Make rainwater drinkable

[Cergal]

Hello,

Within the framework of a school project, I have to determine what are the actions to be carried out to make rainwater into drinking water.
Rainwater will be collected from the roof, will be stored in a water collector and will be filtered when it comes out of potable water.
For his I intend to use 3 filters which are:
- A 5 micron filter to pre-filter the water.
- An activated carbon filter to neutralize chemicals and heavy metals.
- A ceramic filter to filter bacteria.

I would like to know if these three filters are enough to make rainwater into potable water?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

[Christophe]

Rainwater is naturally drinkable, with the exception of severe pollution such as acid rain (which has become rare).

But rainwater can be contaminated during storage or collection ...

Your 3 levels of filtration seem sufficient to me.

Another solution is reverse osmosis.

[izentrop]

Hello,
Storage in a cool place away from light already prevents the proliferation of bacteria and algae.
Chlorine is also widely used http://www.cnrs.fr/cw/dossiers/doseau/d ... itEau.html

[Cergal]

Thank you for your answers.

I did not choose reverse osmosis because it is more expensive and more complex for a school project.
I saw on a website that rainwater could contain:
● Particles: various dusts and particles affect the appearance of water.
● Bacteria and viruses: bacteria can be found on the roof. For example, the most common are coliforms present in animal (bird) excrement. The same is true for viruses whose origin is very variable.
● Organic matter: insects, decaying leaves, etc. These compounds affect the taste and color of water.

Do you think these 3 filters remove these elements?

Rainwater collectors will be placed outside, so they will not be cool or protected from light.
Is chlorine mandatory?
Our goal is to offer a solution with the least possible inconvenience for the user.

[Rabbit]

Maybe an opaque plastic tank for food use.

And re-add bleach (for example) according to the prescribed quantities. Possibly take into account the pH of the water for disinfection to be effective.
http://www.wikiwater.fr/e18-le-traiteme ... u-par.html

[elephant]

Hello Sergal, welcome to our forums.

You wrote:

Rainwater will be collected from the roof, will be stored in a water collector and will be filtered when it comes out of drinking water.

As this is a school project, it will also be necessary to review the agreement of the past participle and all these sorts of things ....

Besides that, there is also potassium permanganate in place of chlorine. I don't know if it's more or less tasty. For campers, explorers, expeditionary corps, etc., it has the advantage of being able to be transported in solid form, easy to dose.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanganate_de_potassium

[Johny]

To filter rainwater, your 5µm filter is insufficient at the inlet because it will quickly become clogged.
If you want to make your water drinkable why put it down first? therefore obligation to have your stock 100% black. not 95% but Hundred percent.
Then you filter to 50µ then to 5µ with rinsable filters.
After that: Filtration with an activated carbon filter + KDF in order to capture heavy metals (up to 200 times the dose of lead authorized in rainwater networks ...) The KdF is particularly effective and makes it last your activated carbon.
Next comes sterilization: ceramics = nest of bacteria. (hello baby at home!) so:
Either you pollute your water with peroxide or chlorine (you do not care for your hoses, chloramines and Co.; it does damage in the more or less long term but it is legal), or you use a UVc lamp which does not pollute but which sterilizes - obligation to change the UV bulb every 5000 hours of use or every year. it is very important to respect this instruction.
Finally, in this option you do not send this water especially in the domestic network; it risks "touring" if it stays in the pipes for a little while, but it is already drinkable at this stage.
The law imposes a distribution circuit separate from the supply network, non-return valves are illegal.
Possibility of energizing it with the EWO or Plocher system for example so that it keeps well in the pipes and that it is better for health.
Possibility of osmosis. especially if you have to prepare bottles with it.
All that is expensive but we do not laugh with these things there. You can't improvise in this area. you shouldn't play sorcerer's apprentices too much when it comes to health.
It is important but it does not matter!

cordially

[elephant]

1) what is KDF?

2) do not be under any illusion, the mains water is not free. In Belgium, we are at 4 euros / M³ + 2 X 50 euros subscription fees. So that, for example I divided my consumption by 2, just by supplying my toilets with rainwater, but not my bill!

[Johny]

KDF is copper filings with zinc filings found in activated carbon. Suddenly the filtration of chemical molecules is much more efficient because it creates an electric micro-voltage between each copper and zinc particles in the water. This makes pollutant molecules traps. Coal is there to block everything and also filter odors.

It is by looking at my ability to love my friends and my enemies I can measure the strength of my soul, and its size and smallness.

[elephant]

Thank you. Indeed, the Egyptians already knew the bactericidal virtues of copper.