Rain water unsafe for drinking until treated?

Eldoret, Kenya
December 17, 2025 11:52am CST
I eavesdropped a conversation of two guys concerning safety of drinking water and was left wondering if really rain water is safe for drinking. One insisted that rain water should not be consumed or even used for shower until it is properly treated. He opined that with ever increased pollution in the atmosphere, rain water may be contaminated or acidic and may therefore harm someone if used or consumed without purification. I think he was right. Any other opinion?
2 people like this
2 responses
@JudyEv (367466)
• Rockingham, Australia
6h
The rainwater that we collected on the farm would not have been polluted but here in the city it's safest to drink the 'town water' which has been treated.
@AmbiePam (108198)
• United States
15h
I wouldn’t want to drink it unless it had been treated, but I guess if I were desperate I would. Of course, some countries have air so polluted I don’t know that I’d drink it even if it were treated.