Rainwater here in Thailand

[Barney R]

I am thinking about putting in a rainwater tank for fresh water for drinking like we do in Australia but was told by several people that there is some bug that somehow gets into the atmosphere and comes down with the rain that causes stomach problems . Is this just myth or for real ?

[Sheryl]

I've been drinking rainwater here for over 15 years with nary a stomach bug.

There is no pathogen in rainwater itself. However, in the process of flowing off your roof it can pick up some.

For which reason I use a simple countertop charcoal filter for it. Works fine.

[Barney R]

I've been drinking rainwater here for over 15 years with nary a stomach bug.

There is no pathogen in rainwater itself. However, in the process of flowing off your roof it can pick up some.

For which reason I use a simple countertop charcoal filter for it. Works fine.

Thank you I sort of figured as much and as I said to my girlfriend I wonder if this rumour was started by water bottling companies.

[thaimite]

I have a very large cement tank that catches all our rain water. It is used for bathing and drinking and like Sheryl said I now use a desktop filter for the drinking water although for many years I used to just strain uit through an old sock

I never had any problems either.

Most houses in my part of Issan have earthenware jars where they gather rainwater for drinking, It tastes great too

[paulklee]

How much does evaporation loss affect the storage of rainwater in a) underground storage (cement tank type) or huge earthenware jars. How long can stored water be kept and still be usable? I would appreciate some info, maybe a link to somewhere about doing this in Thailand.

[Estrada]

I've been drinking rainwater here for over 15 years with nary a stomach bug.

There is no pathogen in rainwater itself. However, in the process of flowing off your roof it can pick up some.

For which reason I use a simple countertop charcoal filter for it. Works fine.

Charcoal does not kill pathogens, it only adsorbs organics. Since the charcoal builds up organics in its pores, bacteria will also feed on the organics and form large colonies that could give you stomach problems. Make sure it is silver impregnated carbon which supresses the build up of bacteria. Unless you invest in an R.O. system with small pump, the easiest way to kill pathogens is to boil your water that you want to use for drinking (a minimum of 72C with 15 seconds is enough to kill all the pathogens).

Edited February 6, 2014 by Estrada

[Estrada]

Rainwater like all soft water is fairly pure and therefore acidic and corrosive. I have known people put distilled water in their car radiators and then wonder why 6 months later there is water spraying out of a myriad of tiny holes due to corrosion. You are better off with a stoneware tank, they are pretty good and cheap. The problem with concrete tanks is integrity, they can leak and they will corrode due to the acid attacking the concrete and/or poor construction. If you must use a concrete tank paint the inside with a drinking water approved paint/water sealant. Thailand has high levels of pollutions from time to time in the atmosphere due to burning of rice paddies and scrub land, and then there are the birds and insects that will contaminate the water, some times with e-coli and other pathogens.

[thaimite]

Rainwater like all soft water is fairly pure and therefore acidic and corrosive. I have known people put distilled water in their car radiators and then wonder why 6 months later there is water spraying out of a myriad of tiny holes due to corrosion. You are better off with a stoneware tank, they are pretty good and cheap. The problem with concrete tanks is integrity, they can leak and they will corrode due to the acid attacking the concrete and/or poor construction. If you must use a concrete tank paint the inside with a drinking water approved paint/water sealant. Thailand has high levels of pollutions from time to time in the atmosphere due to burning of rice paddies and scrub land, and then there are the birds and insects that will contaminate the water, some times with e-coli and other pathogens.

All very good advice I am sure.

However I built a cement tank in the back of my house which is 6M * 5M * 4M in 2002. I and my family have been drinking water form it ever since. Water going in is filtered through a fine gause and we always let the first rains of the season run off to clean out the guttering etc. Water coming out was until recently drunk as is just strianed through an even finer filter. Only recently have we invested in a tabletop 3 part filter.

Every once in a while (maybe 2 years) we drain the tank fully and flush it with fresh rain water.

The rain water is much nicer for bathing being softer than the well water. As for drinking it tastes good.

I am not saying this is the right way to do it, just that neither I nor my family are any worse for it after 12 years.

As for evaporation etc I have no idea but I would assume it is minor as the tank is sealed apart from the inlet pipe and there is no where for it to go.

It may also be interesting to note that having a large shed next to the tank whose gutters empty directly in to it, the tank can be completely filled within about 3 days during the rainy season. During the rainy season we use it for bathing and drinking but during the dry months once it gets low in water we only use it for drinking.

[Cylon]

There are many food grade poly water tanks for sale here.To be on the safe side water should be pumped through a uv filter,and 100% safe through a reverse osmosis filter. The water falling from the sky is pretty clean but birds do shit on your roof.

Edited February 6, 2014 by Cylon

[jackflash]

> Rainwater like all soft water is fairly pure and therefore acidic and corrosive.

Sorry, but NO!

From Wickipedia:

"Because it has a pH of 7, water is considered to be neutral. It is neither an acid nor a base, but is the reference point for acids and bases."

In other words, water is neutral. In fact it is the definition of neutral.

Edited February 6, 2014 by jackflash

[attento]

Consider installing a UV water purifcation unit at point of use, for drinking water. Not expensive.

Any problems will not be with the rain, but could arise from storage.

Edited February 6, 2014 by attento

[brianP]

> Rainwater like all soft water is fairly pure and therefore acidic and corrosive.

Sorry, but NO!

From Wickipedia:

"Because it has a pH of 7, water is considered to be neutral. It is neither an acid nor a base, but is the reference point for acids and bases."

In other words, water is neutral. In fact it is the definition of neutral.

Not acid rain, which every big and medium sized industrial city has. I use ozone and alkalizer and add minerals back into the RO water.

[sirineou]

As Cylon also said. UV will sterilize your water,

When I was keeping Salt water aquariums, I had made a very simple UV filter,

water was pumped in a small 10 gal fish tank with an inexpensive small aquarium pump,

on the tank hood I had replaced the fluorescent light bulb with a UV bulb.

on the other side of the small aquarium tank, I had two overflow tubes returning the water back to the main tank

Simple and very affective

[louse1953]

Myth mate,been drinking rainwater here for 10 years and no probs yet.I am from Adelaide so maybe immune to any bugs.

[tim armstrong]

I think those of us from Oz are fairly used to this concept. I had quite a job persuading my thai family that it was ok, but half won the battle in the end. We have a synthetic tank which is fine, but my wife insists that it needs air. The only thing I would add is that the tank is better full all the time if you can do it, as like tropical parts of Oz you can get a few bugs breeding in the gap at the top of the tank under the right conditions in the wet season, eg Giardia, which is unpleasant but easily treatable.

[louse1953]

Rainwater like all soft water is fairly pure and therefore acidic and corrosive. I have known people put distilled water in their car radiators and then wonder why 6 months later there is water spraying out of a myriad of tiny holes due to corrosion. You are better off with a stoneware tank, they are pretty good and cheap. The problem with concrete tanks is integrity, they can leak and they will corrode due to the acid attacking the concrete and/or poor construction. If you must use a concrete tank paint the inside with a drinking water approved paint/water sealant. Thailand has high levels of pollutions from time to time in the atmosphere due to burning of rice paddies and scrub land, and then there are the birds and insects that will contaminate the water, some times with e-coli and other pathogens.

I would hazard a guess and say there would be no fires when it is raining.

[Cylon]

Ive noticed a black mould growing on few roofs here,was wondering if it is pollen from rubber trees,or one of the native trees in the jungle, any ideas ?

[Sheryl]

I've been drinking rainwater here for over 15 years with nary a stomach bug.

There is no pathogen in rainwater itself. However, in the process of flowing off your roof it can pick up some.

For which reason I use a simple countertop charcoal filter for it. Works fine.

Charcoal does not kill pathogens, it only adsorbs organics. Since the charcoal builds up organics in its pores, bacteria will also feed on the organics and form large colonies that could give you stomach problems. Make sure it is silver impregnated carbon which supresses the build up of bacteria. Unless you invest in an R.O. system with small pump, the easiest way to kill pathogens is to boil your water that you want to use for drinking (a minimum of 72C with 15 seconds is enough to kill all the pathogens).

My understanding is that the problme of bacterial colonization is only with the pressed activated charcoal and not with solid charcoal blocks, which is what I have.

Also, charcoal does remove some pathogens.

With rain water, which is clean to begin with, and contains only such pathogens as may have gotten into it in the collection process, I really don't thing boiling, UV and all that are needed.

Moe than 15 years drinking this and not single GI problem ever..nor anyone else in the household nor any house guests.

[Sheryl]

How much does evaporation loss affect the storage of rainwater in a) underground storage (cement tank type) or huge earthenware jars. How long can stored water be kept and still be usable? I would appreciate some info, maybe a link to somewhere about doing this in Thailand.

Can't say for underwater tanks but i collect mine in those earthenware jars made locally. Keeps very well. I am able to use it year round from what I collect in the rainy season. These traditional water jars keep the water cool and free of evaporation (assuming you keep a lid on it).

i would add though that in addition to a cover I place a mesh covering over the mouth of the jars to keep mosquitoes from breeding in it (a major risk for dengue) and also to keep snails and slugs from getting into it. I make these covers from cut up mosquito netting, and wash them periodically as snail slime collects on the outer side.

As others have said, the water is very delicious.

[Showbags]

All this bottled water rubbish has ruined a good thing.

How many decades in Oz and other places did and still do, they collect rainwater in corrugated tanks, my grandparents had them on their farms and at homesteads...I remember one by the house well, sometimes full of giant green tree frogs.

Us kids would stick our heads under the tap for a direct cool drink.

Straight from the tank, no filtration...ever.

We collected rainwater here also, at a different house...and drank it straight, no filtration...delicious.

[thaimite]

> Rainwater like all soft water is fairly pure and therefore acidic and corrosive.

Sorry, but NO!

From Wickipedia:

"Because it has a pH of 7, water is considered to be neutral. It is neither an acid nor a base, but is the reference point for acids and bases."

In other words, water is neutral. In fact it is the definition of neutral.

Pure distilled water has a pH of 7 but almost all bottled water is slightly acidic with a pH of 6.5 or less. The one exception I have found is Evian which is Alkaline which according to the bottle has a pH of 7.4 or 7.5 (I forget which). As most people's diets are far to acidic you should try to increase the intake of Alkaline foods.

Drinking distilled water is very bad for you as it will leach the minerals from your body.

[khunPer]

Recent scientific studies reviled that rainwater do contain a lot of microorganism and pollen. Rainwater in a tank may also face problems with bacteria; however most people have always considered rainwater as clean and seemed to have survived. If you have any doubts, you can always use a filter and/or UV-light. A five-micron ceramic filter will not only remove any dirt and dust, but also states to remove 99.something percent of bacteria. Active coal (normally) removes bad smell and taste only; UV-light kills bacteria. Another way to keep water in a tank fresh and low on bacteria is to flow air, for example from a small aquarium pump, as oxygen from air reduces (kills) bacteria and removes bad smell – that’s what happens in a water work where the water run down a stair.

[thaimite]

Recent scientific studies reviled that rainwater do contain a lot of microorganism and pollen. Rainwater in a tank may also face problems with bacteria; however most people have always considered rainwater as clean and seemed to have survived. If you have any doubts, you can always use a filter and/or UV-light. A five-micron ceramic filter will not only remove any dirt and dust, but also states to remove 99.something percent of bacteria. Active coal (normally) removes bad smell and taste only; UV-light kills bacteria. Another way to keep water in a tank fresh and low on bacteria is to flow air, for example from a small aquarium pump, as oxygen from air reduces (kills) bacteria and removes bad smell – that’s what happens in a water work where the water run down a stair.

It should also be noted that not all bacteria is harmful. Your gut needs bacteria to digest food, and that is one reason probiotics are beneficial, especially if you have had a strong course of antibiotics which kill all in site.

[maximillian]

Rainwater like all soft water is fairly pure and therefore acidic and corrosive. I have known people put distilled water in their car radiators and then wonder why 6 months later there is water spraying out of a myriad of tiny holes due to corrosion. You are better off with a stoneware tank, they are pretty good and cheap. The problem with concrete tanks is integrity, they can leak and they will corrode due to the acid attacking the concrete and/or poor construction. If you must use a concrete tank paint the inside with a drinking water approved paint/water sealant. Thailand has high levels of pollutions from time to time in the atmosphere due to burning of rice paddies and scrub land, and then there are the birds and insects that will contaminate the water, some times with e-coli and other pathogens.

I would hazard a guess and say there would be no fires when it is raining.

Ever heared of condensation nucleus ?

No raindrop can develop without a condensation nucleus.

If the air was absolutely clean and free of any dust particles there wouldn't be any clouds, hence no rain.

Where does the dust in the air come from ? Right, fires, smokes, volcanic ashes, desert storms etc.pp.

[nongsangcity]

been drinking rain water for 10 years in issan......no problems.............

[BudRight]

'Is it okay to drink and collect rainwater?'

I don't think it's a good idea to do anything when you've been drinking, this includes collecting rainwater.

[trihent]

I should point out that the rainwater here is slightly acidic due to the "Indian pollution cloud" As with the Chinese pollution which extends all the way across the Pacific so the smog from India extends this far east. (Can be actually seen from orbit) But in 15+ years I've never had any trouble drinking and cooking with collected rainwater using nothing but simple clothe filters and stored in the ceramic tubs they use here. Also in Issan I had no problem convincing my wife as she had been doing just that her whole life.

[speedtripler]

I've been drinking rainwater here for over 15 years with nary a stomach bug.

There is no pathogen in rainwater itself. However, in the process of flowing off your roof it can pick up some.

For which reason I use a simple countertop charcoal filter for it. Works fine.

Charcoal does not kill pathogens, it only adsorbs organics. Since the charcoal builds up organics in its pores, bacteria will also feed on the organics and form large colonies that could give you stomach problems. Make sure it is silver impregnated carbon which supresses the build up of bacteria. Unless you invest in an R.O. system with small pump, the easiest way to kill pathogens is to boil your water that you want to use for drinking (a minimum of 72C with 15 seconds is enough to kill all the pathogens).

you cant "boil" water at 72degrees

you could heat it to 72 but thats well

before it boils

[wym]

Only worry about chemicals, pathogens are good for you, at least if they don't kill you they make you stronger.

[manly100]

I went over this topic to the point of agony some years ago. Do it. Dump the first 15 minutes of rain and keep the rest. It can be a concern drinking rainwater from city areas. I wish more people would try the Thai slow sand filter as microbes that form at the top of the filter kill off the harmful bugs. But I could wrong as I frequently am.