Pre-filtering options for rain harvest cisterns

[@bugoutbubba3912]

I have a cabin with a metal roof which is @700 sqft. It is nearly 200yrds from any trees and a mile from any dusty roads or highways. Do you think I need a pre filter in this instance?

[@rainbrothers]

Great question! Thanks for writing. For pre-filtration, we judge a system based on a “dead bird” scenario: What happens if a bird dies on your roof? I hate to admit it, but I’ve seen it happen a handful of times over the years - we want to make sure there’s no way for that bird to get into the cistern/tank and contaminate the water supply, and best case scenario, we use a pre-filter that removes the bird as quickly as possible from the drainage. Our Wisy Vortex filter and our Monjolin filters (not mentioned in this video because it’s a newer technology) both do well to remove any potential contaminants as quickly as possible from the drainage system so that they do not impact the water supply. Gutter guards, in your case, may be sufficient, but they are generally more expensive and not as thorough filtration compared to the Wisy or Monjolins. Hope this helps!