<p>Researchers from Monash University here who looked at 300 households that used rainwater as their primary drinking source said consumption of untreated rainwater is harmless as commonly believed.<br />As part of the study, the first of its kind, all the homes were given filters to treat their rainwater and the other half were given 'sham' filters that did nothing.<br />The families recorded their health over a year, and the researchers found that the rate of gastroenteritis (a common infection of stomach) cases recorded by these two groups were very similar.<br />It also matched the broader community who drank treated tap water, The Age reported.<br />Professor Karin Leder, who led the study, said health departments had been reluctant to endorse drinking rainwater due to fears it was susceptible to contamination with micro-organisms and chemicals.<br />"People who drank untreated rainwater displayed no measurable increase in illness compared to those that consumed the filtered rainwater," she said.<br />Leder, however, made it clear that the results might not be applicable in all situations and it depends on the cleanliness of the storage tank and hygienic condition.<br />The results mean that rainwater use should be expanded in the future, especially during droughts, she added.</p>
<p>Researchers from Monash University here who looked at 300 households that used rainwater as their primary drinking source said consumption of untreated rainwater is harmless as commonly believed.<br />As part of the study, the first of its kind, all the homes were given filters to treat their rainwater and the other half were given 'sham' filters that did nothing.<br />The families recorded their health over a year, and the researchers found that the rate of gastroenteritis (a common infection of stomach) cases recorded by these two groups were very similar.<br />It also matched the broader community who drank treated tap water, The Age reported.<br />Professor Karin Leder, who led the study, said health departments had been reluctant to endorse drinking rainwater due to fears it was susceptible to contamination with micro-organisms and chemicals.<br />"People who drank untreated rainwater displayed no measurable increase in illness compared to those that consumed the filtered rainwater," she said.<br />Leder, however, made it clear that the results might not be applicable in all situations and it depends on the cleanliness of the storage tank and hygienic condition.<br />The results mean that rainwater use should be expanded in the future, especially during droughts, she added.</p>