Drinking canal water

[gobfish1]

Get a waterways key , use canalplan off the NET, You can plan your trip along the canals, iT will give you post codes /lat and long for all the water points , and a lot more info aswell , shops. pubs, post office, cafe,s to name a few , and also miles between point,s , v handy

iv done a few 1000 miles along most canals in the uk , never had a problem getting water to drink and cook with , you can even have a shower if you must ,
some v nice fee camping can be had , lots of shops and pubs at hand for the most part,

ps if worst comes to worst , flag a canal boat over and ask them for water , most are v happy to chat and help ,

ps
im on a bike so 6l is no problem for me to load up with , (3l i keep toping up, and ill load up with 6l later in the day , for cooking main meal,and for morning, next day) so if your walking you may need to look at coming off the canal to buy water now and then (maybe tho iv never had to ) or like others have said ask for a free fill , or plan it better than i tend to , you will know the miles you want to do each day, , me i just keep going till i feel like stopping , or find a nice spot to camp so my miles change / are not fixed ,

i dont knock on doors but if i see someone out side there home id ask , id NOT drink canal water or other waters close by, no need to , simple as,

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...O9iqodgjYF-Z0cQ&bvm=bv.83829542,d.d2s&cad=rja

Grand Union from London to Brum then onto Ellesmere Port and then Liverpool to Lancaster.

done all the above canals have fun , injoy your time , been to london from manchester ,and up to kendle also , all v nice ,

if your camping , the locks are aways a good spot , as most have the grass cut round them , just keep your eye open close to the big towns , as you will get kids drinking and pissing about , iv never had a problem , even the local alcoholic,s have been chatty / friendly, a few miles out from towns and all,s good
dog walker,s are all done by 9pm and you will then have the canal all to your self ,

 

[rorymax]

Pubs by law must provide tap water for free.

I wonder how the pubs would react if you ask them to fill a 2 litre or 5 litre bottle.

Are they only obliged to serve water in a glass and to buying customers only.

Does the law apply in Scottyland?

rorymax

 

[gobfish1]

I wonder how the pubs would react if you ask them to fill a 2 litre or 5 litre bottle.

Are they only obliged to serve water in a glass and to buying customers only.

Does the law apply in Scottyland?



rorymax

A few pubs have stanpipe,s out side , lots of bikes riders out on the canals at weekend, thay stop at the canal side pubs for a meal and a drink . then top up with water for the ride home,

 

[Joonsy]

+1 to the posts above by gobfish (post 21 & 23) i’ve had similar experiences and walked loads of canals Just to add church’s also often have outside water taps (and you can see their spires from miles away) be respectful though. Apart from the keyed water/sanitary stations there are also farm shops in places, canal museums, gift shops, pubs, tea rooms, boatyards and boat moorings, country and craft centres close to the canals, villages and towns to pass through (or close by), and of course houses, farms, and boats too. Be Polite & Friendly and you will generally receive the same treatment back.

I wonder how the pubs would react if you ask them to fill a 2 litre or 5 litre bottle.

Are they only obliged to serve water in a glass and to buying customers only.

Does the law apply in Scottyland?

It’s not a case of obligations and laws, it’s just a case of good manners and being polite when you ask, ask for water with a friendly tone and you generally get a positive reaction from folks, demand your ''rights'' and they might justifiably tell you to p**s off.

 

[rorymax]

It’s not a case of obligations and laws, it’s just a case of good manners and being polite when you ask, ask for water with a friendly tone and you generally get a positive reaction from folks, demand your ''rights'' and they might justifiably tell you to p**s off.

You misunderstand Joonsy, I was indeed asking about the law and it's interpretation as this was news to me, it is a bit of a stretch to suggest I was relating to those laws in the context of me using the law to make discourteous demands for water.

rorymax

 

[mrcharly]

Don't drink it.

Boaters spill all sorts into the canal - porta-potti 'blue', antifreeze, etc. Some people do it deliberately, some by accident. Canals should be considered stagnant water, no flow, so stuff can build up.

They are also havens for rats, so Weils disease is likely to be present.

 

[nephilim]

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/ < you'll want one of these products. This filters out a LOT of rubbish. Its pricey, but it lasts a long time. I've seen it in action, this guy at a show in London literally took poop and dirty murky muddy water etc, put it in the system, and readily drank the water coming out.

Definitely one to invest in if you have the money.

 

[Paul_B]

When you get to Lancaster there's some nice pubs on the canalside. Waterwitch is good, used to be a lot better IMHO than it is now but still good. Or the white Cross oub is good too. Food is a little bit on the small size last time I went there but the beer range is always good. They also do their own beer festivals and also join in with things around Lancaster too. Both have seating areas on the side of the canal too.

I live on the side of the canal stretch that heads north of Lancaster. There's pubs canal side or down a path from the canal. We often just get out bikes out if we're home on a sunday with spare time. We just head one way or the other and sooner or later hit a nice pub. Reckon most canals are a bit like that too.

As far as drinking water from a filter device that is not designed for virus, chemicals and heavy metals removal goes. I think the very fact that the manual for the device probably says something about not filtering these things then anywhere it is possible to have these chemicals / virus' you don't rely on it alone. They are covering themselves based on the science and design of their kit, protecting themselves against legal action I guess. That should tell you something.

IIRC the experts in water hygiene give a recommendation about not taking from water below a height or from outflows of bodies of water, etc. etc. etc. My rule of thumb is upland, free flowing water courses (typically that means a decent length of rapidly flowing water which is aerated by the drops over rocks and the like) is ok with a filter. anything in the valley bottoms is prone to outflow of farms and treated fields. That includes canals. In my view canals are almost like stagnant pools in that the water really does not flow much. Whilst with a good filter/water treatment you might not get ill but where you are going through seriously, heavy metals and chemicals can accumulate in larger organisms. Do you want that? Assuming you are taking some days/weeks to do this you may well have sufficient time to accumulate the stuff. I am no expert but I am cautious with water. There is a reason beer was so popular in days past, it was the only safe drinking source for the masses. Water has been and still is a killer if it is not clean and free from pathogens/poisons.

Weil's desease (Leptospirosis) is seriously not nice. A mate had it and was very fortunate that in kayaing circles it is well known. I think he went with flu symptoms straight to hospital, skipping the doctor's visit, because he suspected it. He had been paddling a river that was in spate, the farm yards and fields wash out into the rivers and the bug collects in the eddies. He went there and explained he suspected it. They gave him antibiotics and monitored him. Another friend was not so lucky and spent a long hospital visit with his kidneys nearly at packing in point from it. Spate rivers, slow moving rivers, stagnant ponds and canals are all places you can contract Weil's desease. If you work for the charity now looking after canals, the environment agency, water utility companies & their subcontractors or indeed anyone who works on or with water you often get a card to carry with you about the desease. My Dad once got a contract managing a major water supply, treatment and waste treatment project and had to go on courses on water safety. Got a card with not just the symptoms on it but also a note for doctors or other health personnel on it warning that he is at a higher risk of contracting it. Easily treated with antibiotics if caught early but the symptoms are basically flu or a bad cold. We are told not to bother doctors with that but by the time it becomes clear it is more you are in serious condition. It does kill each year and is a notifiable desease too. Not trying to scare you of course and perhaps the straw will get that out.

I think others have said that there are water sources on canals. Since the main use of canals is effectively tourism these days the operators of the canals (now an independent charity BTW) has built many facilities on their canals. They put one up near me, a shower and waste water building. They have toilets, showers, waste water collection point, drinking water point (tap on the outside) and rubbish bins. The waste disposal point, showers and toilets need a key but the rubbish and the drinking water are free for anyone to use.

Have a good trip and I'll keep a look out at the water witch pub for you when you get there!!

 

[bambodoggy]

Can Weils disease be contracted through drinking contaminated water? I thought it was contracted through open wounds and breaks (grazes, gashes etc) in the skin? To be fair it's a long time since I did my bcu quals and without going to look at all my notes I simply can't remember! Be useful if somebody who's more current then me could confirm this please?

I do remember a girl on my outdoor Ed course at Uni got it while we where all playing at Holmepier point, she spent over a week in a contam tent in a single room in hospital so I can vouch for it being no fun if you do get it!

Many thanks,

Bam.

 

[bambodoggy]

Just looked it up on Wikipedia and yep, says you can get it from swallowing contaminated water too.

Every days a school day

 

[Mafro]

I used a water to go bottle. I've had it for a couple of years now and take it everywhere with me, truly an amazing bit of kit. There was a code of BUSHCRAFT20 that gave you 20% off both the bottle and all replacement filters. Worked a month ago when i bought some replacement filters.

 

[Paul_B]

Even if that wasn't the case you will have cuts somewhere on your body if you work with tools. Well perhaps that is just me when I work with tools. I'm guessing since the OP has posted here he will at least do something with knives if not axe and other tools so a good chance he has some wounds. I know from my kayaking days some rivers I;d pick them up for fun. One river I paddles (more like I was the ball in a pinball machine) I got 41 cuts on one hand. All of them small but you could get infection from them.

Then IIRC the nasal membranes are very thin with plenty of blood vessels close to the surface. They are very easy to use to pass things into the blood stream like drugs but I guess bugs could use that too. Also aren't eyes a weak point too for infections?

All I know is on kayak trips on spate rivers I used to put plasters on my cuts and then duct tape over the top to ensure fully waterproof due to the increased hazard. Near me rivers like the Clough, Rawthey and upper Lune have all had cases of Weil's desease from paddlers on them I believe. The two people i know who got it all contracted it on the River Lune higher up the river, the interesting bits!

 

[Paul_B]

http://www.lifesaversystems.com/ < you'll want one of these products. This filters out a LOT of rubbish. Its pricey, but it lasts a long time. I've seen it in action, this guy at a show in London literally took poop and dirty murky muddy water etc, put it in the system, and readily drank the water coming out.

Definitely one to invest in if you have the money.

I saw them back when the outdoor show was in Birmingham. IIRC it is a big bottle with fancy internals which you fill with water and it filters it through to the safe water side where you drink. If it's the one I saw it is big and heavy. Certainly not something to carry if you want to save weight. Think the one I saw was a litre capacity but looked bigger than a 2 litre pop bottle. Weighed about the same I thought.

Just looked and the current model (4000UF) that I looked at is 454g empty. It is a bit different to the one I saw but is the same company so I assume they have new designs out now. Looks good but you can get nearly half a litre bottled water for the weight of a clean, dry and empty one of these. Considering how a lot of canals cater for the canal barge tourists I'm guessing there is no real need for this extra weight. It looks a good product since it takes out the usual chemicals (all water purification uses activated carbon so no surprise really).

 

[gobfish1]

iv just had a look a some old trip logs i have ,
and my planned trip from manchester to londen along the canals has 20 post codes for water points and i know there is a lot more as i miss some out if thay are close to each other


no need to drink canal water , just get a key fill up each time you pass a water point and have a good drink to , worst comes to worst just ask a boat owner to fill your water bottles ,


thats 20 water points and i think it was 127 miles long trip,