Now is the rainy season. Naturally, the question may come to mind, how safe is it to drink rainwater? The short answer is: it's not always safe. So when it is safe, when it is not - let's find out.
There is nothing wrong with drinking rainwater when it is not safe to
drink rainwater if it is clear. In fact, many communities around the world rely on rainwater as their primary source of drinking water. But that said, all types of rain water cannot be drunk. Rain comes through the atmosphere before it hits the ground, so it can pick up any pollutants in the air.
The atmosphere contains dust and many harmful substances that can easily mix with raindrops. Drinking rainwater in areas with high air pollution is harmful to health. It is better not to drink rain water in areas where there are chemical factories and power plants. Similarly, one should not drink rainwater that touches plants or houses.
When the rain water is safe,
you can drink it only if you are sure that the rain water is 100% clean. Besides, sometimes rain water can be less polluted than tap water.
Make rainwater safe
You can do two things to improve the quality of rainwater. Boiling rainwater or filtering water to drink. Boiling water kills pathogens. The filter will remove dust and other contaminants.
Another important thing is that water quality also depends on how you collect rainwater. You can collect rain water directly from the sky in a clean bucket or bowl. Allow the rainwater to sit for at least an hour so that its heavier elements settle to the bottom.
If you search the internet about the health benefits of rainwater,
you will find several articles. Where various health benefits of drinking rainwater have been claimed. But most such claims have no strong scientific evidence. Although drinking clean rainwater is healthy, it is not significantly more beneficial to health than other clean water sources.
In other words, drinking rainwater improves digestion, eliminates body waste and other health benefits that are being talked about, these are the natural features of drinking pure water from any source.
Bottom Line
While rainwater harvesting may seem like an easy solution, it may not always be safe. Various types of pollutants present in it can make you sick. Only rain water that falls directly from the sky should be collected for drinking.
