Rain water to make saltwater?

[Tamberav]

The issue I see is that usually city water that we pump into our RODI units is sterile. Thus funk does not grow in the sediment and carbon filters.

What? Tap water isn't sterile...at least not on the US and the pre-filters do get slimed up.

 

[MJ in Boise]

Bad idea. Who sprays what in your area? I've collected rain water for a long time and its nasty. Just don't. Pay for rodi. Just curious, tank size, lighting, controllers?

 

[OrionN]

That's like saying, the gov't shouldn't mandate that all cars have airbags because only stupid drivers hit stuff. Someone may not necessarily know that drinking straight up rain water may be dangerous because it seems "natural". I'd be careful to jump straight to "stupidity". There's a lot of stuff people do that seems "stupid", but only because you may know better.

And to piggyback on to what @TI02022020 and @Darren in Tacoma , wars have been fought, and people have been killed over access to water. So it makes sense to me.

Not at all. Regulated what can be sell as drinking water is one think but trying to regulate that people can’t drink untreated, un filter rain water is like regulate that one cannot touch the bares black wire I electrical of the house. It cannot be enforce and does no good. Stupid people (don’t know and does not respect electricity) cannot be keep safe. Y regulation like this. They can learn or won’t be around much longer. It they don’t know and does not bother to learn then there will me just one less person soon and there is nothing the government can do about it, regulation or no

 

[MJ in Boise]

Sometimes Darwin has to hand out awards. Some of the first rainwater regulations were started in some of the largest wasteful drainages in the country. All because people cant think or research for themselves. Same reasoning behind 'dont eat tidepods' and 'hey dummy your kid can drown in a bucket' signs.

 

[ElussssvReefSD]

'Don't drink unfiltered rainwater' and 'don't eat tidepods' are two totally different things. I would wager most people would know that the latter is a bad idea, and wouldn't see a problem with doing the former. The only other thing I'll say to this point is this.

We have all done stupid things that may have seemed like a good idea at the time. If there was a rule against what you were about to do, even if it's a 'stupid' one, wouldn't you have been less likely to do it?

You're right that you can't regulate away stupidity, just like you can't regulate away accidents, deaths, poverty or any other big scary problem completely. Doesn't mean you should just shrug your shoulders, put up your hands and say 'oh well' either.

 

[ElussssvReefSD]

Bad idea. Who sprays what in your area? I've collected rain water for a long time and its nasty. Just don't. Pay for rodi. Just curious, tank size, lighting, controllers?

Like nasty as in full of chemicals and pollution and stuff?

 

[EMeyer]

If there is a law against collecting rainwater on your own property, but no one ever comes around checking to see if you're doing so, or fines you for doing so... is there really a law against it?

 

[Jeeperz]

In Oregon we received a discount on water/sewer rates for not having gutters drain to the sewer so I assume it's legal for rainwater, we did collect it for garden purposes off our barn roof(cedar shake) we were in Portland that doesn't allow private wells.

It's probably useable after running through filters, carbon, membrane, UV, di. But how do you get the pressure to push it through the membrane?

 

[Anchor]

That is assuming all I am paying is for a couple gallons.. And if I use 10 gallons of RO.. I then add the waste water amount too.. and then double that on the usage fee. I run through several hundred gallons.., per month.., so say I keep the RO and have 100 gallons.. I used up 300 to get that amount at 3:1.. and then the usage fee.. or waste treatment fee.. No matter if I use the waste or keep it to feed my garden... You pay maybe a $1 a gallon from the LFS for RO.. You can estimate off what you think their profit is for your own cost.

In either case. Using Ro is still the way to go.. you would stil need to filter out the organics involved with rainwater.. in the end, the RO will be cheaper.