Water Purification

[John Fenna]

No, it's not OK everywhere. The problem is thata chemicals used in agriculture and industry may have entered the water, and these are not removed by filtering and boiling/purification tablets.

Or am I wrong? If so, I stand to be corrected.

I do most of my walking in the hills above the farm line - and have had no trouble with water there - but I always boil it or use purification tablets.

I am walking part of the Pembrokeshire Cost Path next week -all of which is through agricultural areas. I must say I am very concerned about taking water from streams there - even with water purification tablets. Luckliy there are plenty of villages and cafes where I can get water supplies.

I think John Fenna, who lives in the County, has thoughts on this - what would you advise me to do John ?

I would go along with the idea of getting your water from the shops, cafes and villages on the way - there a lots on, or just off, the way.
I too am concerned about agri-business polutants.
Having said that systems like iodine resin filtres and the Life Bottle SHOULD remove these pulutants (check the small print) ...a Milbank bag, puritabs and or boiling will not!

When you get up towards the Cardigan end - give me a call - I am in the phone book - and perhaps we can meet up

 

[hertsboy]

When you get up towards the Cardigan end - give me a call - I am in the phone book - and perhaps we can meet up

Thanks John. I'm only going as far as Fishguard this time - maybe next time, though.

I thought it wise to follow your example and use the Web-Tex Bottle when below the farm line. I've ordrered one this afternoon. £36 does seem a lot of money, but it last for 1,600 litres, so it's only about 3p per litre.

But I'll still get tap water when I can.

 

[Ph34r]

If you are worried about water putirty etc, get a web-tex purification straw. Despite what they say, i would use it in conjunction with boiling, but should remove impurities etc.

 

[John Fenna]

Thanks John. I'm only going as far as Fishguard this time - maybe next time, though.

I thought it wise to follow your example and use the Web-Tex Bottle when below the farm line. I've ordrered one this afternoon. £36 does seem a lot of money, but it last for 1,600 litres, so it's only about 3p per litre.

But I'll still get tap water when I can.

Have a good time and stay safe!

 

[Martyn]

Having said that systems like iodine resin filtres and the Life Bottle SHOULD remove these pulutants (check the small print) ...a Milbank bag, puritabs and or boiling will not!

You're dead right mate. The filters will remove some pollutants, but not all of them by any means. Water sources in cities near roads and factories should be avoided. Up above the farm line, there should be little if any chemical pollution, so just a milbank and boiling should be fine. Between the farm line and the suburbs, a filter would be better and in towns and cities, use a tap.

 

[hertsboy]

I was just wondering, how many of you have actually got ill from drinking water taken from the wild, what were the circumstances, and what were the results?

I've never had any bad effects. I used to drink straight from the stream, but got a bit frightened off doing the after seeing a dead sheep just above where I had drank one on occasion.

 

[lostplanet]

How would you get the information on each river or stream? is there a pollutant database?

 

[Harley]

I was just wondering, how many of you have actually got ill from drinking water taken from the wild, what were the circumstances, and what were the results?

I contracted a parasitic infection (Giardia, possibly from water, possibly from food that had been washed somewhere horrid) in central Asia, not pleasant by any means, wasn't too great for my housemate either, poor chap!

The onset took some time and I had almost returned to work with it. Antibiotics certainly sorted it out but I was rather worried for a few days and lost more than a couple of kilo's.

Not sure how I'd avoid it next time, a man needs to eat and all that

 

[irishbob101]

i have a wee water filter that is ray mears approved but i have to admit i dot no what it filters out, its only good for about 250 cups off water i think, are things like this worth the money

 

[_mark_]

I was just wondering, how many of you have actually got ill from drinking water taken from the wild, what were the circumstances, and what were the results?

I drank from a clear flowing stream near Hargate Hall when I was a kid, maybe eight years old? I was ill for quite a few days afterward, taught me a few very valuable lessons early on.

 

[Ph34r]

I drank from a clear flowing stream near Hargate Hall when I was a kid, maybe eight years old? I was ill for quite a few days afterward, taught me a few very valuable lessons early on.

experience is the best teacher

 

[Martyn]

I was just wondering, how many of you have actually got ill from drinking water taken from the wild, what were the circumstances, and what were the results?

I've never had any bad effects. I used to drink straight from the stream, but got a bit frightened off doing the after seeing a dead sheep just above where I had drank one on occasion.

When I was 18, me and a mate were camping in the woods, me mate had been there for a few days, I was just there overnight. me mate drank some water from a lake nearby, no filter, didn't boil it or anything. He got amoebic dysentery from that, he was really sick. It was a silly place to drink from, but the dangers are real.

 

[Martyn]

How would you get the information on each river or stream? is there a pollutant database?

Just look around and use your noodle. A lot of old factories used to use some horrendous chemicals and a lot is still in the earth around those places. Arsenic and cyanide were commonly used in the textile industry, so areas where that industry has a big history, should ring a bell. Rivers generally in the UK should be pretty clean, but you cant rely on that. Fish stocks in the Trent were decimated a little while back from pollution from leaky industrial effluent pipes. The higher you go, the closer you are to the source of the river and the less chance of something being dumped in there upstream from you, so high is good. If there is a city or town upstream from you, I'd avoid using it. Roads also have a lot of heavy metal pollution on them. After heavy rain, the pollutants can get washed off into nearby water sources, so avoid drinking from rivers that run alongside stretches of motorway etc, particularly after heavy rain.

 

[ged]

Up above the farm line, there should be little if any chemical pollution, so just a milbank and boiling should be fine. Between the farm line and the suburbs, a filter would be better and in towns and cities, use a tap.

They say that water in the Thames has already been drunk seven or eight times by the time it reaches London, so it should be all right...

 

[wentworth]

How would you get the information on each river or stream? is there a pollutant database?

Look on your topographic map and see what's upstream. I never take water when the creek is downstream from housing.

All you need to do is bring the water to the boil and it's dead.

 

[Ph34r]

I never take water when the creek is downstream from housing.

or a dead flock of sheep.

 

[wentworth]

I don't mind the protein filled water so much! it's the chemicals that scare me, as I can't boil them into mutton stock.

 

[mitch66]

hi, i have two water fillters and have not used then yet i canoe on the river wissy and little ouse but still take water from home. i have worked on anglia water sites and the water is just pumped from the ground the only fillter used is the soil itself they do ad somthing to stop us from getting lead poisning from the old lead pipes that have not been replaced. a lot the sites i have worked on are around farm land where they grow crops. they spray near the sites to? i also went on a food handling course and they said once your water starts to boil its safe to drink (once its cooled down) no need to boil it for 3/4 mins?

 

[Martyn]

i also went on a food handling course and they said once your water starts to boil its safe to drink (once its cooled down) no need to boil it for 3/4 mins?

Yeah, that's true, when your water hits a rolling boil, it's done. Only caveat is at altitude as water will boil below 100 degrees the higher you go. So if you are at the top of everest, water will come to a rolling boil at about 85 degrees. In that case you need to let it boil for a bit but at sea level, it's not needed.

Found another good youtube on the lifesaver bottle...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhvEO7EZwPE

 

[horsevad]

Yeah, that's true, when your water hits a rolling boil, it's done. Only caveat is at altitude as water will boil below 100 degrees the higher you go. So if you are at the top of everest, water will come to a rolling boil at about 85 degrees. In that case you need to let it boil for a bit but at sea level, it's not needed.

Found another good youtube on the lifesaver bottle...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhvEO7EZwPE

Actually, some thermophiles (heat-loving bacteria) will even replicate at 100 degrees celcius...

The endospores from most bacteria will survive 100 degrees celcius for several hours.

The toxins from Clostridium botulinum may survive rolling boil for up to 10 minutes. The spores may survive for even longer.


Generally, the amount of biologic pathogens in a otherwise clean mountain stream is rather low, therefore it may generally be enough to just let the water hit the boiling point. This is, however, definately not enough to make sure that no bacteria will survive.

The whole subject is rather complex, as some bacteria produce toxins, which may - or may not - degrade at a certain temperature.

Likewise, the endospores (a domant bacteria, not an actual spore) will have sufficient protection (linked to some calcium-based molecyles which stabilizes DNA at high temperatures) to survive a substantial amount of heating.

The Archaea group of bacteria are some of the most extreme living organism on the surface of the earth. The Methanopyrus kandleri (a member of the archaea group) will even reproduce at 122 degrees celcius! ... Some other members of this group has been found INSIDE nuclear reactors, and it is believed that some of these organisms actually could survive even if subjected to the extremes of outer space.

As far as I am aware, none of the Archaea bacteria can "attack" a normal human; but they are important to understand in order to learn more about the different survival strategies of the different bacteria.

Furthermore, it is always important to cover any boiling vessel. When the vessel reaches a rolling boil (and kept there for considerable time) the actual surface of the water will practically never exceed 80 degrees celcius if the vessel is uncovered. This is actually enough to ensure survival of anthrax bacteria!


//Kim Horsevad