It depends on what it has touched before the rain tank, and how well the rain tank is cleaned.
If you collect rain water off a roof, it'll also contain bird and rodent feces, which can carry disease (some quite serious). If you collect in a free standing tank, it may also have feces from birds.
If you can do nothing else, boil the water before drinking it. There are commercial filters that are designed to filter out disease causing bacteria, or the water can be distilled in a solar, or conventionally fueled, still.
DK
Yes you can drink it By the way its A Medicine it's very Good for you but you have to put a cup out in the rain or something clean so when it drops into the cup it's clean. Good Luck!
I think it has to be treated because it may contain the atmospheric gases like nitrogen in the form of dissolved in the water so somehow not good for drinking.
from what i understand, rain water doesn't get seriously contaminated until it has filtered through the ground...but i would only use it in a pinch, and i would boil it first, to be safe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling#Boi...
you can also use a steam system, but it's a bit more elaborate...my buddy and i have plans drawn up for one to use with my rain collection system, but we like to smoke pot and never got around to building it...
Yes, but it needs to be filtered.
boiling it should kill any bacteria
If you have a rain water tank are you able to drink the water as is or does it need to be treated/filtered?
