Question regarding water purifying in light of the Derby water chlorine problem

[techguyone]

Looks like something went badly wrong in Derbyshire with their water purification plant the other day with instructions not to drink, wash, bathe or even clean your toilet!

Under those type of circumstances - especially as you can imagine that supplies of bottled water dried up very fast in the shops, how useful would something like a Sawyer mini be? or is it a non starter?

 

[Fraxinus]

I have been looking into this, the sawyer will not remove the chlorine but boiling will, apparently.
Campden tablets, as used by home brewers, will also drive off chlorine.
There is also a grey area as in whether they are using chlorine or chloramine as chloramine is harder to disperse.
Still looking into it as this could happen anywhere.
I find it very odd that they are only reporting the problem and not offering advice as to how to use the water safely with fairly simple methods.

Rob.

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

I have been looking into this, the sawyer will not remove the chlorine but boiling will, apparently.
Campden tablets, as used by home brewers, will also drive off chlorine.
There is also a grey area as in whether they are using chlorine or chloramine as chloramine is harder to disperse.
Still looking into it as this could happen anywhere.
I find it very odd that they are only reporting the problem and not offering advice as to how to use the water safely with fairly simple methods.

Rob.

I think part of the answer is that even fairly simple methods seem to prove too much for some people (ref. boil notices for people in Lancashire recently). I see in Derbyshire the company is providing bottled water while they flush through the system.

Can't realistically see the need for a Sawyer or other filter / purifier at home for the very occasional water outages.

 

[techguyone]

Well no, but as I already have a couple in various kits, I just wondered how much use it might be, I wouldn't go out and buy one specifically 'just in case'

 

[Fraxinus]

I think part of the answer is that even fairly simple methods seem to prove too much for some people (ref. boil notices for people in Lancashire recently). I see in Derbyshire the company is providing bottled water while they flush through the system.

Can't realistically see the need for a Sawyer or other filter / purifier at home for the very occasional water outages.

From what was shown on BBC news this morning they are turning up at supermarkets with small trucks of water when as one lady said "it should be an HGV trailer load" to meet demand.
I also think that if some self help instructions were made those that can actually read and follow simple directions, such as those on a microwave meal, would do so and reduce demand for bottled supplies and that in instances like this we should all be mindful of our neighbours/relatives that might find it a struggle.

While residing on Crete we would get water supply cut off for several days at a time, the water came directly from the holes drilled into the mountain so was spring water on tap! Never needed a filter and had no additives but the pipe system was prone to failure. After the first time I stored water in the fridge and made cistern from a wine barrel and a ball valve from a w.c. for the shower (jumping into a local pool to wash off a days hard work, dust and grime is really frowned upon ) A water filter, had they been available, would have really helped as there was a stream that ran into the bay. So while having a Sawyer or other filter would not be that helpful in this (chlorine) case they could make available other sources.
As an addendum to my earlier post: an activated charcoal filter will also help remove chlorine.

Rob.

 

[Janne]

those recommendations are creating a hysteria. I understand the water company have to do recommendations to avoid law suits, but the end users should use the brains.
"Do not flush the loo as the water can splash on your skin".
So better to leave the "solids" accumulating in the bowl? What?

It is only Chlorine. Even the Chlorine we buy in the shops is not strong enough to cause skin damage if it touches the skin, and I doubt the water contains that much of it!

 

[Tengu]

I would only worry about chlorine if I could smell it

 

[Janne]

I would only worry about chlorine if I could smell it

Smell is ok. East Sussex water smelled of Chlorine badly when I lived there, public swimming pool water smells too.
Still drinkable!