Activities of illegal mining with the use of mercury and cyanide that are polluting the air, environment and water bodies could also be polluting rain water that is usually harvested by households during rainfall.
Harvesting rain water for household activities has been an age old practice that is part of human lives. I quiet remember our days in our village of Nyerede many years ago when we used to Praise God whenever there was a rainfall. This is because, it enabled us to harvest water and saved us from descending deep downhill to the “Asuoyaa River” through the rocky footpaths to fetch water. Nyerede was a cluster of villages on the High Koforidua Mountain overlooking the Koforidua Township with huge forest reserves. Today can we say same of the clean rain water we used to harvest in those days? Well, Personally, I like drinking rain harvested water, especially ones harvested after an hour or two of rainfall. I mean what is harvested directly from the sky with an unused bowl or pan. That makes it clean and safe to drink.
Meanwhile scientists have described rainwater as water that falls from the sky and has not been treated or processed in any way. It is a natural resource that is considered pure and relatively clean, and is often used for many purposes. Rainwater is slightly acidic, with a pH level that is ideal for most organically grown plants. Rainwater can be collected from roofs and other paved areas using a rain harvesting system, such as cisterns, barrels, or tanks
Rainwater may contain bacteria, pollutants, and parasites, so it should be filtered and disinfected before drinking. There’s no evidence to suggest that rainwater offers additional health benefits compared to regular water.
Can You Drink Rainwater, and Should You?
Water is an essential component of nearly all forms of life. In fact, water comprises approximately 60% of the human body 1
Your body loses water through a variety of natural biological processes like sweating and waste elimination. Drinking plenty of water each day helps replace losses and keep your body healthy and functioning optimally.
Many people are accustomed to getting their drinking water from a tap, well, spring, river, or even a bottle — but you may wonder whether it’s safe to drink rainwater.
Safety of drinking rainwater
There is nothing inherently unsafe about or wrong with drinking rainwater, as long as it’s clean. In fact, many communities around the world depend on rainwater as their primary source of drinking water.
Interestingly, not all rainwater is safe to drink. Several physical and environmental factors can quickly turn fresh, clean rainwater into a potential health hazard. It can contain parasites, harmful bacteria, and viruses and has historically been linked to disease outbreaks.
Rainwater that falls in heavily polluted areas or comes into contact with contaminants, such as animal feces or heavy metals, may not be appropriate for human consumption .
Thus, it’s not advisable to start collecting and drinking rainwater unless you’re 100% certain it’s clean and safe for human consumption.
Although clean rainwater is safe to drink, it can easily become contaminated as it falls, which could pose a significant health hazard.
Tips for improving the safety of rainwater
Various factors can affect the safety of rainwater, including how frequently it rains in some geographical areas. The levels of air pollution, and methods and tools used to collect, treat, test, and store the water.
Certain types of bacteria, viruses, or parasites can be eliminated by boiling the water, but others may require chemical treatment before the water is safe to drink.
To eliminate chemical contaminants like heavy metals, you may also need to use a water filtration system .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rainwater that’s collected for drinking purposes should be filtered, disinfected, and tested regularly.
If you’re unable to effectively carry out these processes, it’s recommended that you only use collected rainwater for other purposes, such as gardening, washing clothes, or bathing.
Keep in mind that certain places have legal restrictions regarding the collection of rainwater. As such, if you plan on implementing a rainwater collection system, make sure the amount collected, as well as the collection method, are permissible in your area.
Contaminants, such as bacteria or heavy metals, may be removed from rainwater using various filtration and chemical treatment methods.
Does drinking rainwater have health benefits?
If you conduct a cursory internet search on the benefits of drinking rainwater, you’ll find a slew of claims that it’s a healthier alternative to virtually any other water source.
However, the majority of such claims are not backed by strong scientific evidence.
Although drinking clean rainwater can be a perfectly healthy way to hydrate, it’s not significantly more beneficial for your health than drinking water from other clean sources.
One common rainwater health claim is that it’s more alkaline than tap water, and therefore, will increase the pH of your blood to make it more alkaline.
However, neither the water you drink — nor the foods you eat — will significantly change the pH of your blood.
Your body has an efficient system in place for keeping the pH of your blood at 7.4. Many of your body’s most vital functions are dependent upon the strict maintenance of your blood’s pH level, and any deviations may be indicative of serious illness .
Moreover, rainwater is typically not alkaline. Instead, it tends to be slightly acidic, with a pH of about 5.0–5.5. It may also be considerably more acidic than that if you’re collecting it from an environment with a lot of air pollution .
Other popular claims regarding the health merits of drinking rainwater include improved digestion and more efficient removal of your body’s waste products. These are both characteristics of drinking clean water in general and not exclusive to rainwater.
Drinking rainwater has not been proven to be any more beneficial for your health than drinking other sources of clean drinking water.
The bottom line
Although collecting rainwater seems like an easy way to obtain drinking water, it may not always be safe to consume.
Environmental pollutants, harmful bacteria, and parasites can contaminate rainwater, and drinking it can make you sick.
Boiling, filtering, and chemically treating rainwater can help make it safer for human consumption. However, it’s important to have reliable collection, treatment, and testing systems in place before you drink it.
Rainwater has not been proven to be any more beneficial for your health than alternative clean water sources.
Drinking plenty of clean water, regardless of the source, is a great way to stay hydrated and support your health.