Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

On Mar 2, 10:11*pm, "AL_n" wrote:
wrote :

Because they aren't continuous, so that water can get through between
the particles. *Effectively, that means that they reduce the bacteria
(exponentially with thickness).

Sorry; I'm not following. What do you mean when you say sand & charcoal
filters are not continuous? And thickness of what?

Al

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

"AL_n" wrote in news:XnsA00AD7F098B2Bzzzzzz@
130.133.4.11:

Bio sand filters are effectively used for purifying dirty water for
drinking.

I guess there is also the option of adding a tiny amount of bleach!


PS.. boiling is pretty reliable, I gather.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

In article ,
AL_n wrote:

Because they aren't continuous, so that water can get through between
the particles. Effectively, that means that they reduce the bacteria
(exponentially with thickness).

Sorry; I'm not following. What do you mean when you say sand & charcoal
filters are not continuous? And thickness of what?

They are particulate. And thickness of the bed. Sorry, I don't
have time to translate and explain just now, but you will be able
to find a complete description of the mechanism if you search the
Web for how the water treatment plants that supply our drinking
water work.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

On Fri, 2 Mar 2012 21:41:36 -0000, Janet wrote:

Roof water isn't drinkable quality imo (take a look at what collects
inside inside your gutters and what's wriggling in the bottom of the
waterbutt).

TBH I'd be happier drinking natural water that had things wriggling
in the bottom than water that didn't...

You'll still need to filter and boil it.

Filter maybe but a take off a few inches above the bottom should
ensure that it's pretty free of suspended particles/sediment. How
much muck gets in also depends on how the rain water is fed into the
butt. One of those downspout take off thigs and horizontal or slight
fall pipe will deposit more muck into the butt than a pipe that is U
shaped.

I'm sort of divided over boiling/UV treatment, the vast majority of
the worlds population don't have that luxury and although there is a
lot of water borne disease the population levels are still high.

It's not that long ago that many places in this country would have
been using water straight from a well or spring. Indeed I think the
farm below us is on spring water, don't know how much treatment it
gets. Sisters house was also on pumped well water, they did have
filters to start with then tests showed rather a high bug content so
they added UV treatment.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

On 02/03/2012 23:35, Martin wrote:
On Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:12:54 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Fri, 2 Mar 2012 21:41:36 -0000, Janet wrote:

Roof water isn't drinkable quality imo (take a look at what collects
inside inside your gutters and what's wriggling in the bottom of the
waterbutt).

TBH I'd be happier drinking natural water that had things wriggling
in the bottom than water that didn't...

You'll still need to filter and boil it.

Filter maybe but a take off a few inches above the bottom should
ensure that it's pretty free of suspended particles/sediment. How
much muck gets in also depends on how the rain water is fed into the
butt. One of those downspout take off thigs and horizontal or slight
fall pipe will deposit more muck into the butt than a pipe that is U
shaped.

I'm sort of divided over boiling/UV treatment, the vast majority of
the worlds population don't have that luxury and although there is a
lot of water borne disease the population levels are still high.

So is hepatitis.


It's not that long ago that many places in this country would have
been using water straight from a well or spring. Indeed I think the
farm below us is on spring water, don't know how much treatment it
gets. Sisters house was also on pumped well water, they did have
filters to start with then tests showed rather a high bug content so
they added UV treatment.
In the late 1950's I worked on an outstation in the RAF. The only water
we had was that collected off the roof, which we had to boil before
drinking. However we had a new M.O. posted to the main station, one of
his first tasks was to analyse the water we were drinking. He soon
arranged for a regular delivery of water to us, for, amongst other
impurities, he found there was a fair amount of arsenic the water
garnered off the roof, so I would not drink yours without careful
analysis by a professional.

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

"AL_n" wrote in message
...
What is the best way of keeping rainwater-butt-water clean and unpolluted
so that it remains safely drinkable? The rainwater will be collected from
the roof of my house via the guttering downpipe.

Thanks...

Al

You need something along the lines of the big filter systems used for
keeping Koi carp, preferably one with a UV element, as Nick has tried to
explain, sand/gravel/charcoal filters are more effective the longer the
water has to pass through them so the need to very large to be effective, if
you have the space fine otherwise you will need to treat the water and UV is
the easiest method to set up.
After you have done all this you also need to get the resulting water tested
to confirm its doing its job.

It may be cheaper to have a well/borehole and pump (as we do)


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

In article ,
Martin wrote:
On Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:12:54 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
On Fri, 2 Mar 2012 21:41:36 -0000, Janet wrote:

Roof water isn't drinkable quality imo (take a look at what collects
inside inside your gutters and what's wriggling in the bottom of the
waterbutt).

TBH I'd be happier drinking natural water that had things wriggling
in the bottom than water that didn't...

You'll still need to filter and boil it.

Filter maybe but a take off a few inches above the bottom should
ensure that it's pretty free of suspended particles/sediment. How
much muck gets in also depends on how the rain water is fed into the
butt. One of those downspout take off thigs and horizontal or slight
fall pipe will deposit more muck into the butt than a pipe that is U
shaped.

I'm sort of divided over boiling/UV treatment, the vast majority of
the worlds population don't have that luxury and although there is a
lot of water borne disease the population levels are still high.

So is hepatitis.

You will not get hepatitis by drinking water from a butt that has
collected rainwater from a roof.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

On Mar 2, 6:12*pm, "AL_n" wrote:
What is the best way of keeping rainwater-butt-water clean and unpolluted
so that it remains safely drinkable? The rainwater will be collected from
the roof of my house via the guttering downpipe.

Thanks...

Al

I have an underground tank that collects water off the driveway.
Used for garden at the moment.. I am going to extend use to toilet &
then get in a water meter.

However the thought has crossed my mind just to buy bottled water for
drinking and tell the water people to F off when I'm set up.

I already have a septic tank.
If you have the space, that's something to consider.
Water/sewage round here is around £400.
Water alone is around £200.
Needs emptying around every four years, cost is £200ish, save=£600.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

On Mar 3, 9:22*am, wrote:
In article ,





Martin wrote:
On Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:12:54 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
On Fri, 2 Mar 2012 21:41:36 -0000, Janet wrote:

Roof water isn't drinkable quality imo (take a look at what collects
inside inside your gutters and what's wriggling in the bottom of the
waterbutt).

TBH I'd be happier drinking natural water that had things wriggling
in the bottom than water that didn't...

You'll still need to filter and boil it.

Filter maybe but a take off a few inches above the bottom should
ensure that it's pretty free of suspended particles/sediment. How
much muck gets in also depends on how the rain water is fed into the
butt. One of those downspout take off thigs and horizontal or slight
fall pipe will deposit more muck into the butt than a pipe that is U
shaped.

I'm sort of divided over boiling/UV treatment, the vast majority of
the worlds population don't have that luxury and although there is a
lot of water borne disease the population levels are still high.

So is hepatitis.

You will not get hepatitis by drinking water from a butt that has
collected rainwater from a roof.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You might get salmonella. (birdshit)

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

In article ,
harry wrote:

I'm sort of divided over boiling/UV treatment, the vast majority of
the worlds population don't have that luxury and although there is a
lot of water borne disease the population levels are still high.

So is hepatitis.

You will not get hepatitis by drinking water from a butt that has
collected rainwater from a roof.

You might get salmonella. (birdshit)

Aw, gee! More seriously, as I posted, many people aren't going
to be affected by that. It is very rarely serious, and the only
reason that most of the people who get affected do so is because
they consume an unnaturally sterile diet.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

In article ,
Martin wrote:

I'm sort of divided over boiling/UV treatment, the vast majority of
the worlds population don't have that luxury and although there is a
lot of water borne disease the population levels are still high.

So is hepatitis.

You will not get hepatitis by drinking water from a butt that has
collected rainwater from a roof.

I referred to the vast majority of "the worlds population". People do
get hepatitis from drinking spring water sometimes and water that has
been collected in tanks. It was common in tap water on the Greek
Islands at one time

You are Edwin Poots and I claim my bent farthing!

Hepatitis A comes from the faeces of infected humans - NOWHERE else.
It is not transmitted by birds. Think about it.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

In article 6865b563-8510-4e27-8fb1-275133d79dd5
@v2g2000vbx.googlegroups.com, says...

On Mar 2, 9:41*pm, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...



What is the best way of keeping rainwater-butt-water clean and unpolluted
so that it remains safely drinkable? The rainwater will be collected from
the roof of my house via the guttering downpipe.

* Roof water isn't drinkable quality imo (take a look at what collects
inside inside your gutters and what's wriggling in the bottom of the
waterbutt). You'll still need to filter and boil it.
* *We used to use it just for washing, and flushing lavs.

* * Janet


What a lot of fuss.
When I was little, around 5 years old (1947)we lived right out on the
Llyn peninsula in North Wales, we had a galvanised rainwater tank,
with a tight fitting lid and a pump to get water from a well which we
shared with 2 other houses for when the tank was low.
Then in the 50's we lived outside Hastings and had a borehole and a
large concrete tank under the garage that stored our rainwater and the
water we pumped up from the borehole, though we mostly used the rain
water as the borehole water was very rich in iron so turned rust red
within hours of pumping up so had to be left to settle before you
could use it; though it tasted great fresh;
It was pumped into a pool that had newts and dragonfly lava in it,
then through gravel filters and down to the tank.
From the tank we pumped it into a tank in the roof and from there to
the taps.

You had TAPS? There's posh. In my childhood home there wasn't a tap in
the house, for anything. Every drop of water we used for every purpose,
was fetched in a bucket from an outdoor hand-pump 30 yards away, shared
with next door. Fortunately we had no flush lav or my arms would be even
longer. To this day, turning on a tap gives me a tiny thrill, especially
hot ones.

We drank water straight from the tap and never had any problems, but
then we hadn't been pampered with a streile world.

David@ the wet end of Swansea Bay

I lived on a similar private water system until 10 years ago. All too
often, in very cold or very hot weather, turning on a tap was a big
disappointment :-) The rainwater butts collecting roof water were our
back up supply for whenever something went wrong with the water system.

I still would not drink the roof water without boiling it.

Janet.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

On Sat, 3 Mar 2012 01:30:31 -0800 (PST), harry wrote:

However the thought has crossed my mind just to buy bottled water for
drinking and tell the water people to F off when I'm set up.

With mains water at around 0.003p/l (£3/1000l or cubic metre) I doubt
that is economic. The big water cooler type bottles cost about £5/20l
ish, so about 20p/l.

I wouldn't be surprised if we use 10l/day just for drinking and food
prep, that's about £1000/year at 20p/l...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

In article f937b0d9-a67e-4809-b0aa-4ff907fd73f6
@w19g2000vbe.googlegroups.com, says...


I have an underground tank that collects water off the driveway.
Used for garden at the moment.. I am going to extend use to toilet &
then get in a water meter.

However the thought has crossed my mind just to buy bottled water for
drinking and tell the water people to F off when I'm set up.

What's the capacity of your underground tank?
It's unlikely to supply enough for showers and an automatic washing
machine, especially in summer.

I've lived doing handlaundry for an entire family outdoors in a tin tub
with cold water; bathing in a washing up bowl etc, only flushing the lav
once a day... I suggest you and your household try them all out for a
week before telling the water people to eff off.

Janet

Keeping water butt water safe for drinking?
 

"AL_n" wrote in
:

What is the best way of keeping rainwater-butt-water clean and
unpolluted so that it remains safely drinkable? The rainwater will be
collected from the roof of my house via the guttering downpipe.

Thanks...

Al

I know that the British Forces use "Puritabs". They would not use them if
they were not very effective.
The only problem is that I would think that treating your water butt would
be more expensive than metered water from your supplier.

Your guttering will be full of harmful bacteria. I would rather drink a
lepers pi** than drink from a water butt. Treated or not.

Baz