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justinbowser
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# Posted: 3 Apr 2020 12:04am
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Our cabin is completely off-grid with solar and rainwater catchment. I am wanting to use the rainwater for drinking in a pinch. We currently use it for showers and dishwater (after treating with bleach) and I'm hoping that this chlorine treated water would be OK to drink after running it through a Brita pitcher with carbon filter.
Yea or nay?
Justin B.
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DartNorth
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# Posted: 3 Apr 2020 02:02am
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It should be fine. Try to keep your catchment clean. Don't use to much bleach. I think you only need a few ounces per 1000 gallons.
Do you use a pump? if so, get a 1Micron absolute filter on your water line, and that will take out pretty much everything, including Giardia and Cryptosporidiam. Use a coarser/cheaper filter to filter most things out first to make your expensive filter last longer.
Disclaimer: I'm not a water treatment engineer/specialist etc. Use at own risk.
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 3 Apr 2020 07:37am
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^^^ This... Brita filters come in several pores sizes sizes so read the label. They are great and reducing taste and odor but not necessarily removing harmful bacteria.
As DartNorth says a 1 micron absolute filter is neccessary to remove Giardia and Cryptosporidiam. You can make your own Big Berkey style water filter which filters down to something like .026 microns. Google/search YouTube for this.... Boss of the Swamp does a really good video. The filters themselves are $$ but will filter about 3000 gallons per filter. (The original Big Berkey filter has 2 filters... most homade ones do as well, so 6000 gallons)
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FishHog
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# Posted: 3 Apr 2020 08:29am
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Agree with Nobadays, a big berkey (or other drinking water filters are available) is a better idea than a brita.
If your only talking in a pinch, bleach will work the CDC has explanations how to do it, as it depends on your water and temp. But you could always boil it if your talking small volumes.
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SE Ohio
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# Posted: 3 Apr 2020 08:49am
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Does the rainwater contact only food-grade materials? PVC water pipe or Hdpe barrel is usually fine, but if water comes off a roof, then you might want to see material safety data sheets for shingles/metal roofing. Food grade meets 21cfr (or is it cfr21? Dyslexia...) requirements (US standard). It’s one thing to wash with traces of non-edibles, a different thing to consume them. Not sure what a filter will take out
SE Ohio
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justinbowser
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# Posted: 3 Apr 2020 09:35am
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Catchment is pretty clean and runs through screen and first-flush diverter. I add bleach per CDC web site to kill the bugs and then the Brita to knock down the chlorine taste.
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SE Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 3 Apr 2020 09:57am
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https://www.bluebarrelsystems.com/blog/roofing-materials-for-rainwater-harvesting/
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2020 12:55am - Edited by: NorthRick
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A particulate filter to remove pollen, needles, twigs, etc., then bleach to kill the germs and such, then a carbon filter to remove the chlorine and trihalomethanes (by products of the bleach disinfecting).
After that you are good to go.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2020 08:37am
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Unless you have alot of bird poop on your roof there's no point in cholinating the water used for dishwashing. It should be pretty clean right from the sky.
People swim in ponds and streams all the time so no need to clean bathing water either.
As for filtering for drinking you can use a ceramic candle stick style filter. Basically a burkey.
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justinbowser
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2020 12:10pm - Edited by: justinbowser
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I have ordered a whole-house filter system and UV sterilizer. I had planned on doing this later in the year but the spotty supply of bottled water has caused me accelerate the timetable. We have two full IBC totes of water right now and will be adding 4 more shortly.
Roof is steel with a baked enamel finish.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2020 03:46pm
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UV is what I have in my house. It's what municipalities use of they don't want there water to taste/smell like a pool.
A cabin filter is nice to add to any water system. Make sure you shock the system after the UV light is installed.
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2020 09:53pm
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Why the need to shock? The sanitizer goes in-line right after the filters...
The filter system is an iSpring with three 20" filter elements.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2020 06:27am
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Because currently the system dosnt have clean water running through it or the pipe was laying around in a warehouse prior. Clean water wont clean dirty water or pipes. You need to clean the system after you put the light in then the whole system will be good.
Just adding a light wont kill any bacteria alreaty down stream of the light. It can only kill what passes by it.
By shock I mean bleach. Dump some in one of the filter housings and run the system until you smell it at each tap then let it sit over night, then run it all out.
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2020 09:56am
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OK, thanks for explanation. This is a new PEX install at our cabin and only one sink and shower.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2020 10:38am
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Still dosnt hurt to shock the system...then you know.
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moneypitfeeder
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2020 07:29pm
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I made a homemade "Berkey-type" system for our drinking water. We pull from a spring, but the concept is the same. I took 2 stainless steel stock pots, drilled the rivets holding the handle out of one of the lids, used that as the "platform" to support the top pot, drilled a hole in the bottom pot for a tap, and a tiny vent hole near the top of the bottom pot. Bought a Berkey Sterasyl filter and installed it through the top pot & "platform" lid and added rubber gaskets so it drips into the bottom pot. Made a huge stainless steel "berk" for a lot less money.
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cspot
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2020 07:58pm
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If you are only drinking in a pinch, then couldn't you simply boil the water? I am not expert on this but just asking the question.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 14 Apr 2020 07:55am
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Quoting: cspot If you are only drinking in a pinch, then couldn't you simply boil the water? I am not expert on this but just asking the question.
absolutely
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Aklogcabin
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# Posted: 14 Apr 2020 11:45am
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We use a MSR water purification pump. We get our water from the creek or pond in 5 gallon jugs we just push under to fill . Then pump through the filter into clean water jugs with the spout. I do catch rain water. Learned that if you catch water and burn wood your water can have a slight but sufisticted taste. Unless you let it wash a bit. Drink away I would say.
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 14 Apr 2020 06:01pm
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I ordered a big iSpring whole-house filter system. Had it hooked up and two of the filter housings leaked so they are sending me replacements. Will update when it is in operation. The UV "bug-zapper" has no leaks so as soon as I get the leaking filter issue fixed we should be good to go.
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qbodsyt
Member
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2020 09:59am
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Quoting: justinbowser I ordered a big iSpring whole-house filter system.
Can you tell me what model you ordered? You got one with the UV unit included?
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2020 09:11pm - Edited by: justinbowser
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Here is what I bought. I ordered a different sanitizer since the iSpring one was out of stock. Both are way bigger than I need but thinking about the future if we move here permanently.
Filter system:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GNRMYK/
UV Sterilizer:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07238PH28
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Brettny
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2020 09:50am
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Yes both are a whole lot bigger than you need. You would be fine with two $35 filters and a 5gpm UV light. I do like the clear filter housings so I can see how cruddy my filters are.
One reaccuring cost is the filters so for my house I went with the cheap $8-$15 per 2pack HD stocks. They also say to change the Uv light yearly but I'm on year 3 with mine. Aftermarket ones are about half the price of name brand ones. My UV light is a trojan brand.
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 20 Apr 2020 08:31pm
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I received the replacement parts from iSpring and now everything is hooked op and "in the dry." I flushed a few gallons through it and then drew a 5 gl jug to do dishes with. Before drinking any I'm going to contact the county extension office to see if I can get a sample tested if they feel it's warranted.
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 2 May 2020 11:33pm
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I ordered a Varify water test kit and ran through the test strip tests with flying colors. The bacteria test had to sit 48 hours but at the end that was clean as well. I took my first drink and it tastes (no taste) just like the softened water at our house. I'm a happy camper!
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