The Answer is From Above: Rain+Sun=Potable Water

Combine Rainwater Harvesting with Solar Water Pasteurization and you get top quality, clean, clear and safe potable drinking water.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• rain
• water
• rainwater
• harvesting
• solar
• pasteurization
• potable
• drinking

[alexsunlover]

Depending on what standards you set for potable water, really. If your concern is about pathogenic microbes, harvested rainwater needs sterilization and solar pasteurization is one sustainable and renewable method. If your "cleaning up" is about environmental contaminants like vehicles and industrial emissions, river water is no cleaner than rainwater, really.

[alexsunlover]

Solar UV Water Sterilization like you have mentioned is possible; but virtually unverifiable unlike solar water pasteurization via a simple beeswax thermometer like the WAPI (Water Pasteurization Indicator). Unless all pathogens are destroyed, solar UV water sterilization can cause more harm than good by giving a false sense of drinking water safety.

[68NYC]

I've begun Collecting rain for gardening use only.

However... this lets me know different ways for other uses.

Thanks.

;0)

[aquabarrel]

basic rain barrel parts kit can be found @ RainBarrelParts . com

[worseto]

sure rain water to bath in is fine but drinking it takes some cleaning up

[kwikflikz]

a very basic and similar idea IS promoted in 3rd world countries - people are encouraged to fill clear plastic water bottles from their water source and leave them on the roof of their hut in the sun for a day before drinking them...making the water safer to drink.

great video - and nice system!

[BarneySaysHi]

Now THAT's an idea that can save a lot of lifes if done at a large scale. Governments should put these in third world countries so people can have clean water to drink. Provided it rains a lot there that is...