Filtering and Treating Rainwater

Dave and I often discuss a shared daydream, a vision for the future, that is extremely compelling to the two of us.  We both strive to build the perfect homestead.  Perfect in our own eyes, of course.  Dave has his vision and I have mine and though they are individualized concepts of perfection there is a tremendous amount of commonality in our visions.

We both feel compelled to connect to nature as deeply as we possibly can.  We both share a love for rejecting the path of least resistance, opting instead for the path of maximum enjoyment.  We’re concerned about our impact on the environment, the loss of cultural heritage and foundational skills over the last few generations, and the unnecessary complexity of today’s society.

Our shared vision is for connected self-reliance.  We both want to acquire the skills to provide for ourselves and our families.  We want to grow our own food, raise animals that benefit the ecosystem of our homesteads, master skills to transform food, reach optimal health and a healthy lifestyle, and share our knowledge with as many people as we can.

The systems we envision for our homesteads would promote those goals and dreams, and water management is one of the most important.

Many of us have been drinking chlorinated city water our entire lives.  For much of our lives, we didn’t even consider the source or question its suitability.  Water has always been a given.

But in creating the Edible Learning Lab program we began to question things.  We questioned EVERYTHING.  And water quickly became one of the most important.

Water is the absolute foundation of food production, along with soil.  Without a good source, plants will struggle and the harvest will not reach its optimal form. So that begs the question…

What is the best source of water for the garden, for our health, and for everyday use?

The answer just might be found in those drops from the heavens.  Unfortunately, the current state of our environment makes drinking rainwater something of a gamble.  But with a little planning, you can create a system that will transform rainwater into a trusted water source that is independent of the municipal system, managed in-house, and optimal for you, your family, your animals, and your plants.

Filtering and Purifying Rainwater

Doug Pushard and his team at HarvestH2O are experts in this field and help people build rain harvesting and purification systems.  Take a look at the article linked below for a very detailed account of how a rain harvesting filtration and purification system works.

• Potable Rainwater: Filtration and Purification