Rainwater Disinfection
Is it safe to use rainwater?
While rainwater itself may be pure, by the time it is collected and stored in a tank, it is likely to collect contaminants including bacteria or viruses. If the water is stored for some time the bacteria can grow in stagnant water, causing biofilm. Bacteria also tend to grow in the pipeline and in some filters especially if the rainwater is used intermittently. Rainwater can generally be used safely after adequate rainwater purification process to suit the end use.
How to treat rainwater?
At a minimum, rainwater should be adequately filtered and disinfected with a sufficient UV dose to inactivate all bacteria and other potential microorganisms.
Details of the rainwater treatment will depend on factors like
- Rainwater collection
- Likely rainwater contaminants
- End use of the treated rainwater
- Frequency of use of rainwater
- Peak flowrate of the rainwater through UV unit, etc.
UV disinfection of rainwater: Process Flow
Rainwater collection -> Storage tank -> Filtration -> UV disinfection