Is rain water drinkable without filtering it?

Question

Is rain water drinkable without filtering it?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

u can drink rainwater

Answer 3

if you were stranded it would be ok

i wouldnt drink daily!!

Answer 4

Depending on where/how it is harvested, it can or cannot be safe to drink without filtering.

for example, if you're harvesting it from rooftops, the water can be contaminated by animal and bird f***s, pesticides, and dust.

You can boil the water that you collect for drinking.  Some poorer countries depend on rainwater for drinking and will use solar cookers to boil it.  Other countries will add aluminum and chlorine to disinfect it.  You could probably find solor water disinfection technology systems on the internet or possibly in your area for a cheap-environmentally friendly way to disinfecting the water.

I boil my rainwater for drinking.  And the water I don't drink I just use for plants or other things.

Answer 5

all depends on where you are and where the clouds come from their are many pollutants in the air

On the south pole are pollutants that have come there via clouds

I would not recomend rain water for drinking near new yorkmor Los Angelos

But water from Amazonian rain would be very good although rainwater  lacks minerals

ok for a while but not all the time .

Answer 6

if you really have to

it depends on where you live, but it could be ACID RAIN!!!!

Answer 7

No, because of all the pollution in the air it could make you sick.

Answer 8

I use a carbon filter for my rainwater.

In survival it straight from the sky.

Answer 9

rain is acid rain b/c of pollution. some fish and plants die aftert using it i think u hould filter it

Answer 10

i think so!!!!

Answer 11

not these days, pollution is in it, the only reason it rains is because particulates in the clouds. Could be some nasty pollution depending on where you live.

Answer 12

i work in the water industry and i would at least boil it before i drank it mate.

Answer 13

It depends on how you harvest it and where you stay.

Rainwater harvesting can be done with any roofing material if it is for non-drinking use only.

For potable use of rainwater, the best roof materials are metal, clay, and cementitious although all roof material types have been used(except asbestos). Asbestos roof materials used in older homes should not be part of a system to provide drinking water. Asphalt shingles can contribute grit to the system and need a pre-filter for the water before it enters the cistern. Lead materials in any form should not be used in the system (i.e. lead flashing). However, it is always better that the rainwater be treated, analysed for chemicals and filtered before you can use it. Since this is a time consuming and costly affair, its best to avoid using it for drinking purposes.

In urban areas, rainwater harvested from roofs can contain animal and bird f***s, mosses and lichens, windblown dust, particulates from urban pollution, pesticides, and inorganic ions from the sea (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, SO4), and dissolved gases (CO2, NOx, SOx). So generally, rainwater is used as a supplement to city's water supply.

Answer 14

If I had a rainwater tank I guess I would boil it first.  You don't know what is on the roof of your home.  Harvested water I have heard is OK.  Don't know this as fact though.  So many nasties in the world now who knows what to believe.  Anyway, have a good day.

Answer 15

yes if you are desperate..

Answer 16

yes but loads of bits of c**p in it even out here in the country. when i drank it i used a milk filter, very similar to a coffee filter, on the inlet to the butt, and i generally boiled it too.

Answer 17

I think it would be where you are at. If it was in Bora-Bora,I would drink it. If it is where I live,close to Los Angeles, then I would rather die of thirst first! Byee

Answer 18

test the ph.

might be acid rain.

It's also bringing down the pollen from the air.  

in survival mode, it's probably ok.

Answer 19

As long as it's not acid rain, why not? Each raindrop contains a single grain of dust. Other than that, it has just been naturally distilled by the sun and atmosphere. It used to be considered as pure as you could get.