Drinking rainwater doesn't increase risk of illness: Study

SYDNEY: Drinking untreated rainwater is safe for your health, according to an Australian study.

Researchers from Melbourne's Monash University looked at 300 homes that used rainwater collected in water tanks as their primary drinking source in what they described as a "world first" study that comes amid growing criticism of bottled water.

All of the homes were given a bench-top filter and told it would remove any potential gastroenteritis-causing organisms from their water, but half of the devices did not contain filters.