Video of Rainwater Collection System for safe domestic drinking and mains water

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Want to avoid drinking fluoride, chlorine, salt and other impurities? Fancy the best cup of tea and coffee ever? Fed up with your kettle and iron scaling?
We all have the capacity to use rainwater instead of buying expensive bottled water.

With climate change already upon us we will see more intense and destructive weather patterns. Drought and famine are becoming more common. Flash floods devastate communities, so why not store the water and help to stop flooding and drought?
http://youtu.be/tEzhdUhPFn4

[van]

so many of these 'units' use plastic parts, tank, lines, etc..  that can potentially leech into a very 'hungry' distilled water.  I wouldn't use it for my drinking water.

[goodsamaritan]

How would you improve this system?

[van]

I really wouldn't know how,  there's just so much plastic to replace.  Again, if this is for drinking water.  The other component is the possible pollution collecting on the major collecting surface, plus the suns degradation of it.  Years ago I built a solar water still, where the vapor collected on a slanted glass covering a Stainless steel tank.  I believe I used the wrong stainless, and or the glass itself gave off impurities,  I got tingling in my finger tips,, but then I was overeating buckwheat and sunflower greens at the time.  Never did figure it out. 

[cherimoya_kid]

I really wouldn't know how,  there's just so much plastic to replace.  Again, if this is for drinking water.  The other component is the possible pollution collecting on the major collecting surface, plus the suns degradation of it.  Years ago I built a solar water still, where the vapor collected on a slanted glass covering a Stainless steel tank.  I believe I used the wrong stainless, and or the glass itself gave off impurities,  I got tingling in my finger tips,, but then I was overeating buckwheat and sunflower greens at the time.  Never did figure it out. 

Buckwheat greens are a major source of "the tingles".  I have experienced this myself. Most of us at a raw vegan healing center up in Michigan experienced this, actually.

Glass isn't going to give off impurities, and stainless steel very, very little. 

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Hi Van, the plastic tank is uv resistant, holds nearly 3 cubic metres / tonnes of water and the majority of which is not used for drinking, so the dilution ratio for the tiny amount of water we drink is huge. Your point is a good one, but for me purchasing a stainless steel tank is out of the question. One needs to weigh up the risks from the additives in the mains supply together with farm run off and other contaminants that are present even in commercially treated water. I think nitrates and phosphates are far more risky tbh. Nevertheless your point has been taken on board.

[Andrew K Fletcher]

By the way, most domestic supplies now run through plastic pipes.

[Andrew K Fletcher]

How would you improve this system?

I would dispense with the primary flush, this is the green plastic pipe on the bottom of the down spout. A much larger storage tank is required, which would make my home independent from the water mains. I would include a septic tank for taking the sewage and grey water, which would make my property off the grid for water. Good question, hope this helps.

I am surprised that this system was not widely received as it offers off the grid watering for all of the organic food advocated here.