Is It Okay to Drink Rainwater? Here Is the Truth

Have you ever thought about drinking rainwater? It seems harmless enough, since it is natural water that falls from the sky. But is it clean water? Is the water safe to drink?

Let’s examine the safety level of rainwater to determine whether it’s safe to drink.

Rainwater derives from water vapor. When the sun’s heat hits the lakes, oceans, and other water bodies of the planet, water vapor rises into the atmosphere. Due to the cold air in the upper atmosphere, water vapor condenses into clouds, creating water droplets that fall back to the ground.

Theoretically, rainwater is clean when it falls from the sky. However, as the water droplets encounter the air and eventually the ground, they will become exposed to all the debris, pollutants, and bacteria that exist there. Once that happens, the water is no longer clean.

The best answer is: Sometimes. As mentioned above, rainwater is clean when it first falls from the sky. Then, it quickly becomes contaminated as it continues to fall and come into contact with the pollutants, bacteria, and debris that exist in the air.

Of course, if you live in a deep rural environment without too many pollutants in the air, you may have a good chance of catching cleaner rainwater compared to the rainwater in an urban environment. Location is one of the factors that determines how clean and safe the rainwater is to drink.

Ultimately, it is always better to filter rainwater to remove its contaminants before drinking it.

For more information, read Rainwater harvesting and drinking safety.

Here are the most common types of contaminants that exist in rainwater:

• Heavy Metals (copper, lead, or zinc from aging pipes and roofing materials)
• Organic Matter (bird droppings, leaves, pollen)
• Airborne Pollutants (carbon emissions, smoke, dust)
• Bacteria & Viruses (from insects, animal droppings, airborne particles)

If you consume rainwater with these contaminants in it, you will become susceptible to various health problems and symptoms, including stomach cramps and diarrhea. If there are dangerous chemicals or pathogens in the rainwater, the consequences to your health could be even worse.

The best way to drink rainwater is to collect it in a proper container and then filter the water to remove contaminants.

Here are some tips on how to produce the safest and most drinkable rainwater possible:

There is a lower risk of contamination if you collect rainwater in an unpolluted geographic location, such as a rural environment with no factories or heavy city traffic. Even so, you should still filter the rainwater just to be safe.

The best way to catch and collect rainwater is with sealed, food-grade containers. Try to avoid putting the containers on any surface that appears contaminated, such as rusty pipes or dirty roofs. They are less likely to encounter toxic contaminants if you follow this advice.

Use the most effective water treatment and filtration methods to clean and disinfect the rainwater. Some of the most effective strategies include boiling the water, exposing it to UV lights, and passing it through a reverse osmosis filtration system .

What happens if you drink untreated and unfiltered rainwater? Below are a few of the health risks you should watch for:

Untreated rainwater may contain dangerous bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli , especially if it contains organic matter or animal waste in the container that collects the water. If you inadvertently consume the bacteria, you could develop a gastrointestinal illness.

Some contaminated rainwater may contain harmful parasites, such as Cryptosporidium or Giardia . The consequences of consuming this water include symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Rainwater can become chemically contaminated when collected in urban or industrial environments. These chemicals may include pesticides, mercury, or lead. If you consume too many of these chemicals from the water, you could develop severe health conditions and symptoms.

Here are some of the benefits you can gain from drinking rainwater:

If you can set up a viable water collection system, you will never need to purchase drinking water again. Since the rainwater is free, you can collect it to drink after filtering it.

If more people drink rainwater, they won’t need to depend on public water treatment plants and municipal water systems to supply their drinking water. It would ultimately help protect the environment.

Rainwater has few magnesium and calcium minerals, making it soft water rather than hard water. Soft water puts significantly less stress on your plumbing system and household appliances, ensuring they last longer.

Collecting rainwater is far more sustainable and reliable than public water supplies and groundwater reserves.

Are you ready to learn how to collect and purify rainwater so that it is safe to drink? Here are the top steps involved:

The best rainwater collection system is a catchment system installed on the roof. Ensure that you build it with clean, non-toxic materials. You can remove the initial rainwater with a first-flush diverter. That should eliminate most of the contaminants right away.

Store the collected rainwater in fully sealed, food-grade containers. Keep the containers in a cool, dry, shaded environment to prevent algae growth.

Filter the rainwater using a multi-stage filtration system, such as a reverse osmosis system, to remove contaminants from the water.

There are several methods for disinfecting rainwater to eliminate harmful parasites, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Those methods include:

The fastest and easiest method. You can destroy microorganisms by boiling your rainwater for at least 60 seconds.

Utilize a UV water purification device to eliminate harmful microorganisms using ultraviolet light.

Many people use chemical treatments to disinfect rainwater due to the convenience factor. Simply drop a water purification tablet into the rainwater. Once the tablet dissolves, the water is purified and safe to drink.

Overall, rainwater is safe to drink if it is collected, stored, filtered, and treated correctly. On the other hand, if you consume rainwater immediately after collecting it without any filtration or treatment, you could risk consuming dangerous chemicals, bacteria, pollutants, and other dangerous contaminants that could make you sick.

Therefore, it is advisable to invest in a high-quality water filtration system for your home to ensure that your rainwater is cleaned and purified before consumption.