I see your point about DIY sand and charcoal filters being affordable and effective, but I'd be cautious about relying solely on that setup, especially if you're using harvested rainwater for drinking or cooking. While sand and charcoal can handle basic filtration, they don't always remove harmful pathogens or chemicals. You might want to consider pairing your DIY filter with a UV sterilizer or at least boiling the water afterward—just to be safe. Better to cover all bases than risk getting sick...
Good advice, especially on boiling—reminds me of when I set up my first rain barrel system years ago. Thought I'd nailed it with my DIY charcoal filter, until one of my tenants complained about a weird taste (luckily nothing worse!). Learned pretty quick that filtration alone doesn't always cut it. Since then, I've stuck to UV sterilizers as a backup. Might seem cautious, but better safe than sorry...especially when others depend on your setup.
You're spot-on about UV sterilizers being a solid backup. I've seen plenty of setups where folks rely solely on filtration and run into issues down the line. Good call being cautious—better to overprepare than deal with complaints later.
Good points on the UV sterilizer, definitely seems worth the investment. I'm still crunching numbers on my rain harvesting setup—anyone have insights on balancing cost vs. efficiency for storage tank size? Don't wanna overspend unnecessarily...
Definitely smart to crunch numbers first—I learned that the hard way. When I set mine up, I went big thinking "more is better," but turns out I rarely used more than half the tank capacity. Ended up just wasting money and yard space. I'd suggest tracking your actual water usage for a bit first, then sizing accordingly. Better to start smaller and expand later if needed...saves cash and headaches.
