It's safe to drink rainwater in Australia

[William Atkins]

According to a Monash University study, people in Australia who drink rainwater are just as safe as others.

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Dr. Karin Leder (Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at Monash University) led the study of 300 families in Adelaide.

The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and Water Quality Research Australia

The locality was chosen because Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia with a population of about 1.1 million, has the highest rate of rainwater usage for drinking in Australia, according to the study.



[Image of storm clouds and “rain” by http://www.designedtoat.com/weather.htm]

All of the families were told to use a filter to treat their rainwater used for drinking.

However, half of the filters were not real, and did not really filter any of the impurities out of the rainwater.

The health of the two groups of Adelaide residents were tested over a one-year period.

Page two discusses the conclusion of the study from the perspective of Dr. Leder.



Article Link at http://www.itwire.com/content/view/29152/1066/

[Xaduurv]

Or none of the filters were effective, thereby explaining the lack of difference in illness rates between the two groups.

I'm not saying this is actually what I think. I just find it interesting that gastroenteritis rates were made mention of, suggesting that some people from both groups got it.

[allkim79]

Maybe the report should be called "It's safe to drink rainwater in certain suburbs of Adelaide."
I know for sure that where I live and also in quite a few other towns / cities in Queensland, it is not safe to drink rainwater due to flying fox (bat) excrement being in the water.
These are the same flying foxes that carry the Hendra and Lyssa Virii. We have major outbreaks of bronchial infections just from the amount that is in the air let alone the water...
But due to these flying foxes being protected species, we have no options to rid the towns of the problems.
As such any use of rainwater in large parts of Queensland is definitely NOT recommended.