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Old 29-12-2014, 08:56 PM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored] years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB
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Old 29-12-2014, 11:10 PM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much
happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't realize
how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored]
years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB



Why go to the trouble of collecting clean water, that you claim is better
for your plants, to then pollute it? What do you imagine might grow in it
that would harm your plants? To repel mossies hang socks around the rim of
the tubs.

--
David

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A better world requires a daily struggle
against those who would mislead us.

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Old 29-12-2014, 11:34 PM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

On 12/29/2014 11:56 AM, Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored] years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB


Keep the cans covered. If they develop mosquito larvae anyway, spread
about 1/4 cup (or less) of cooking oil over the surface. The oil should
create a film thin enough that it will be harmless to your potted
plants, but it should spread enough to cover the entire surface of the
water. When you dip out the water for your plants, be careful to avoid
getting all the oil at once.

Don't use motor oil or household lubricating oil. In contact with soil,
cooking oil will eventually decompose; the others might not.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary
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Old 30-12-2014, 12:28 AM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

On Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:34:49 -0800, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 12/29/2014 11:56 AM, Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored] years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB


Keep the cans covered. If they develop mosquito larvae anyway, spread
about 1/4 cup (or less) of cooking oil over the surface. The oil should
create a film thin enough that it will be harmless to your potted
plants, but it should spread enough to cover the entire surface of the
water. When you dip out the water for your plants, be careful to avoid
getting all the oil at once.

Don't use motor oil or household lubricating oil. In contact with soil,
cooking oil will eventually decompose; the others might not.


Exactly, coating the surface of stagnant water with plain veggie oil
will sufficate mosquito larva.
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Old 30-12-2014, 06:50 AM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

On 30/12/2014 6:56 AM, Hypatia Nachshon wrote:


Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?


No need to do so.



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Old 30-12-2014, 06:52 AM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

On 30/12/2014 9:10 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much
happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't realize
how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored]
years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB



Why go to the trouble of collecting clean water, that you claim is
better for your plants, to then pollute it? What do you imagine might
grow in it that would harm your plants? To repel mossies hang socks
around the rim of the tubs.


:-)) I once saw a question in a newsgroup from someone who asked whether
he could drink rainwater. You can imagine how that made me roll around
laughing.

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Old 30-12-2014, 11:55 AM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

On 29/12/14 19:56, Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored] years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?


None. It is not necessary.

If you ever have a need to disinfect rainwater for some reason, then
don't use bleach. Use hydrogen peroxide instead. It will be just as
effective, and as it decomposes to water and oxygen, will not be harmful.

--

Jeff
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Old 30-12-2014, 11:59 PM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

On Tuesday, December 30, 2014 2:55:56 AM UTC-8, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 29/12/14 19:56, Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored] years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?


None. It is not necessary.

If you ever have a need to disinfect rainwater for some reason, then
don't use bleach. Use hydrogen peroxide instead. It will be just as
effective, and as it decomposes to water and oxygen, will not be harmful.

--

Jeff


Thanks to all for input. I should have made it clear that my concern was whether chlorinating the cans of rain water -- even a little -- would hurt the plants. Not really concerned about mosquitoes, so may have been misleading.

hydrogen peroxide, I have long used it as a minor wound disinfectant and a dental rinse (my dentist says OK). Didn't think of it for water. Very interesting. Looked it up:

http://www.lenntech.com/processes/di...rogen-peroxide.

Suggestions for proportion of HOOH to 32 gal H2O?

TIA

HB


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Old 31-12-2014, 07:37 AM posted to rec.gardens
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Default Chlorinate rain water?

Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
On Tuesday, December 30, 2014 2:55:56 AM UTC-8, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 29/12/14 19:56, Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much
happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't
realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid
--what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored]
years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?


None. It is not necessary.

If you ever have a need to disinfect rainwater for some reason, then
don't use bleach. Use hydrogen peroxide instead. It will be just as
effective, and as it decomposes to water and oxygen, will not be
harmful.

--

Jeff


Thanks to all for input. I should have made it clear that my concern
was whether chlorinating the cans of rain water -- even a little --
would hurt the plants. Not really concerned about mosquitoes, so may
have been misleading.

hydrogen peroxide, I have long used it as a minor wound
disinfectant and a dental rinse (my dentist says OK). Didn't think
of it for water. Very interesting. Looked it up:

http://www.lenntech.com/processes/di...rogen-peroxide.

Suggestions for proportion of HOOH to 32 gal H2O?

TIA

HB


It would depend on what purpose you had in mind and what contaminants might
be in the can. As the original question was put there is no need.

--
David

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A better world requires a daily struggle
against those who would mislead us.

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Old 31-12-2014, 03:43 PM posted to rec.gardens
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Posts: 218
Default Chlorinate rain water?

On Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:52:16 +1100, Fran Farmer
wrote:

On 30/12/2014 9:10 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much
happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't realize
how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid --what?
Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored]
years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB



Why go to the trouble of collecting clean water, that you claim is
better for your plants, to then pollute it? What do you imagine might
grow in it that would harm your plants? To repel mossies hang socks
around the rim of the tubs.


:-)) I once saw a question in a newsgroup from someone who asked whether
he could drink rainwater. You can imagine how that made me roll around
laughing.



http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drin...ollection.html

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/can-wat...ink-78356.html

http://www.harvesth2o.com/filtration...l#.VKQLoSvF-6U


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Old 31-12-2014, 08:16 PM posted to rec.gardens
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Posts: 3,072
Default Chlorinate rain water?

Fran Farmer wrote:
....
:-)) I once saw a question in a newsgroup from someone who asked whether
he could drink rainwater. You can imagine how that made me roll around
laughing.


consider yourself very blessed that you live someplace
where it may be safe enough to do so.


songbird
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Old 01-01-2015, 12:50 AM posted to rec.gardens
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Posts: 3,036
Default Chlorinate rain water?

Boron Elgar wrote:
On Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:52:16 +1100, Fran Farmer
wrote:

On 30/12/2014 9:10 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much
happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't
realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid
--what? Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored]
years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB


Why go to the trouble of collecting clean water, that you claim is
better for your plants, to then pollute it? What do you imagine
might grow in it that would harm your plants? To repel mossies
hang socks around the rim of the tubs.


:-)) I once saw a question in a newsgroup from someone who asked
whether he could drink rainwater. You can imagine how that made me
roll around laughing.



http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drin...ollection.html

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/can-wat...ink-78356.html

http://www.harvesth2o.com/filtration...l#.VKQLoSvF-6U


Sure there are risks involved in anything that you ingest but these articles
are not balanced. There seems to be an unstated assumption in relation to
modern public health (often from the USA) that anything that is not sterile
is a serious risk. We see this in 100 ways, where you can't eat this or
touch that, your kitchen benches MUST be cleaned with some handy dandy
steriliser and you will drop dead if any human hand has touched the food
before you put it in your mouth.

This is a relflection of ignorance, stupid officials covering their arses,
commercial interest in selling 'remedies' and the consequences of (what
seems to outsiders) of endemic poor commercial food handling practices that
result in mass poisoning by strains of E Coli in supermarket salad veges.
This is of course intertwinned with a big dose of "yuuuuuuccckkkkk how could
you possibly (eat, touch, drink) that" from people who have no idea where
food or drink come from nor the trillions of microorganisms to be found in
every part of your house. This view conveniently ignores the fact that your
environment is never sterile and never will be. You will always need the
defences of your body to keep out foreign organisms.

It is as if a whole generation have compromised immune systems are will drop
like flies of not kept in an airtight bubble.

In country Australia 90% of domestic water is collected from roofs and aside
from gross fitering to keep out solids and insects it is untreated. It is
fine water and there is no pattern of ill health because of it and no
attempt by authorities to regulate it or to insist on treatment. Such water
is never hard and is never over-chlorinated (because it isn't chlorinated)
and you never get transmission of diseases to millions such as happens from
time to time with reticulated water. I am thinking things like Giardia and
Cryptosporidium that have been found in major city (eg Sydney) water
supplies. There is city (eg Adelaide) water that is so hard that people buy
bottled water to wash their hair.

The last time I was on town water it tasted terrible and every time I ran
the shower I got a coughing fit from the chlorine. To me the health risks
from those things were far worse than the possibility of the yuk factor from
a bit of bird poo. As if city water supplies never get bird poo or dead
animals in them, the difference is you don't see it. Sure the water is
treated but mostly this is chlorine and as the articles say some bugs are
resistant to it.

I am reminded of a very large dinner party where I served dessert and forgot
the garnish of sliced guava. I brought out the dish of garnish and asked
who wanted any. Some said yes others no. One said he would have some if I
used a spoon to serve. So I got a spoon and served and he had some and ate
it with relish. I later explained that I had to touch the fruit to peel and
slice it and in fact every dish that he had eaten through the night had been
touched by those same paws and consequently if I was infected death would be
quick and nasty. He sheepishly admitted that he knew that there was no real
risk but he just couldn't WATCH me use my fingers and then eat the food I
had touched.

So the upshot of it is there are risks to living and you should not imagine
that those risks are eliminated in town water or necessarily greater in roof
water.

But we drift OT as HB never said anything about drinking it. What is your
opinion on treating rainwater for the garden?

--
David

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A better world requires a daily struggle
against those who would mislead us.

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Old 01-01-2015, 01:41 AM posted to rec.gardens
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Posts: 283
Default Chlorinate rain water?

On 12/31/2014 6:50 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:
On Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:52:16 +1100, Fran Farmer
wrote:

On 30/12/2014 9:10 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much
happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't
realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid
--what? Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored]
years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB


Why go to the trouble of collecting clean water, that you claim is
better for your plants, to then pollute it? What do you imagine
might grow in it that would harm your plants? To repel mossies
hang socks around the rim of the tubs.

:-)) I once saw a question in a newsgroup from someone who asked
whether he could drink rainwater. You can imagine how that made me
roll around laughing.



http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drin...ollection.html


http://homeguides.sfgate.com/can-wat...ink-78356.html


http://www.harvesth2o.com/filtration...l#.VKQLoSvF-6U


Sure there are risks involved in anything that you ingest but these
articles are not balanced. There seems to be an unstated assumption in
relation to modern public health (often from the USA) that anything that
is not sterile is a serious risk. We see this in 100 ways, where you
can't eat this or touch that, your kitchen benches MUST be cleaned with
some handy dandy steriliser and you will drop dead if any human hand has
touched the food before you put it in your mouth.

This is a relflection of ignorance, stupid officials covering their
arses, commercial interest in selling 'remedies' and the consequences of
(what seems to outsiders) of endemic poor commercial food handling
practices that result in mass poisoning by strains of E Coli in
supermarket salad veges. This is of course intertwinned with a big dose
of "yuuuuuuccckkkkk how could you possibly (eat, touch, drink) that"
from people who have no idea where food or drink come from nor the
trillions of microorganisms to be found in every part of your house.
This view conveniently ignores the fact that your environment is never
sterile and never will be. You will always need the defences of your
body to keep out foreign organisms.

It is as if a whole generation have compromised immune systems are will
drop like flies of not kept in an airtight bubble.

In country Australia 90% of domestic water is collected from roofs and
aside from gross fitering to keep out solids and insects it is
untreated. It is fine water and there is no pattern of ill health
because of it and no attempt by authorities to regulate it or to insist
on treatment. Such water is never hard and is never over-chlorinated
(because it isn't chlorinated) and you never get transmission of
diseases to millions such as happens from time to time with reticulated
water. I am thinking things like Giardia and Cryptosporidium that have
been found in major city (eg Sydney) water supplies. There is city (eg
Adelaide) water that is so hard that people buy bottled water to wash
their hair.

The last time I was on town water it tasted terrible and every time I
ran the shower I got a coughing fit from the chlorine. To me the health
risks from those things were far worse than the possibility of the yuk
factor from a bit of bird poo. As if city water supplies never get bird
poo or dead animals in them, the difference is you don't see it. Sure
the water is treated but mostly this is chlorine and as the articles say
some bugs are resistant to it.

I am reminded of a very large dinner party where I served dessert and
forgot the garnish of sliced guava. I brought out the dish of garnish
and asked who wanted any. Some said yes others no. One said he would
have some if I used a spoon to serve. So I got a spoon and served and
he had some and ate it with relish. I later explained that I had to
touch the fruit to peel and slice it and in fact every dish that he had
eaten through the night had been touched by those same paws and
consequently if I was infected death would be quick and nasty. He
sheepishly admitted that he knew that there was no real risk but he just
couldn't WATCH me use my fingers and then eat the food I had touched.

So the upshot of it is there are risks to living and you should not
imagine that those risks are eliminated in town water or necessarily
greater in roof water.

But we drift OT as HB never said anything about drinking it. What is
your opinion on treating rainwater for the garden?


Mine, if containers were clean, and when water filled kept covered,
there is no need to chlorinate it if just used to water plants. Trash
cans should have been washed with maybe a little bleach before catching
the water.

No water problem here. I'm on a well but believe those on municipal
water are paying about $60/month. Can't begin to imagine what it costs
in areas like So. Cal. and can't imagine having to ration it.
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Old 01-01-2015, 04:11 AM posted to rec.gardens
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Posts: 218
Default Chlorinate rain water?

On Thu, 1 Jan 2015 10:50:14 +1100, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

Boron Elgar wrote:
On Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:52:16 +1100, Fran Farmer
wrote:

On 30/12/2014 9:10 AM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
Hypatia Nachshon wrote:
Managed to save 2 trashcans full from our recent welcome rains.

Plan to use them for potted plants, indoor & out. They are SO much
happier with clean sky water! You folks that get rain don't
realize how precious this is.

Water may last quite a while. Should I chlorinate it to avoid
--what? Haven't seen any mosquitoes breeding over last [censored]
years...but...

If yes, how much bleach per 32 gal trash can?

TIA

HB


Why go to the trouble of collecting clean water, that you claim is
better for your plants, to then pollute it? What do you imagine
might grow in it that would harm your plants? To repel mossies
hang socks around the rim of the tubs.

:-)) I once saw a question in a newsgroup from someone who asked
whether he could drink rainwater. You can imagine how that made me
roll around laughing.



http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drin...ollection.html

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/can-wat...ink-78356.html

http://www.harvesth2o.com/filtration...l#.VKQLoSvF-6U


Sure there are risks involved in anything that you ingest but these articles
are not balanced. There seems to be an unstated assumption in relation to
modern public health (often from the USA) that anything that is not sterile
is a serious risk. We see this in 100 ways, where you can't eat this or
touch that, your kitchen benches MUST be cleaned with some handy dandy
steriliser and you will drop dead if any human hand has touched the food
before you put it in your mouth.


That is not the intent or implication of *any* of these articles. You
seem to have read that into them all by yourself, then conflated it
into the rant you posted while sliding down an awfully slippery slope,
Mr. StrawMan.

Stick to the specific topic.

Boron



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Old 01-01-2015, 04:06 PM posted to rec.gardens
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Posts: 3,072
Default Chlorinate rain water?

David Hare-Scott wrote:
....
So the upshot of it is there are risks to living and you should not imagine
that those risks are eliminated in town water or necessarily greater in roof
water.


there are decent (low tech even) systems which reject
the first amount of runoff from a rooftop collection
system which avoids most of the "gunk".


songbird
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