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I was watching a small TV program on water polution and its bacteria. One of the experments was to collect roof water after it had been raining they tested it on many types of roofing materials and every one carried some form of bacteria. This was basically because of the roofing materials or just polution that had collected on the roofs. It was done in a high population area not the open country far away from city polutions. The purpose was to check if the water was suitable and safe for drinking and cooking only.

Just a thought

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Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Hi,
As recently as, say, 150 years ago, that was probably an
OK way to collect water but with the increasing population
and following pollution, I doubt it is still a good idea.
The bacteria have changed over the generations, and now
the current human population might be sensitive to
the newer bacteria. "Back then" if you saw a flowing, clear stream,
with wild life drinking out of it,
you merely cupped your hands and had a drink.
Today, who knows how sick you could become. In a sense,
Humans are not as "rugged" as they were back then.
Bugs have mutated, and "we" have relied more and more on
antibiotics.

If you are going to drink from the roof water, you might
want to boil it first. If you are going to water your
plants with it, you might want to have it analyzed as you
could be increasing some element (lead, iron, whatever) to
toxic levels. If those plants were vegetables, you could
be poisoning yourself and your family as some vegetables
tend to concentrate various elements (spinach - iron).

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Frank I thought I might have got a lot more response from this posting as I am sure some members are collecting roof water for their tanks. I did use tank water many years ago and I was always having trouble with it as soon as I went back to tap water no problems at all. I was getting it from two seperate house roofs in my street.

As you mentioned I certainly would not drink tank water collected in populated areas.

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Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Keith,

Rainwater can be a great source of make-up water for the aquarium. The best idea is to use a collection system. My roof might be a collection system but it would not be a good method to collect make-up water.

Inherent pollutants for "roof" collection system are the type of roof covering, the local flora and fauna, and the atmospheric pollutants that accumulate on the surface. In my case, I have an asphalt shingle roof and too many birds that use it as a lookout point and outhouse. Wind direction brings me a certain amount of industrial pollution from the west that will settle out of the air.

Additionally, outside storage for collected rainwater brings potential problems into play. Locally, we have mosquitos and dragonflies that could and would use the containers as spawning sites. There are also a number of water beetles that have the ability to fly to new hunting sites. Some of these critters may be useful in feeding fish and others would be interested in eating fish.

I would use a system that was designed to capture rainwater specifically for potable purposes. Rafts and lifeboats carry sheeting that can be unfolded to capture moisture either from storms or from dewpoint precipitation.

Frank, I may disagree with you on the pristine nature of the environment in the past. The pathogens probably existed but the population probably did not care or were not aware of the problems that they were ingesting from the "pristine" waters.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Hi Bob,
I think we can hijack Keith's question for a note or two.
I agree that populations hundreds+ years ago were not aware
of the pathogens, and because they were unaware did not
care. I'm thinking of the European population vs the
Native American population and the effects of Small Pox.
The Native Americans were not immune to the disease and
the European populations had built up a resistance to it.

Earlier, in prehistory days the populations drank from the
flowing waters, and were, I believe, immune to many of the
pathogens of the time. Over time, they learned to draw
drinking water upstream from human sources of pollution.

I suspect that as has been hinted at in some papers,
that we have become frail and are building stronger
pathogens by using some of the antibacterial products
that are available such as clorox wetted towels
for wiping down surfaces, or not taking all of a medication
as directed or not allowing a minor cold to run its course.
We had one tenant who would not allow her children
to play out doors, and washed virtually everything that
they could come in contact with before they did. I cannot
imagine what their immune system would do years from now
if they become exposed to pathogens that we, as children
were exposed to, for instance, a mouth full of ocean or
one of the lakes. I wanted so bad to suggest that she might
want to let her kids be kids.

There has been some research into the use of the
appendix as an antibacterial organ in prehistory.
Now days, it seems to serve no purpose at all.

I do believe that once a population realizes the actions
that lead a disease, the population will attempt to avoid
those pathogens if at all possible, and if not, will
attempt to destroy them before the population gets sick.

Anyway...

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--