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It has to vary, according to season, tubidity, and delay between when I fill and when I expect to shower. Toilet flushing, dishwasher and clothes washer are all safe and little or no risk (the dishwasher sanitizes). A shower aerosolizes the water, so I generally give at least 24 hrs for the bleach to work.
Roughly, 8 to 10 oz. per 600 gallons seems to be an average dose, but I test regularly and adjust as needed. The cistern never gets less than half full, except for when I am cleaning out sediment. Bleach is only about 3% chlorine, so the actual chlorine amount is tiny.
I periodically experiment. I tried adding rainwater this past summer, but found it dirtier than the creek water. The little fibers from shingles shed, and tree pollens are a problem here, even with pre-sedimentation and filtering.
Chlorine treatment has byproducts, and chlorine destroys reverse osmosis filters fast, so post filtering for potable water (that I am comfortable drinking regularly) HAS to be either distilled or run through a 1 micron ceramic filter and then activated carbon. As you can tell, I've researched pretty deeply - to the point of calling out one of the survival filter makers for false advertising.
It's a collection box around where the water's dug up/sourced. Using rock and sand filtration. You didnt have one? You had great water pressure! Sounds like a nice setup. I've heard what you did; no light, no bleach is common. But some bleach their cistern yearly. And even their collection box (spring box). Thanks
Nope, no boxes. Good pressure on gravity feed lines to the cistern.
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