December 2004

Drought expected to persist in parts of West
USA Today - USA
BILLINGS, Mont (AP) -- A new report says drought conditions are expected to persist in much of Montana and part of Wyoming through the winter. ...

Official: Drought may hit hard next year
China Daily - Beijing,China
China is likely to experience a catastrophic drought, the worst threat to national water supply and grain production, next year, a leading water official ...

Simple method to ensure water is safe for drinking
The Hindu - Chennai,India
... only rainwater for the past nine years and no supply from BWSSB. It also has a rooftop solar energy system for heating, lighting and cooking. The garden has a

Study examines drought devastation in small communities
ABC Online - Australia
The Cotton Co-operative Research Centre looked at what impact the 2002-03 drought had on the 2000 people living in Wee Waa, in north-west New South Wales. ...

Water plant manager demonstrates chlorine generators for possible ...
Washington Journal - Washington,IA,USA
... This was the first generator Hays used in his chlorine presentation. ... But this system is "meant for small villages and small applications.". ...

It rains, it pours -- it's still a drought
East Valley Tribune - Mesa,AZ,USA
... on the Verde River are filling up because of the random placement of the rain, but those account for only 10 percent of the utility's storage capacity, he ...

Last Cleaned May 2006

November 2004

Vast water supplies hidden under N.China desert
Xinhua - Beijing,China
26 (Xinhuanet) -- A study says a desert in China's Inner Mongolia that has the highest sand dunes in the world hold a vast store of underground water

Area farmers, ranchers eligible for drought relief
Helena Independent Record - Helena,MT,USA
... Larry Hoffman, the Lewis and Clark County extension agent, said that while this year has been wetter than in recent years, when talking drought, it's the big ...

Drought sparks cholera fears
Dispatch Online - East London,Eastern Cape,South Africa
FORT BEAUFORT - The "worst drought in years" in the Nkonkobe Municipal area has sparked fears of a cholera outbreak in rural villages. ...

Free State drought verges on crisis
IAfrica South African News - Cape Town,South Africa
Persisting dry conditions in the Free State are nearing crisis proportions, Free State Agriculture said on Wednesday. The union ...

Expert: West's drought could go on for years
Tucson Citizen - Tucson,AZ,USA
DENVER - A government climate researcher is predicting that the five-year Western drought could linger for several more years, and more frequent droughts are ...

China fights drought in the south
Xinhua - Beijing,China
BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- China is fighting the most severe drought in the southern part of the country since 1951. The State ...

Warning on drought mitigation schemes
ABC Online - Australia
Australia should avoid building large drought mitigation schemes, or prepare to face massive problems in the future. That's the ...

Last cleaned May 2006

October 28, 2004

World wide energy producer to showcase latest technology at Big 5 ...
AME Info - United Arab Emirates
World wide energy producer to showcase latest technology at Big 5 construction fair. ... one plant, this plant can be driven with natural gas, sewage gas, diesel ...

Home-grown Eau Claire uses high tech to make mineral water
The Malaysia Star - Malaysia
... Water is pumped from the underground aquifer at the foothills of the Kedah Mountain range at Titi Akar to the water treatment section (pump house) of the plant ...

Govt under fire over drought-affected farmers
ABC Online - Australia
The South Australian Opposition is accusing the State Government of sitting on its hands over the plight of drought -stricken farmers on eastern Eyre Peninsula. ...

Early drought indicates big losses in Central Highlands
Viet Nam News Agency - Hanoi,Vietnam
Ha Noi (VNA) - Drought is being seen in the Central Highlands as no rain has occured since Oct. 20. This year's rainy season in ...

Flooding, record snow in California
KESQ - Palm Desert,CA,USA
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A powerful storm sweeping across California is flooding homes and roads and dumping record amounts of snow in the Sierra Nevada. ...

Record rainfall makes for a miserable morning
Santa Cruz Sentinel - Santa Cruz,CA,USA
... Tuesday's powerful storm brought Santa Cruz's October rainfall total to nearly 6 inches, making this October the third wettest on record since record ...

October 25, 2004

Water jackpot - underground oasis may help ease city's shortage
Bendigo Advertiser - Australia
AN UNDERGROUND oasis discovered just outside Bendigo could hold the answers to many of central Victoria's water problems. Veteran ...

October 24, 2004

Raw sewage spill was massive, reports say
Roanoke Times - Roanoke,VA,United States
Virginia Water Authority officials said the risk to humans, wildlife and the environment was minor because the sewage was heavily diluted with storm water

October 21, 2004

Hackers target utilities' control systems
Computer Crime Research Center - Ukraine
... according to research by the British Columbia Institute of Technology and PA ... a disgruntled employee released 250 million tonnes of raw sewage by attacking a

Electric Pulse Method for Disinfecting Natural and Sewage Waters ...
Electric Pulse Method for Disinfecting Natural and Sewage Waters. Ref. No. 27. A method for disinfecting natural and sewage water ...

Drought sparks sheep sell-off
ABC Online - Australia
Stock agents say farmers are being forced to off-load more sheep as dry conditions continue. Up to 200,000 sheep have been sold ...

Rain ends fire season
Mail Tribune - Medford,OR,USA
... Open and barrel burning is prohibited year-round in Medford and Jacksonville. ... "It won't take very long after this period of rain, if we get a couple of dry ...

reservoir will protect river, water supply
WBBH - Ft. Myers,FL,USA
... area. "Whole design of this- it's a big rain barrel that we can draw from and put back when we don't need it," said Bortone. With ...

Molbak's contest spotlights garden structures that really shine
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Seattle,WA,USA
... boxes and containers. The shed is wired for electricity, and water is available from the rain barrel at the back. Inside there is ...

October 14, 2004

Disaster relief approved for farmers hammered by drought, floods
Southwest Farm Press - Overland Park,KS,USA
... approved $14.4 billion in disaster relief for farmers and others who suffered losses from this year's hurricanes and for farmers hurt by drought, floods or ...

Number of drought declared areas declining
ABC Regional Online - Australia
Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald says they are the best figures in five months and reflect rainfall in August and September, which generated pasture growth ...

Winter weather forecast fuels fears of drought
Honolulu Advertiser - Honolulu,HI,USA
Little rain is forecast for Hawai'i this winter, making renewed drought a real threat for the state, according to the National Weather Service. ...

Last cleaned May 2006

Welcome to Rainwater Archives for 2004.

We know that rain continues to be a major source of help to farmers, cities, reservoirs across provinces, states and countries. Learning to store water for our everyday use will help keep the shortages to a minimum.

Poisonous Rainwater

Monday, 21 November 2005

Researcher: Samantha Leary

For most of us living in country NSW, owning a water tank has been seen as the perfect way to save the country's most precious resource and cut down on the water bill while we're at it.

There has also been a major push in recent times for people in the city areas to start using them.

But it seems an increasing number of us are falling ill and the rainwater tank has been copping all the blame.

Noel Heale is a water doctor who has been studying rainwater from tanks for some time he says that the amount of bacteria in the tanks is cause for concern.

"The typical rainwater tank filters have a 100% failure rate when it comes to keeping out the Ecoli bacteria. And that is what we have found is largely prevalent in water from rainwater tanks"

This bacteria is harmful to humans and can cause a number of disturbing symptoms,

"Eighty percent of the people I see are exhibiting signs such as lethargy, nausea, stomach pains, diarrhea and headaches."

He says that this contamination is commonly caused by bird poo. The sweet taste that often characterizes rainwater is potassium, from bird poo.

"Filters don't keep the bacteria out, country people tend to become immune to most bacteria but not all."

He says rainwater is also low in minerals and so fairly aggressive. It has been known to dissolve moss and other plants on rooves which then fall into the tank.

"A lady had been diagnosed with clinical depression and the doctor happened to ask what water she was drinking. She said she was on rainwater from a tank. So I tested the water and it was very high in bad bacteria. She went off it for six weeks and funnily enough her symptoms disappeared."

So what do you do?

"Well first of all get a bacteria test. This is the only way to tell what kind of bacteria is alive in the water and then we can killit with ultra violet disinfection. It's alos important to flush your tank regularly, clean it out and try and keep your water pipes clean."

Mr Heale says out of all the water types, rainwater from tanks is the most likely to be contaminated.

http://www.abc.net.au/westernplains/stories/s1512933.htm