There is no valid reason for believing that rainwater will be clean and
fit to drink.

There is a lot of pollution in the air, and it travels thousands of
miles - around the world in many cases. Consider how much acid rain from
the industrial parts of the nation have caused loss of vegetation and
smog in areas downwind several states away. That is just one of many
types of pollution in the atmosphere. No reason to think that the
pollution is stooped at the border by Customs and prevented from
leaving. Nor pollution from other countries is blocked by Homeland
Security from passing across the nation.

If a cruising magazine wanted to do a shocking story, and promote the
sales of its reverse osmosis advertisers, it would have rainwater
samples collected and tested from around the world.

2462 wrote:
There is no valid reason for believing that rainwater will be clean and
fit to drink.

Well, all water we drink was rainwater at one time or another, wasn't
it? Of course, once it's collected and stored, there's possibility of
biotic growth, so it should be disinfected. But, if you open your
mouth skyward when it's raining, I suspect it's as clean a water as you
can get.

Quote from rainwater.com:

"Rainwater is a renewable, sustainable and a high quality water source
for your home or cottage.

It is soft, neutral in pH, free from disinfection by-products, salts,
minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants that cause
staining, pipe corrosion or smell. As well as being "nature's watering
agent" for gardening, disinfected rainwater is an excellent water
source for general household use - either on its own or as a
supplement.

Rainwater - IS IT SAFE? Absolutely -providing it is collected, stored
and disinfected correctly. Today, rainwater harvesting is popular in
parts of Europe, Hawaii, and Japan, and mandatory in places like
Bermuda, parts of Australia and New Zealand. There are over 250,000
known users in the United States, and a thriving rain collection
industry in Texas, Hawaii, Arizona, California and Oregon."

OH brother do you have it WRONG
Every raindrop that forms does so by condensing onto microscopic
particles: dust, bacteria, viruses, etc. etc. etc. Without such
'nucleation sites' the water vapor would not 'condense'.
There are approximately 35000 particles (0,001 - 1.0uM) per cubic ft In
'pure' air.
The 'natural' pH of rainwater is slightly acidic to mildly acidic
(5-6pH)
Water that falls to earth and enters the underground aquifers does so
by perculation through the soils, sand, porous rock ..... which filters
the water !!!!!!!!! (but not the 'background' chemicals).
Rainwater direct from the sky should be filtered to 3uM to remove
fungal spores, (probably) 0,45uM to remove bacteria and bacterial
spores; but, can also use common chemical disinfection by adding
approx. 1 part per million of chlorine (from 5% clorox, etc.)



article . com, Mark
wrote:

2462 wrote:
There is no valid reason for believing that rainwater will be clean and
fit to drink.

Well, all water we drink was rainwater at one time or another, wasn't
it? Of course, once it's collected and stored, there's possibility of
biotic growth, so it should be disinfected. But, if you open your
mouth skyward when it's raining, I suspect it's as clean a water as you
can get.

Quote from rainwater.com:

"Rainwater is a renewable, sustainable and a high quality water source
for your home or cottage.

It is soft, neutral in pH, free from disinfection by-products, salts,
minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants that cause
staining, pipe corrosion or smell. As well as being "nature's watering
agent" for gardening, disinfected rainwater is an excellent water
source for general household use - either on its own or as a
supplement.

Rainwater - IS IT SAFE? Absolutely -providing it is collected, stored
and disinfected correctly. Today, rainwater harvesting is popular in
parts of Europe, Hawaii, and Japan, and mandatory in places like
Bermuda, parts of Australia and New Zealand. There are over 250,000
known users in the United States, and a thriving rain collection
industry in Texas, Hawaii, Arizona, California and Oregon."

Rich Hample wrote:
The 'natural' pH of rainwater is slightly acidic to mildly acidic
(5-6pH)

Interesting... everytime it rains the pH in my pool rockets up to 7.8 or
higher (more alkaline) and I have to add a lot of acid to bring the pH
down again to the proper level.

There is no valid reason for believing that rainwater will be clean
and fit to drink.

Well, all water we drink was rainwater at one time or another, wasn't
it? Of course, once it's collected and stored, there's possibility of
biotic growth, so it should be disinfected. But, if you open your
mouth skyward when it's raining, I suspect it's as clean a water as
you can get.

What completely nonsensical "reasoning". Suspect as much as you want.
But if you think rainwater "is as clean a water as you can get" you have
no knowledge of water quality - at all.

Quote from rainwater.com:

"Rainwater is a renewable, sustainable and a high quality water source
for your home or cottage.


Baloney.

Anf microbes are the least of the problems with rainwater. The
industrail and other human generated chemical pollutants are the real
problems. And depending on exactly where you are they can be very, very
significant.