Rainwater harvesting can be a great alternative water source that’s both practical and eco-friendly. Although it is more common in rural areas, harvesting rainwater is also feasible in urban areas. It reduces dependence on and demand for public water supply and trims water bills as well. Here are common methods used to make rainwater safe for drinking and household use.

1. Treatment Options
for Rainwater
Harvesting
Systems Rhino Water Tanks
http://www.rhinotanks.com.au

2. Rainwater harvesting can be a great alternative water source that’s both practical and
eco-friendly. Although it is more common in rural areas, harvesting rainwater is also
feasible in urban areas. It reduces dependence on and demand for public water supply
and trims water bills as well. Here are common methods used to make rainwater safe for
drinking and household use.
Sanitising and Filtering
There are several factors that affect the quality of rainwater. Rainwater alone is not
potable, but through various treatment techniques, it can be as safe to drink as tap or
distilled water. Roof and other catchment structures may affect the quality of rainwater,
so the entire roof structure must work together to maintain the efficient flow of
rainwater.

3. The preliminary step to treating rainwater is making sure gutters, roof catchments and
tank screens are free of leaves, branches, and other debris. Screens will keep foreign
matter out of the incoming water and prevent the tank from being a mosquito breeding
site.
The next step is to shock sanitise the collected rainwater by adding liquid bleach or
granular calcium hypochlorite. Homeowners may also opt for a commercial roof washer
valve, a device sized to collect at least 30 litres of water for every 100 square metres of
catchment area. This device makes the flow and treatment more efficient and accurate.
Treating and Neutralising
Treating rainwater can be a combination of several devices and processes to allow
rainwater to reach potable quality. Most homeowners use ultra violet sterilisers to
neutralise collected rainwater and then add solid pellet or liquid bleach chlorine feeders to
administer chlorination.

4. RESOURCES:
 http://rhinotanks.com.au/
 http://www.harvesth2o.com/filtration_purification.shtml
 http://www.waterworld.com/articles/print/volume-30/issue-4/urban-water-
management/taking-the-rains-examining-stormwater-collection-and-
treatment-methods-for-reuse.html
Another option is ozone treatment. There are several ozone treatment technologies that
homeowners can choose from. Ozone treatment is a more versatile option, with varieties
that can be tailored to various indoor and outdoor water applications.
With quite a number of sophisticated technologies available today, from rainwater
collecting down to purifying devices, rainwater can definitely be safe to drink. Bringing
rain indoors could save the expense and environmental costs of treating and
transporting household water.