permaculture

[Toby Hemenway <hemenway@jeffnet.org>]

I'm curious to know how many people using rainwater actually drink it, and
what kind of treatment they use.

We have a metal roof (colorbond) and a 5000-gallon concrete tank that we use
for everything but drinking. Our well water sucks, so I'd like to begin
drinking the cistern water, but haven't sorted out all the many possible
treatment options.

The other issue with the cistern is our wood stove. We haven't graduated to
a masonry or other clean-burning stove yet, so the smoke wafts across the
roof, and imparts a faint smoky flavor (creosote?) to the water, which is
the main reason I'm not drinking it.

Toby