Should Rainwater be the color of tea? - Orchid Board

lilricky · #1 01-09-2008, 04:47 PM

I guess I never looked before...
I just collected some rainwater out of my rain barrel. When I put it in milk bottles an it is the color of tea.
Is that bad?

Do I need to have it tested. It is runoff from my roof.

cb977 · #2 01-09-2008, 05:06 PM

Is it getting towards the bottom of the barrel?
Has it been a long time since your last rain? If it has been a while, what was on your roof is now in the barrel.

Ross · #3 01-09-2008, 05:07 PM

It is not good. Generally dark rain water from a roof has tars, etc. from the shingles mixed in. That isn't good. Rain water is normally very clear like tap water. I no longer collect rain water for this reason. There are lots of folks here collecting it from greenhouse roofs, etc. where the surface is pretty neutral so the water is pure.

lilricky · #4 01-09-2008, 05:53 PM

Thanks,
It's not dark water, but it not clear. I wouldn't drink it.
Up until last weekend the roof has been covered w/snow. There was about 25 gal of water in the barrel.

Ross · #5 01-09-2008, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilricky

Thanks,
It's not dark water, but it not clear. I wouldn't drink it.
Up until last weekend the roof has been covered w/snow. There was about 25 gal of water in the barrel.

I would say it most probably is detritis from rotting leaves, etc. The most likely problem might possibly be high tannin.

lilricky · #6 01-09-2008, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross

I would say it most probably is detritis from rotting leaves, etc. The most likely problem might possibly be high tannin.

Your probably right. I'll get up and wash out the eve before the next rain.

lilricky · #7 01-11-2008, 12:02 AM

I cleaned the gutters between rains and now the water is much cleaner. I still don't know if I would drink it.
I tested the ph with a drop tester and the color matched 6.0. Does that sound right?

Neverend · #8 01-11-2008, 09:10 AM

6.0 is alright, though you might want to test the salt concentration for safety.

shakkai · #9 01-11-2008, 09:50 AM

My rain water runs down my roof (clay tiles with moss growing on them!) before being collected, and it also has a slightly yellow-ish colour to it when I put it into the clear large storage bottles inside.

I've been using this for about a year now good results - especially for the Pleuros that were quite sensitive to my tap water.

lilricky · #10 01-11-2008, 09:58 AM

OK,
How would I do that? Using my TDS stick it reads 012. Which in my short experience I'm trying to figure out what that means.