Rainwater or Well?

Question

Which one in better to have as your source of water? What are the pros and cons of each?

Answer 1

Isn't rain water filled with POLLUTION?

Answer 2

Rain water is purer, has less minerals, and possibly less toxins like lead. You have to actually test water from a well to know if it will be safe to drink. There are many places that one should absolutely never use water from that well.

Well water can provide all the calcium or magnesium you need, and may contain enough sulfur to make the water unpalatable.

If you get really good well water, great. But do not ever assume that it is guaranteed to be free of bacteria. If you want a good analysis of this fallacy read book WELL OF LIES which tells about the disaster of this assumption for the town of Walkerton in Ontario. In a week of year 2000 over 2000 people became severely ill and 7 died in Walkerton, because they wrongly assumed that their well would be safe.

No, not even deep wells are totally safe.

Rain water has the obvious problem that it lacks the minerals you need, it may also contain air pollutants. So can well water.

Storing rain water in large enough quantities is the main drawback... just how much might you need. It could be an awful lot if you are storing for more than just drinking.

The collection system has to be clean... not run over asphalt roofs. Even painted roof surfaces may be a problem.

Answer 3

in most cases well water is the better source as it should have gone through a natural filtration process.Rainwater is the natural filtration of all the impurities in the atmosphere as it falls to the earth who knows what it can hold.Regardless you should have any and every water source tested before consumption.Speaking from experience nothing is better than a cold glass of water from a farm fresh well

Answer 4

Rain water picks up pollution from the atmosphere on its way down while well water is filtered through pressure, rock and sands and time.

Well water will always be the better choice.

Answer 5

Spring water is full of minerals

yet- I think that rain water is safer to drink

Answer 6

As a person that has actually lived both ways I would say a well is a lot less trouble if you have good well water. The problem with rain water is not the purity when it comes out of the sky. The problem is storing it in cisterns that must be open to allow the rainwater in.  After a few years of collecting rainwater you will find that it has more than rainwater in the cistern, and some of it may have been walking around before it drowned in your cistern.

Answer 7

For drinking or cooking purposes I would think a well best,for lawns and gardens by all means use rainwater when you can.

Answer 8

Well water I think would last longer, because it is underground and stays cold, and filters itself through sand, where as rain water, you could save, but I don't think it would last as long as well water, we have an old cistern in our basement, that is still used, (no not for drinking) It doesn't stay fresh for very long, plus you can't clean it out it actually now that I think about it, it is pretty gross, I would so rather prefer well water!

Answer 9

good question i don't know

Answer 10

A well ofcourse...  The water from a well comes from deep in the earth where it's naturally filtered normally free of bacteria.

Rainwater is loaded with bi-products, waste and possible other harmful things.