Drinking rainwater? Challenges in creating an off-grid water filtration system

Water, one of our key resources, is readily available in most homes in Canada, and is delivered in a safe, clean state.

However, many countries around the world do not have such ready access to clean water. They instead depend on collecting and cleaning their own personal water supply. Similarly, QSDT is collecting and cleaning our own water by designing an efficient and automatic process that could be used in any temperate climate. Operating entirely autonomously, the QSEC depends on filtered rainwater to supply clean water to its taps. Drinking rainwater is a viable and efficient option, but is not applicable in arid climates, where digging wells is more suitable.

QSEC rainwater collection system

But wait, can I just drink this water straight away?

Strictly speaking, yes. But it is optimal to clean the water to an elevated standard to eliminate the risk of viruses or other conditions.

The QSEC is making use of an exciting all-in-one system, built by Rainfresh™, that filters the rainwater collected from our roof and inoculates all bacteria and

Rainfresh water filter array

viruses with a UV lamp, delivering clean, delicious water to the taps of the home. The entire process of water collection and delivery is similar on an industrial scale, where water processing plants will pump in lots of natural fresh water from lakes or rivers, filter and clean it, then deliver it to homeowners.

With a rain collection system, this entire process happens at your house, cutting out the middleman and saving money on your utility bill!

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Written by Simon Law, Civil Engineering '21.