On 08/03/2012 10:41, AL_n wrote:
"Charlie wrote in news:9rp2o3Fgu4U1
@mid.individual.net:

the OP wanted to know how to make
it safe to drink rain water from a butt, which in my view is either by
boiling or a UV filter but I think they may have lost interest with the
thread as it got sidetracked!

Still somewhat interested in the thread. Having read the helpful comments,
I think I have a much better grasp of the (fairly low) risks involved in
drinking rainwater-butt water. If the water becomes too cruddy-looking with
too many low-life squatters swimming around, I'll probably boil it. Then I
won't have nightmares about Alien IV bursting out of my gut at some
inconvenient moment. :-)

The sorts of nasties that can annoy you through drinking unboiled water
butt water are invisible to the naked eye. Camping shops sell tablets
that will render iffy water potable but it doesn't taste so good.

Keeping light out will at least minimise the amount of stuff entering
the food chain. Green water is very unappealing to drink.

I suppose it depends what circumstances you find yourself in, but I
would not want to drink the water from my water butt without giving it a
very good rolling boil first. Loads of dead leaves, sludge and probably
the odd mouse or bird decomposing in the bottom of it by now. The water
itself is pretty clear apart from right at the bottom.

I don't think you can keep it clean enough as collected rainwater to be
potable, but you could sterilise it afterwards before drinking it.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown