How safe is river water?

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Feb 15, 2011
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
and to pull the thread back into it's course (pun on water there :) ) apart from charcoal is there anything that can be done to clear water more effectively as a diy kind of thing ?......and how does one 'activate' charcoal ??

cheers,
Toddy
 

Retired Member southey

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jun 4, 2006
11,098
13
your house!
Activating charcoal take a very slow burn at very high temps, it opens up the fissures and pours of the individual carbon cluster to give it a massive surface area, apparently one gram of activated charcoal if you could unfurl each carbon cluster would cover a football pitch. I'm not sure you could replicate the processes at home? stand to be corrected though.
 

bearman

Full Member
Jul 18, 2010
190
0
kent
Well, anyway guys, I live near sellafield & I was wondering if I filtered & boiled the liquid run off, would it be o.k......it would be a Godsend as I wouldn't have to carry any heavy water with me when I go to play on the beach. I've also heard that by drinking it I wouldn't need a torch on the way back, should I stay paddling until sunset, which would be great as batteries are so heavy.......................I hope you give me the all clear, then in few years I can proudly quote that famous bushcrafting phrase; " I've been drinking it for years with no ill effects".............................oop's have to go, mummy's just come in...................


Yeah that'll be fine-drink as much as you can...
 

wattsy

Native
Dec 10, 2009
1,111
3
Lincoln
So ALL tap water is the same then Wattsy? regardless of district or company? Tap water has to be tested continuously, when was the last you heard of anyone in the UK contracting an illness from the water?

The water in the UK is not the best to drink, but its certainly safe, and can you please tell me what chemicals are essential in water? you have me intrigued.

i wasn't saying tap water is bad for you you seem to have got completely the wrong end of the stick. chemicals essential in water include calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper to name a few all vital for our continued existence.
 

wattsy

Native
Dec 10, 2009
1,111
3
Lincoln
All the water in east ,north & western europe is to some extent, radio-active, thanks in part to Tchernobyl (25th anniversary this year) & we can't do anything about it...........," I've been drinking tap water for years, with no ill effects"..................
l

yeah granite is also radioactive yet people make kitchen counters out of it 'radioactivity' isn't necessarily dangerous it all depends on the type of radiation. alpha or gamma radiation is harmless to humans
 
Feb 15, 2011
3,860
2
Elsewhere
and to pull the thread back into it's course (pun on water there :) ) apart from charcoal is there anything that can be done to clear water more effectively as a diy kind of thing ?......and how does one 'activate' charcoal ??

cheers,
Toddy

I've always found showing charcoal the BBQ get's it pretty activated.........but if you want the real stuff you can't make it in your garage, 'cause it involves heat & chemicals & all that lark, you know, them industrial fings that pollute rivers.
 
Feb 15, 2011
3,860
2
Elsewhere
i wasn't saying tap water is bad for you you seem to have got completely the wrong end of the stick. chemicals essential in water include calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper to name a few all vital for our continued existence.

These are not chemicals, they are minerals & are not essential in water( Peter O'toole has never drunk water & as far as I know, he doesn't suffer from mineral dificiency) as they are found in our foods. You only need traces not Kilos of the stuff.
 
Last edited:
Feb 15, 2011
3,860
2
Elsewhere
yeah granite is also radioactive yet people make kitchen counters out of it 'radioactivity' isn't necessarily dangerous it all depends on the type of radiation. alpha or gamma radiation is harmless to humans



As you well know professor, there are many kinds of radiation & what fell from Tchernobyl clouds is not the same kind as found in some granite..we are bombarded with radiation every day from the sun, & if you are lucky enough to spend a few weeks in the mountains, you will recieve quite a healthy dose as well...........whatever comes our way we can't do anything about it so lt's useless worring about it, as you said it isn't necessarily dangerous, just a question of dosage............
 

Toddy

Mod
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Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
CaCl2 or ZnCl2 aren't exactly problematical. The calcium chloride is a seawater component and is widely used to make tofu.
Seems pretty straightforward to make the activated charcoal in a kiln tbh.
However, considering the price of buying it is buttons......no contest.

cheers,
Toddy
 

bearman

Full Member
Jul 18, 2010
190
0
kent
You can find the guide lines for clean drinking water here-http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/fulltext.pdf
It is a publication by the World Health Organization (who) and includes all recommendations and considerations for chemical, radioactive particulate and microbiological contamination. If this is really going to take a simple question to the nth degree I suggest a few hours/days reading this instead of hearsay and opinions expressed as fact.

The poor OP must be more confused now than when he started!!

Unless anyone out there had done research on every river/watercourse in the UK then nobody can state what is or isn't safe-what we can do is advise as to what methods we use and try to inform using personal experiences. Macho posturing and poor science isn't going to help anyone come to an informed decision.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
CaCl2 or ZnCl2 aren't exactly problematical. The calcium chloride is a seawater component and is widely used to make tofu.
Seems pretty straightforward to make the activated charcoal in a kiln tbh.
However, considering the price of buying it is buttons......no contest.

cheers,
Toddy
From my experience Tofu is in itself toxic ...or at least makes me want to spit it out... or gag......
not the greatest advert for calcium chloride.....
 

Paganwolf

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 26, 2004
2,330
2
53
Essex, Uk
www.WoodlifeTrails.com
Well, anyway guys, I live near sellafield & I was wondering if I filtered & boiled the liquid run off, would it be o.k......it would be a Godsend as I wouldn't have to carry any heavy water with me when I go to play on the beach. I've also heard that by drinking it I wouldn't need a torch on the way back, should I stay paddling until sunset, which would be great as batteries are so heavy.......................I hope you give me the all clear, then in few years I can proudly quote that famous bushcrafting phrase; " I've been drinking it for years with no ill effects".............................oop's have to go, mummy's just come in...................

youve got no friends and you live near the nuke reactor its all making sense now...
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
From my experience Tofu is in itself toxic ...or at least makes me want to spit it out... or gag......
not the greatest advert for calcium chloride.....

Oi! That's my dinner you're talking about !

I like tofu, I really do. You can have the dead something or other that Himself and the cat are having :)....I think the cat's winning though, himself's having black pudding and the cat food tin says chicken and turkey breast in a juicy gravy :rolleyes:

cheers,
M
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,106
2,833
66
Pembrokeshire
You can find the guide lines for clean drinking water here-http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/fulltext.pdf
It is a publication by the World Health Organization (who) and includes all recommendations and considerations for chemical, radioactive particulate and microbiological contamination. If this is really going to take a simple question to the nth degree I suggest a few hours/days reading this instead of hearsay and opinions expressed as fact.

The poor OP must be more confused now than when he started!!

Unless anyone out there had done research on every river/watercourse in the UK then nobody can state what is or isn't safe-what we can do is advise as to what methods we use and try to inform using personal experiences. Macho posturing and poor science isn't going to help anyone come to an informed decision.

Wow - that has to be the ultimate guide!
I have saved that one too!

Still it seems to boil :)) )down to "do your research and treat as needed" again :)
 

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