Rain water to make saltwater?

[snorklr]

every ounce of freshwater on this planet is rainwater...rivers , lakes. streams....well water is just rainwater that soaked into the ground...some things are filtered out by the material its flowing through, others are absorbed in the process...municipal water comes from wells, resevoirs or just lakes or rivers...so its quality varies greatly by location and if you think it goes through some amazing distillation and filtration process to make it perfectly safe to drink you're crazy...more like add chlorine to kill bacteria and raise ph so it doesnt corrode pipes and hope for the best....and most of the industrial chemicals from upstream are still in it....depending where you are i would think properly collected rainwater would be much purer than tap water

 

[ElussssvReefSD]

What a stupid rule/regulation. The same as in Medieval Europe. Everything belongs to the king. The deer and the wood in the forest. Once can get hang for poaching of the king's deer.

Rain water really good for the plants, really turn them green. Much more so than tab water. I would not say that it is full of minerals, unless whatever you use to collect it leach mineral, like the roof, dirt , the down sprout ect...
However, Rain water have minor amount of pollutant, depends on where you are in the US. Generally polution this is not a problem, not like in the like up to the mid 80's. Up until then industrial pollution, like acid rain is a big problem from factories.

The main problem, and the reason why rain water is so good for the garden is the nitrates in it. Lighting convert A LOT of atmospheric Nitrogen to nitrate. Using rainwater will be really good for the algae in your tank. That may not be a bad thing. Check it before you decide to use it.

Here is a link on various sources of nitrates in the Nitrogen Cycle.
The Nitrogen Cycle

As has been previously stated, the rule has since been clarified to only apply to potable (drinkable) water in certain counties, not state-wide if I understand it correctly.

Honestly, it seems that it's more to protect people from their own ignorance by ensuring that if your goal is to use rainwater as drinking water, that all the proper system filtration and treatment is in place so that you don't get sick. If you solely want to use it as irrigation, or in the OP's case, for a fish-tank, then go right ahead.

Not to get off topic, but not ALL regulation is bad. I think that we as Americans, need to stop automatically assuming that everything the government does is "infringing on our rights". Are there examples of over-reach? Of course there are. But in this case, if an individual makes a poor choice because it's their "right" to do so, and they get sick and go to the hospital as a result, that increases costs for me as a taxpayer because, whether you like it or not, healthcare costs are shared to a degree. So no, I don't want to pay extra for someone else's bad decisions. That's the part of the "all regulation is bad" argument that people seem to forget. Rules and regulations are usually there not only for the health and safety of the individual, but also the community-at-large, and can ultimately reduce costs on a macro scale when implemented correctly and efficiently.

Sorry for the rant. I work in healthcare so this has been a really sore and frustrating topic as of late.

Anyways, back on topic, I live in Gulf-Coast Florida, and the idea of using rainwater to both irrigate the landscaping and possibly as a source of water for my upcoming reef is intriguing (with RO/DI applied of course). I'll be following this thread to see what develops of this, if anything.

 

[abw75]

In Belgium many collect rain water to reuse it for toilets, washing machines, in garden and such ( newer houses are build with separate circuits)
I have 7000 litres available passing through a filter system using a large pump... can be such water used for tank?

my filter

 

[OrionN]

In Belgium many collect rain water to reuse it for toilets, washing machines, in garden and such ( newer houses are build with separate circuits)
I have 7000 litres available passing through a filter system using a large pump... can be such water used for tank?

my filter

The problem with your setup above is copper pipes. Not for reef use long term IMO
The amount of copper add is likely minimal. Depends on the impurities in it.

 

[abw75]

The problem with your setup above is copper pipes. Not for reef use long term.

Thanks, i didnt consider the copper. Pity, as here rains a lot

 

[OrionN]

@ElussssvReefSD
Can’t regulate stupidity. Sorry. If someone going to do stupid thing they will do it. The chance that we regulate and put rules to keep them from doing it zilch.
I am not against regulations, but I am against stupid regulations.

 

[Darren in Tacoma]

Here is a link explaining the legality of rainwater collecting in all 50 states. I only feel compelled to provide the link due to the insistent misinformation in this thread.
Also, most regulations regarding water collecting are born from water rights laws. It may seem like overreach when sitting behind your keyboard, but if you live in an arid climate or depend on agriculture for your livelihood, someone stealing your water is a big deal.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/states-where-it-is-illegal-to-collect-rainwater

 

[Tl02022020]

Thank you for posting that Darren. Was just going to jump in and say that the rules on rainwater collection has to do with century old water supply and water rights issues in the west. If you live in a place where it rains a decent amount through the year, it probably sounds crazy for there to be a law against it. But there is a reason those laws exist.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Rain water passing through ozone, acid rain becoming more common and sharing the air with carbon monoxide from vehicle exhaust. . . I wouldnt even consider.

 

[Glass Algae]

Don't forget in some states ( Washington ) it's very illegal to collect rain water on your property.

I believe it's the same here in Oregon. Wonder what they're "saving" us from

 

[ElussssvReefSD]

@ElussssvReefSD
Can’t regulate stupidity. Sorry. If someone going to do stupid thing they will do it. The chance that we regulate and put rules to keep them from doing it zilch.
I am not against regulations, but I am against stupid regulations.

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.

 

[ElussssvReefSD]

Rain water passing through ozone, acid rain becoming more common and sharing the air with carbon monoxide from vehicle exhaust. . . I wouldnt even consider.

Well shoot when you say it like that, it sounds super dangerous haha. Ah well, it would've been nice to not have to run the water meter as much.

As a side note, what do you all do with the waste from the RO/DI?

 

[Anchor]

Tap water costs about a penny for five gallons in the US. If you use 70 gallons of filtered water a month (that's four 10 gallon WCs and a gallon for top off a day), you'd use about 210 gallons of tap water total to run your RO unit at a 2:1 brine to permeate ratio. This would cost about $0.42. If your tap water is 10x more expensive than the national average, you're still only paying four dollars for your RO water every month.

That's also ignoring that, in all but the most unusual cases, the RO filter is probably the smallest user of water in your entire home. The average family in the US uses 300 gallons of water per day. That's 9,000 per month. You'd save much more water by installing efficient appliances or low flow toilets than you would using rainwater for your aquarium. If you're really looking to save water, eat animal protein less frequently. It takes almost 700 gallons of water to produce one 6oz steak, over 600 gallons to produce a hamburger, and more than 50 gallons to produce a single chicken egg.

If I pour out $0.42 cents worth of water, I pay $0.84 for sewage treatment.. water is cheap but the usage charge is steep..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

every ounce of freshwater on this planet is rainwater..

Not technically true, but it sounds nice. Lol

 

[NashobaTek]

Kinda like every drop of water on this planet at one time was in a dinosaur . Lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Kinda like every drop of water on this planet at one time was in a dinosaur . Lol

Or inside a star . But that one is true (at least for the oxygen atom part of it).

 

[Darren in Tacoma]

Rain does come from the stars. That is why it always rains more at night.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

If I pour out $0.42 cents worth of water, I pay $0.84 for sewage treatment.. water is cheap but the usage charge is steep..

Even with the usage charge, in the scenario above, you're only paying $1.26 per month to run your RO unit. There's not much in the hobby that'll be cheaper.

Even with high usage/sewer charges, that doesn't change the fact that your RO unit is still only a fraction of your home's water usage in all but the most unusual circumstances.

 

[KingTideCorals]

Test the water!

Wish we could collect out here in WA!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Well shoot when you say it like that, it sounds super dangerous haha. Ah well, it would've been nice to not have to run the water meter as much.

As a side note, what do you all do with the waste from the RO/DI?

To my laundry drain and if lack of rain, run it into buckets to water plants