking care of most of it. However, it only takes care of particle contamination, not chemical/biological.
You'll still want additional filtering to take care of these. (chlorine/boiling for biological, activated charcoal for chemical, for examples)


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## PaulS

Remember when doing calculations to use a rectangular roof footprint and not the actual square feet of roof. It is angled and you don't get more water than if you calculate it as a "flat" roof area.


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## alterego

I Think It Important To Note. The Chloroform And Other Bacteria That Will Grow In The Tank Regardless Of Filtering. You Must Treat The Water With Chlorine.


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## RNprepper

For what it's worth, we drank unfiltered rainwater off the roof for 11 years in Papua New Guinea. There are a LOT worse water sources. The rain water WAS our drinking water and was plumbed to the sink taps. It was never treated and the tanks were never cleaned. (Removing debri from the bottom of the tanks would have resulted in leaks, most likely.) Bathing and toilet flushing was done with semi-treated river water that was pumped through a separate system to the showers and toilets. 

We use "contaminated" water for all our bathing when in Peru. You just don't swallow it or brush your teeth with it.

Your immune system really can adjust to this. Yes, there will be some bacteria in the water, no doubt. You may have loose stools from time to time, especially when the tank gets low. If the tank is filling fairly constantly, the water will be drinkable. The best thing you can do is to keep your gutters clean. Yes, you can boil it, and if it was river water, I would definitely boil it, but I would be perfectly fine with running rain water through a biosand filter and calling it good. If your immune system cannot adapt to rainwater, sorry to say, you are going to have a lot bigger problems to worry about.


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## HuntingHawk

Though New Guinea you would still be dealing with biological waste you won't be dealing with industrial waste. Last time I was up on the roof that my rain water is collected from I found a half eaten squirrel. My guess from a hawk. But that convinced me I will not drink unfiltered water from the roof.

Giving advise to not purify water for drinking I think is foolish & dangerous.


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## RNprepper

HuntingHawk said:


> Though New Guinea you would still be dealing with biological waste you won't be dealing with industrial waste. Last time I was up on the roof that my rain water is collected from I found a half eaten squirrel. My guess from a hawk. But that convinced me I will not drink unfiltered water from the roof.
> 
> Giving advise to not purify water for drinking I think is foolish & dangerous.


I have always advocated for a safe water supply. It is crucial for survival. However, rain water off a roof that is regularly inspected and with the gutters cleaned out is not a huge risk, in my opinion; and if run through a biosand filter, will be safe in most situations. Our systems can handle some bacteria. BUT, as you pointed out, industrial waste is another risk. A biosand filter, or just about any other filter is not going to remove chemicals. Boiling will only concentrate chemicals. You'd have use distillation for chemical removal, wouldn't you?

Common sense must also prevail. If my water has been sitting stagnant in a hot tank for 6 months, I will indeed be boiling it after filtration. If I had a young child or someone with a compromised immune system, I would boil it, also.


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## HuntingHawk

I'm talking chemicals such as from the stacks of coal plants that can accumulate on roofs versus ground chemicals such as sprayed on weeds. So often in Florida you hear about fish kills after someone has sprayed insecticide along the water line because of invasive plants. And its one of the reasons rain water is safer then ground water.


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## HuntingHawk

Heck, I even worry about tanin from pine needles & acorns on the roof. SHTF is not the time to get sick from contaminated water.


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## budgetprepp-n

We did some rain water collection when I was a kid on the farm as I remember it we waited until it had been 
raining really hard for a while before catching it. We gave it time to wash everything off and get some of the nasty
stuff off the roof


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## HuntingHawk

How much rain does it take to wash the bird shit, squirrel shit, etc before the water is safe? I don't think there is a SAFE answer.


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## Slippy

HuntingHawk said:


> How much rain does it take to wash the bird shit, squirrel shit, etc before the water is safe? I don't think there is a SAFE answer.


Well put HH;
My advise to all who catch rainwater, "Get a Berkey and be safe"!


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## HuntingHawk

Berkey, Berkfield, or Doulton ceramic filter with activated charcoal will take care of those nasties. And just buying the filter itself you can make your own kit with some buckets.


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## HuntingHawk

As I've stated, a SHTF situation is not the time to get sick from drinking bad water especially when its easily preventable.


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## Slippy

HuntingHawk said:


> Berkey, Berkfield, or Doulton ceramic filter with activated charcoal will take care of those nasties. And just buying the filter itself you can make your own kit with some buckets.


I've seen pics of your set up HH, you got it down pat. Good work.


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## loblolly

Thanks for the suggestions HH. I'm new around here and have plenty of reading to do now.


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## Camel923

Now here is a question: how often to change the sand, charcoal or what ever type of filter? It would be logical to think after x number of gallons it would be prudent to replace the active components.


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## Slippy

Camel923 said:


> Now here is a question: how often to change the sand, charcoal or what ever type of filter? It would be logical to think after x number of gallons it would be prudent to replace the active components.


I plan on using a "taster". Someone like my dipshit brother in law to drink the water when the filter life is questionable. When he starts having the runs, time to change the filter!


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## PaulS

A "slow sand filter" is a biotic filter. You do not want to change the sand. You may have to scrape sludge from the top surface but the sand gets filled with bacteria and single celled plants that purify the water. A healthy filter is an excellent filter for years of use. There are some things that can destroy it in short order but as long as it stays healthy you don't have any problems.


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## Jeep

It looks good to me, I saw the clear Poly one. 2.5 gallons, perfect for the Kitchen. Maybe next month.


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## Camel923

Slippy said:


> I plan on using a "taster". Someone like my dipshit brother in law to drink the water when the filter life is questionable. When he starts having the runs, time to change the filter!


I like your logic. Your solving two problems at once.


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## Arklatex

Listen to HuntingHawk. He speaks the truth. You can build a big berkey for less than 40 bucks.


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## Kauboy

PaulS said:


> A "slow sand filter" is a biotic filter. You do not want to change the sand. You may have to scrape sludge from the top surface but the sand gets filled with bacteria and single celled plants that purify the water. A healthy filter is an excellent filter for years of use. There are some things that can destroy it in short order but as long as it stays healthy you don't have any problems.


I've seen these before, and they aren't difficult to build, but I've always wondered how you can *know* for sure when the "good" bacteria is well enough established to start drinking the output. Is there a standard for "priming" a filter like this?


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## Arklatex

Kauboy said:


> I've seen these before, and they aren't difficult to build, but I've always wondered how you can *know* for sure when the "good" bacteria is well enough established to start drinking the output. Is there a standard for "priming" a filter like this?


Not sure there is a standard. It might be similar to cycling an aquarium...


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## Kauboy

Arklatex said:


> Not sure there is a standard. It might be similar to cycling an aquarium...


Ark?
Is that you?
We had a somewhat active member with that name a month or so ago.
Are you back... as a new member?


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## Arklatex

Kauboy said:


> Ark?
> Is that you?
> We had a somewhat active member with that name a month or so ago.
> Are you back... as a new member?


Yea. I got banned for crap talking but it's over now and my posts are gone.


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## Arklatex

I think with the slow sand filters the more they are used to filter water the better they will work. The filter media becomes seasoned with beneficial bacteria over time. The BB needs to be fed impurities in order to establish itself. It may be similar to the nitrogen cycle. Not to say it won't work right away but it will only get better as its used. These things are in use all over the world. They were used successfully after the Haiti crises as well.


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## Kauboy

Arklatex said:


> I think with the slow sand filters the more they are used to filter water the better they will work. The filter media becomes seasoned with beneficial bacteria over time. The BB needs to be fed impurities in order to establish itself. It may be similar to the nitrogen cycle. Not to say it won't work right away but it will only get better as its used. These things are in use all over the world. They were used successfully after the Haiti crises as well.


Well then, welcome back!

Online, I've seen these filters in practice being used in villages in India and in towns in the Middle East. The principle makes sense, but I've not found anywhere that explains the science.
The voice in my head says, "If beneficial bacteria can find a home in the sand, why not harmful bacteria?"
What "magical" factor ensures that the good gets established, and not the bad?


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## paraquack

This link is the CDC's article.
Slow Sand Filtration | The Safe Water System | CDC


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## Derma-Redi

I agree with Egyas


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## budgetprepp-n

From what have read and what I have learned from a guy that worked at the Akron city water works the rain water 
might be better than the city water.


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## thepeartree

If it all hits the fan, you can all come over here. I've got plenty of water for everybody.


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## 7515

Excellent thread !
I am learning a ton from you guys, thanks


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## haja

never never drink boil water, the water is dead. even a fish can't survive in dead water.
off cos u have to cool it down to room temperature b4 putting the fish.


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## bigwheel

budgetprepp-n said:


> Hi,
> I'm installing a set of water tanks in the basement of my BOL and I was thinking of making it so I could catch
> rain water and fill the tanks with it. Do you see any reason that I could't use it for everything except
> drinking? Like washing dishes showering and stuff like that? I would probably have a filter but it
> would be mostly just for catching the small gravel off the shingals and stuff like that.


Ok yes gravel roofs aint good. Get a metal roof and after it rains hard for thirty mins we can start catching it. Bird poo and bat guano is not safe to drink. Kiindly dont axe me why Uncle Slippy said that..but it sounds logical.


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## azrancher

bigwheel said:


> Ok yes gravel roofs aint good. Get a metal roof and after it rains hard for thirty mins we can start catching it. Bird poo and bat guano is not safe to drink. Kiindly dont axe me why Uncle Slippy said that..but it sounds logical.


And of course the Cities that use reservoirs for drinking water, like New York City, have trained the birds and bats not to poop in their water supply, and I've also heard that the streams that feed into the reservoirs are glass lined and have no gravel or rocks that might get into the water supply...

Seriously, the only thing you might worry about with a gravel roof is the material under the gravel, like "tar paper" lots of hydro carbons flush off after the rain first starts, which is why they make first flush filters, which dumps the first X number of gallons after the rain starts, you need the first flush filter with a metal roof also.

*Rancher*


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## NKAWTG

Sure you can drink it.
Most of Bermuda's drinking water is from rainwater catchment.
Do a Google search of Bermuda's rainwater harvesting.
I'm pretty sure they don't boil or filter the water, but check first.


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## RJAMES

Metal roof - quicker- easier to put on, works well, cheaper, last longer , you can use the water . I water dogs and cattle all the time from rainwater off of the metal roof
from barn, house and garage. Should I need it for drinking rather than give all of it to cattle I would filter some for human drinking.


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## bigwheel

Ok..yall are making me want to get my catching system back on line. Thanks.


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## bigwheel

Wish somebody could teach us how to delete duplicate messages one of these days.


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## 7052

Slippy said:


> A 1" rain can fill up a 500 gallon tank with some to spare on just one just one side of my roof. I haven't done the calculation since I installed my system but if memory serves, one side of my roof collects approx. 700 gallons in a 1" rain.on


I have 4 275 gallon IBC totes connected to the one side of my roof. a Single good rainstorm will fill all four of them about 50% of the way or more. Last spring, it took only 2 rains to fill them completely.

Oh, and here's the "first flush" diverter that I use.
Rain Harvesting Pty DDCR99 Clean Rain Ultra Downspout Filter and Diverter - Rainwater Collection and Stormwater Management

I do nod it slightly however. I unscrew the two-hose adapter and insert a piece of PVC directly. That maximizes the outflow. I re-ran the gutter on the backside of my house so that the entire thing runs into a single larger downspout. That first flush diverter works great for me (YMMV of course), and that 2" PVC pipe for the output goes into a 4-way PVC "distribution block" I built. There's a valve for each tote just so I can individually shut them off if necessary.

On the output of the totes, I have the adapter that necks them down to garden hose size, and all four of those go into a single 1-4 bronze manifold, w/ a single outlet. That way I can shut them off individually if I want, or leave them open and draw from all 4 tanks equally when I water the garden, etc.


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## Salt-N-Pepper

NKAWTG said:


> Sure you can drink it.
> Most of Bermuda's drinking water is from rainwater catchment.
> Do a Google search of Bermuda's rainwater harvesting.
> I'm pretty sure they don't boil or filter the water, but check first.


Yeah, all the neighbors to my land in Hawai'i use catchment water, but frankly NOTHING is cleaner on this earth than rain water on the big island... it had the purest air on the planet (scientifically proven) because it's downwind of 4,000 miles of nothing but the Pacific ocean before Fukushima (I don't know now, haven't checked lately).

My land is a scrub acre lot, so... yeah, nothing there.


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## Kauboy

Oh good Lord, guys...

A troll necro'd a 3 year old post and we're all just carrying on like it's normal. (well, from time to time, it is normal, lol)

In any event, @Egyas, where did you find the adapter you mentioned?


> On the output of the totes, I have the adapter that necks them down to garden hose size


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## 7052

Kauboy said:


> Oh good Lord, guys...
> 
> A troll necro'd a 3 year old post and we're all just carrying on like it's normal. (well, from time to time, it is normal, lol)
> 
> In any event, @Egyas, where did you find the adapter you mentioned?


The guy that I bought my totes from sold them to me at the time of the purchase. I don't have his contact info anymore, but this is exactly what he sold me.
275 330 IBC Tote Tank DRAIN ADAPTER 2" FINE Thrd 2" NPTx 3/4" GARDEN HOSE | eBay

Web search shows that it looks like you could build your own as well...


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## BlackDog

I built my own and it's just like your bottom picture. The only difference is I used a "Y" type hose bib which gives me two outlets. One I use for the hose and on the other I used a 1" clear hose that is zip tied up the side of the tank as a water level indicator. I needed that because I wrapped my tank I black poly to inhibit algae growth. I also made my own first flush system with pvc and the water bottle float someone mentioned previously.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk


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## TGus

Slippy said:


> Like Camel said, use a First Flush Diverter. You can make one with some PVC and an empty water bottle or rubber ball. Or you can buy one already assembled with a screen. Knowing you, Budget, you'll make one.
> 
> Just be aware that one inch of rain can fill up a large water tank REAL DAMN FAST. So if you have the tank in your basement, make sure that your relief overflow valve send the water out of your home or into a series of tanks. There is a calculation for your SQ FOOTAGE of ROOF and Number of inches of rain--to determine how much water you can collect.
> 
> A 1" rain can fill up a 500 gallon tank with some to spare on just one just one side of my roof. I haven't done the calculation since I installed my system but if memory serves, one side of my roof collects approx. 700 gallons in a 1" rain.on


Do your barrels have to be in the basement? That makes things more complicated. I can think or 3 good reasons to keep the barrels outside, maybe behind your BOL: 1) Here's the way mine work: I have 2 barrels for the front and 2 for the back. Each downspout runs into 1 barrel, which has a connector to the second barrel, and the second barrel has a connector near its top to a hose, so the overflow runs into my garden. (You can do it with one barrel.) This setup also refreshes your barrel water every time it rains. You can't do that by gravity from your basement. 2) If your barrels are higher than the basement floor, you can run a hose from either set of barrels to a sink in the basement by gravity. (You can buy sturdy plastic sinks at a hardware store that hook up to a garden hoes.) 3) I don't know if you have a drain in your basement, but I wouldn't store that much water in a place it couldn't drain out.

If you want to eliminate bird droppings, just put a nail board on the crest of your roof. You'll only have to filter and boil water for consumption. Also, make sure your barrels are well-screened against insects and out of direct sunlight to discourage algae.

If your barrels are steel, I'm not sure you even want to use them as rain barrels; they'll rust into the water.


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## Slippy

TGus said:


> Do your barrels have to be in the basement? That makes things more complicated. I can think or 3 good reasons to keep the barrels outside, maybe behind your BOL: 1) Here's the way mine work: I have 2 barrels for the front and 2 for the back. Each downspout runs into 1 barrel, which has a connector to the second barrel, and the second barrel has a connector near its top to a hose, so the overflow runs into my garden. This setup also refreshes your barrel water every time it rains. You can't do that by gravity from your basement. 2) If your barrels are higher than the basement floor, you can run a hose from either set of barrels to a sink in the basement by gravity. (You can buy sturdy plastic sinks at a hardware store that hook up to a garden hoes.) 3) I don't know if you have a drain in your basement, but I wouldn't store that much water in a place it couldn't drain out.
> 
> If you want to eliminate bird droppings, just put a nail board on the crest of your roof. You'll only have to filter and boil water for consumption. Also, make sure your barrels are well-screened against insects and out of direct sunlight to discourage algae.


My barrels are outside. Very little chance of freezing on "The Rolling Plains of Dixie, 'Neath the Sun Kissed Sky"..Also, they are dark green and algae does not grow in them at all. Triple Screened for insect filtration.


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## TGus

Slippy said:


> My barrels are outside. Very little chance of freezing on "The Rolling Plains of Dixie, 'Neath the Sun Kissed Sky"..Also, they are dark green and algae does not grow in them at all. Triple Screened for insect filtration.


Yowsa!


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