Does anyone here collect rainwater?
If so, how and what benefits do you find?

Its good for the garden. I do not recommend saving it for drinking purposes as it will quickly become contaminated with microbes if not treated. You may drink it straight from the sky. It is very slightly acidic from the combination with carbon dioxide. I do not see much other benefits over tap or spring water except it is free if you do not tell the water board.

I collect rainwater to use on my indoor plants and also on my sapling trees before planting outdoors.

Storm water is a different kettle of fish. I shall do an article on it and post it in The Covenstead thread.

That'd be great.

I have often thought about it, I know it needs treatment ideally if stored for a while as Pete has said.

It'd save on water bills for the garden; we have a large multi layered garden and saving rainwater would be great in the sunnier days, whatever they are.

The main thing about keeping rain and storm waters is to store them in the dark. This helps to keep down algae blooms and plant life from taking over. A water butt is a great way of saving water for garden use.

Good advice, I never thought of keeping the buts in the dark.
Ideally they ought to be out of the open whereas leaf matter etc cannot access the buts...save in extensive cleaning.

If you want to drink it you can get water sterilising tablets from some chemists. They use to sell them for people who went abroad or drank spring water. However, I have drunk spring water with no affects. whoooaH! the green men are after me, :)

Haha

Thanks for sharing that Pete...

When I was younger I used to go on many a long walk and flowing spring water was always a welcome sight. Just got to be careful of sheep parasites. It was cold and refreshing.

True...Don't see much like that around us.
Sounds good though.