Off-grid water treatment

[Nickfromwales]

35 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Each time I read this, I wonder how our relatives in Australia survive with Rainwater as their only source of water for everything * and how when we visit and drink the foul polluted liquid we don't even get a dodgy tummy

 

* If the dry season goes on too long they can buy in a tanker of water to keep them going

Building control doesn’t give 2 hoots about Bruce and Sheila mate   They’re the ones that need appeasing.

[Nickfromwales]

Just a note: Don’t forget to run BLACK MDPE pipes NOT BLUE for anything other than potable water. 

[ProDave]

2 hours ago, Hastings said:

 

I think the penny is beginning to drop over here. I've heard of one or two houses in Argyll & Bute being okay'ed by the council for entirely rain water private supplies. I just wish I could get the tech details of them (so I don't have to re-invent that wheel).

The only difference between Bruce (yes that really is his name) and Jock, is they tend to get all their rain in big storms in the wet season, and allow some to run off the roof to wash the bird s&!t off before allowing it to go into the tanks.  Here we get a lot more light rain and more likely to get more roof muck in the water.

 

I don't think they treat it, and it tastes good as far as I could tell and no ill effects.  They collect from the house roof and several outbuildings and have 4 or 5 tanks.

[saveasteading]

4 hours ago, Hastings said:

Would appreciate any progress info on this subject

A big change of strategy for us. The neighbour who shares the supply is keen to improve it, so we are working together.

In case of too low a flow in the summer we will both have storage thanks of about 3m3 and then take the water to the house by pump.

Have not looked into treatment yet but it is clearly fairly normal. Very fortunately a near neighbour uses the same source and is in the borehole industry.

 

I have done rainwater harvesters twice, but not for drinking. The water appeared perfectly normal. I didn't like the idea of 10% bypass to get rid of bits, so put a settlement chamber before the harvester. It was remarkably clean (top and bottom) when I checked. Obv would need a uv treatment to kill anything.

Any particular queries?

[Cpd]

4 hours ago, ProDave said:

I wonder how our relatives in Australia survive with Rainwater as their only source of water for everything * and how when we visit and drink the foul polluted liquid we don't even get a dodgy tummy

 

2 hours ago, ProDave said:

I don't think they treat it, and it tastes good as far as I could tell and no ill effects.  They collect from the house roof and several outbuildings

i spent 4 years drinking water from the roof of my building in Australia with no bad side effects, there were also kids and babies and no problems, totally untreated.