Re: Water Catchment

[Xavier Dequaire <xavier@futurich.com>]

I have been drinking unfiltered, with no flush diverter cistern water for one year and
did not experience any "bacteriological" problems, any problem was that most water
froze... here in Norway
and it did taste pretty "dead"
I did not check the poisons rates in the water (shingleroot, vicinity to airport)
though. This my experience.

My main concern (i intend to build a fibrocement cistern) is the quality of the
cement.
Cement producers burn a lot of garbage of many kinds (mad cows, old tyres, special
refuse and what you cannot imagine) so that cement may and does often contain a lot of
different heavy metals (which are not good to have in contact with acid waters)
and a frequent additive, which is may be forbidden now, is  PBC-family (poly chloro
butyl, is known to have close to oestrogen effects  al those hernmaphrodite polar
bears, alligators etc).
Older cement cisterns might have PBCs.

For me a cistern is a source of  local water for washing waters (in stead of lime rich
ground water (60m deep forage)), to spare the ground water for food and save soap
(lime rich water claim more soap for same washing effect).
Less soap means also less grey water rinsing requirements ( I use artificial wet land
and a pond)

If I will not use the cistern for drinking water, I would like to know that I can
drink the water if I have to.

Cisterns and pond have also a value for fire protection ( I live on a car-free island)

Is there any source of  "food" secure cement or a such a quality cement?
Or is is easy to make small quantities of cement?
(there used to be cement ovens on our island 300 years ago using the local "calcite" I
think)

my little participation to the thread
peace


Xavier




permed@nor.com.au wrote:

> >> I'm curious to know how many people using rainwater actually drink it, and
> >> what kind of treatment they use.
>
> We drink our rainwater direct from the tank without any treatment - it's
> the best water and we have people filling their drink bottles here in
> preference to town chlorinated water.