How to determine potential water contaminants? (location: Pentland Hills, Scotland)

[seanspotatobusiness]

I would like to know what potential contaminants exist in streams I come across in the Pentland Hills. Many or most of the water bodies have "Reservoir" in their name. Does that mean all the water must be free of chemical contaminants? I'm intent on sterilising/disinfecting with bleach which is ineffective against cysts such as giardia at drinkable concentrations.

Is there some publicly-accessible source of information on contaminations found in water in the UK?

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

They will be "raw" water reservoirs, in other words where water is stored before treatment.

 

[bambodoggy]

Why use bleach if you don't think it'll work? I've had Giardia and I wouldn't wish it on anybody! Why not use chorine based puritabs or similar....or boil it, or even buy and use a small lightweight filtering system....there's loads about

There could be alsorts in those reservoirs, as already said they just hold large amounts untreated water, rain, run off etc.

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[seanspotatobusiness]

They will be "raw" water reservoirs, in other words where water is stored before treatment.

Right, but would they bother trying to treat water contaminated with chemicals or heavy metals?

Some of the land is used for farming including growing of crops on the lower areas (presumably covered in chemicals I shouldn't ingest) and much is for grazing sheep. Some of it appears to be wild. Some of the reservoirs permit fishing. Can those ones (and their tributary streams) be assumed to be chemical-free?

Why use bleach if you don't think it'll work? I've had Giardia and I wouldn't wish it on anybody! Why not use chorine based puritabs or similar....or boil it, or even buy and use a small lightweight filtering system....there's loads about

I want to use bleach because it's cheap and light-weight. If the water is cyst-free, then bleach will work. I want to know more about the water so I can make an informed decision.

 

[mick91]

Sodium hypochlorate in bleach will kill most things at high concentrations but I wouldn't recommend it. You're far better off with something like chlorine dioxide or other commercial steritabs. A reverse osmosis pump will filter things like giardia. If I'm doubt boil sterlilise or both. But that's right what dark horse Dave said it's raw water then ultraviolet bombed and chems added. Shame there isn't an affordable small UV sterilizing system about that would be brilliant. I wouldn't have said commercial bleach to be a good option though imo

 

[mick91]

Right, but would they bother trying to treat water contaminated with chemicals or heavy metals?

Some of the land is used for farming including growing of crops on the lower areas (presumably covered in chemicals I shouldn't ingest) and much is for grazing sheep. Some of it appears to be wild. Some of the reservoirs permit fishing. Can those ones (and their tributary streams) be assumed to be chemical-free?

Dangerous chemicals and heavy metals they'll be tested rigorously and regularly. As for fertilisers you're probably only dealing with nitrates in any concentration and even then it'll be negligible amounts

 

[cranmere]

I can't find anything to suggest that there is a major problem with anything like heavy metal contamination in the area. Water collected for the drinking water supply is unlikely to be problematical in that respect because it's relatively cheap for them to deal with micro-organisms but removing chemical contaminants is much more difficult and expensive. Unless I'm in an area with surface mining such as some parts of Dartmoor I tend not to worry unduly about it.

Upland water rarely carries giardia or cryptosporidium but your chlorine won't deal with those effectively so if you're concerned I would carry a filter of some kind.

 

[Zingmo]

Here's an example of what SEPA publishes :http://apps.sepa.org.uk/rbmp/pdf/100293.pdf. They don't actually test for very much compared to the vast list of things that could be in the water. That's because they know what the most common pollutants are and the indicators of other potential problems.
As said above, they don't maintain reservoir water as drinking quality. None of the pentland hills reservoirs are listed as drinking water protected areas (see here: http://gis.sepa.org.uk/rbmp/ ) so they may not even be used for public water supply, they may be for hydro-electric schemes or for maintaining river levels through drier periods.

Z

 

[bowji john]

The Environmental agency samples:

Rivers: once a month
Beaches once per week
Inland bathing waters: once per week

You can look up this data or request it by email from the EA

If using the EA's historical data to determine contaminants in a river you plan to use as a drinking water source, ask for raw data rather than that adjusted by the ''wet weather waver''. The ''wet weather waiver'' entitles the EA and water companies to discount samples taken after an ‘unusual’ weather event.

Not only does this skew the picture but its impact is increasing as the waver is being used more frequently after periods of heavy rains.

You can access some real time telemetry on CSO’s or request info by email - this gives info on start and stop of overflow, however this is not a service available for all rivers

 

[bowji john]

Sorry

CSOs are Combined Sewer Overflows

These overflows represent the greatest risk of water borne infection. They are an emergency overflow for sewerage and rainwater if a sewage pumping station or treatment works is ''over capacity''.

They are used to bypass the sewerage works and pump directly into the river

This occurs at times of high rain fall - hence its significance when requesting data from the EA

High rainfall also results in high levels of ''Diffuse Pollution''

''Diffuse Pollution'' is a term used to describe pollution from unknown sources. These sources are likely to be run off from roads and farmland

Farmland run off can be high in phosphates nitrates and farm sewerage

Road run off can contain heavy metals, bird and dog faeces, viruses and bacteria.

 

[sunndog]

Have a read of this current thread


http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133170

I'v been sick through bad water. It werent life threatening or anything but it was bad enough......My advice, dont mess about, filter and disinfect.
some proper kit is not that expensive really and if nothing else it will increase your enjoyment of the trip through the confidence that you wont be doing something through the eye of a needle for the next three days

 

[Robson Valley]

Has boiling then filtering fallen into disfavour? Even just boiling so nothing is moving.
Makes the Daphnia on the mashed potatoes look like fresh ground pepper.

 

[sunndog]

Has boiling then filtering fallen into disfavour?

Not in terms of efficacy. Its just a lot more hassle/time consuming than modern lightweight filters and steri tabs

 

[ganstey]

As there are obviously some knowledgeable people in this thread, can I ask a related question? In my wood I have a permanent spring that rise from the ground (rather than a rock face). I've often considered using this as a water supply, by taking water from a few 10s of metres downstream where it's more accessible, but have a slight concern about heavy metal contaminants. The wood is in north Cornwall, and there are several very small, and old, ore mines/quarries a few miles downstream, so the area is mineral rich. The stream that issues from it has a rock base and banks. There is a farmer's field opposite, but I think I can probably source the water from just upstream of the field. My question is how do I go about getting it tested, how often is it prudent to get it re-tested, and what sorts of things should I be looking for in the tests? It is far from any habitation, and doesn't feed any buildings or livestock, so I doubt the local water authority would be interested in testing it without me paying some sum of money. How much is this sort of test likely to cost?

Many questions I know, but I know you are a knowledgeable and helpful bunch of folk.
Thanks in advance.

 

[bowji john]

This is an interesting question

Having water samples analysed is an expensive process - there are only a number of labs licensed to do it for the EA, however for a private individual the licensing issue might not be relevant.

It is not feasible to ask a lab to go 'on a hunting trip' for chemicals/heavy metals etc - it is just too expensive

Better to do a bit of research - determine what contaminants are likely to be present and ask for those to analysed.

Water issuing from semi porous rock is often considered to be 'clean' as it has been filtered by the rock.

Likewise surface water from within a reed bed area as reed beds make good filtration mediums - not sure they would be affective against heavy metals though.

Let me do a bit of research into heavy metals/contaminants associated with tin mining or old tin mines and quarries and I'll come back to you

I spent many years working in industry dealing with COSHH Regs, Occupational hygiene and Env pollution but not in mines and quarries so it is a bit outside my field

Rgds

John

PS I live in N Cornwall too so could have a look

 

[ganstey]

Brilliant, John. Many thanks. It's just outside Pipers Pool. There are two nearby quarries marked on the OS map, and I seem to remember one of the locals saying they were Manganese (magnesium???) quarries. There is also a shaft shown, but I don't what exactly what that relates to. I don't think there has been any tin mining in the immediate area. The spring issues into a swampy-muddy area, and then drains into the head of a stream.

 

[21st century pict]

Cyanobacteria or Blue-Green algae can potentiality pose serious health problems in warm weather, caught me out on a long distance walk once, I don't think boiling or water purification tabs work? filters I don't know, if anyone could enlighten me on the subject, cheers in advance.

Leptospirosis or Weil's disease is another to de aware of, also increasing with warm weather, according to The MailOnline with a recent doubling of cases diagnosed in 24 months Publish date 19 May 2014
I have never used a filter kit but perhaps I might add a filter straw to my kit in the future.

 

[bowji john]

It's likely to be manganese

A quick search indicates that mining in Cornwall over the last 2 centuries has been for tin, silver, some copper, arsenic, zinc, manganese

I can summarise the toxicological properties of each for you in due course

The 3 principle routes of body entry of toxic chemicals (in order of their efficacy) are inhalation, ingestion, skin absorption - with drinking water we are primarily concerned with ingestion

Toxicological measures for ingested substances tend to be measured as ''LD 50'' and ''LC 50'' (Lethal dosage for 50% of test population & Lethal concentration for 50% of test population)

They are clumsy measures for us lay people - I mention it simply because you might come across these references in your own research.

Chemicals like heavy metals often have 'cumulative effects' - relatively low concentrations in drinking water can accumulate in the body over time with long term effects - lead is a typical example of a heavy metal with cumulative effects.

Plants and small filter feeders together with animals higher up in the food chain can also accumulate these heavy metals - so eating molluscs and some plants etc can be a route of exposure

You might also come across reference to 'acute' and 'chronic' effects - these two words are often miss-used in every day language - in this context 'acute' means 'short term' & 'chronic' means 'long term'.

Before going any further it is important to ask why you are concerned about pollutants on your site

An expensive lab analysis would seem a tad excessive unless there is a strong commercial reason for ensuring clean water

Hope I'm not waffling on too much

j

 

[ganstey]

Really interesting stuff John. I've studied environmental science at degree level, and LD50 and LC50 ring a bell now. My concern comes from the fact that I hope to use this as a source for (boiled) drinking water whilst working the wood and when camping there. I know enough to know that heavy metals and fertilizers can be a problem, but I never got my head around the geology modules enough to be able to work out whether the geology might be a problem here. I guess as it's only going to be occasional use, there probably isn't going to be a significant risk, but if it was practical and cost-effective to get it tested, it would not only ease my mind, but would also satisfy my curiosity. I'm pretty confident about runoff (animal waste and fertilizers/insecticides/herbicides as I can see the total run of water from its source, but it was the possibility that heavy metals may leech out of the bedrock below ground that was causing me some unease.

As I say, great stuff John. Very interesting and useful.

 

[bowji john]

I've probably hijacked this thread enough

I'll PM you in due course with more info

Would be interesting to meet up perhaps?

j