Rain water?

Question

Is it safe to collect rain water,then boil it to clean it out,then put it in a Brita or Pur water filter jug,then drink it?

Answer 1

I dont see why it wouldn't be.Boiling it will get rid of alot of the toxins that are naturally in the rain water.And Brita and Pur water filters help get rid of the lead and chlorine taste in the water.

You might want to ask someone who is well trained in this kind of feild first though.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Absolutely. Rain water is probably safe to drink without boiling it, but just to be safe, bring it to a roiling boil for 5 minutes. This shoul eliminate all of the microorganisms. Putting it through the filter will eliminate any silt or chemicals that might have been in the water or your container. If you are only concerned about bacteria, then the boiling step should be all that is required, but you would have to do it very carefully and it might be best to be safe and filter it.

Answer 3

If you are living in a relatively unpoluuted area (without much chemcical industry), it is safe to drink rain water collected directly in a clean vessel without any other treatment. What you have proposed is quite sufficient. But if you are near some chemical factories, coal based thermal power stations etc., you may have acid rains. So, check that aspect.

Rain water collected from the roof top through pipes etc., is contaminated with dirt and other things on the roof and in the pipes. That water can be filtered and used for washing etc.

Answer 4

No,
Rain water is normally acidic because carbon dioxide (found normally in the Earth's atmosphere) reacts with the rain water to form carbonic acid. This gives a normal pH for rain water of 5.6 to 5.7 (the lower the number, the more acidic, 7 is neutral, higher is more alkaline).
Acid rain is so called because the rain water reacts with pollutants sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to form sulphuric and nitric acids. This can increase the pH of rain water to 4 (and very occasionally a pH of 2 has been recorded). However you have to consider that vinegar has a pH of 2.2 and lemon juice a pH of 2.3, so the acidity of acid rain isn't anything to worry about. Also, stomach acid is usually between pH 1 and 2 so there really isn't anything to worry about.
The problem with acid rain is the effect it has on the environment after it has fallen, but to drink, all rain water is perfectly safe. Probably more so than ground water or tap water.

Answer 5

Yes that is a good technique. Remember the birds fly over and there dropping can be bad,so be sure and boil it for 7 to 10 min. The higher the altitude the longer u should boil it. Or use a pressure cooker and heat it until the high pressure pop off.

Answer 6

I have a big "critter pond" drinking bowl outside for the animals and my dog will always drink from there first before she drinks from the inside bowl. I think the rain water is softer and does not have all the chemicals and also your cat may be just wanting plain water with no milk in it. Try some plain water and see. Also I let her inside water set in a plastic jug to let some of the chemicals disperse, I have heard it helps to let it set out.

Answer 7

If you follow some of the procedures listed above you should be fine. The only other thing to try would be to buy some

Litmus Paper

a kit for $14 + whatever their S&H is.
http://vwrlabshop.com/colorbphbast-ph-test-strips-emd-chemicals/p/0011566/

strips to check the PH of the water. If the water is acidic the litmus paper will show you and you can add different chemicals to reduce it, as simple as baking soda. The other thing is that the water may have the possibility of being salty. Unfortunately to remove salt you either need to distill it or do reverse osmosis.

Answer 8

Why would you want to do that? If you dont like tap water isnt that what the Brita is for? Im not being a smart alec, I am just confused. Rain water is great on plants

Answer 9

I wouldn't have a problem drinking fresh rain water. If you leave it sitting for awhile then you have a problem with bacteria and other critters making their home in it. If you collect it then you should put it in a sterile container until you filter it for later use especially if you plan on drinking it or cooking with it.

Answer 10

I have two tanks collecting and drink it regularly. Was raised in the country where thats all we had. Mind you, am in the Southern Hemisphere where there is little or no acid rain.