How to Make Rain Water Safe for Human Consumption

Water is essential for human survival. Rainwater may be consumed for a variety of reasons, such as when a natural disaster leaves you without tap water. When using rainwater as a water source, it's important to take necessary precautions to ensure that the water is safe to drink. Filtering and boiling rainwater is an easy option. If your home is left without power during a natural disaster, however, you may choose other options, such as filtering and disinfecting your water.

Things You'll Need

• Cooking pan
• Iodine
• Household bleach
• Portable water filter
• Paper towels
• Clean cloth
• Coffee filter
• Plastic container
• Measuring spoons
• Salt

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Instructions

• 1

  Filter your water.

  Use either paper towels or a clean cloth to strain rainwater. Take your rainwater and pour it through the cloth or paper towel to remove dirt and debris from the water. Even a coffee filter will work to remove particles.

• 2

  Boil rainwater.

  Boil your water when possible to help kill bacteria or viruses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, water should be boiled for "one minute and then cooled to room temperature."

• 3

  Add salt to your water.

  Take your cooled, boiled water and pour it into a clean container. Add a small dash of salt to the water to improve its taste.

• 4

  Add a little bleach to rainwater.

  Use regular household liquid bleach to disinfect rainwater if you don't have a way to boil water in your house. According to the American Red Cross, add 1/8 tsp. of liquid bleach per gallon of water. Stir the water solution and allow the solution to sit for 30 minutes.

• 5

  Dissolve iodine tablets if you prefer to not use bleach. Follow the instructions provided by the label's box. Water should not be cloudy after using the tablets. You may want to strain your water to remove any debris.

• 6

  Use a portable water filter, which can be bought at sporting goods stores. You'll still need to disinfect your water source after running it through a filter (such as by adding iodine) because many portable filters don't kill viruses.