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By Rudy Nielsen |
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Disinfect all water from streams |
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NIHO
suggests that you disinfect ALL water from
lakes, rivers, creek, and shallow wells in
British Columbia. |
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Many different diseases can be
contracted through drinking water
contaminated by micro-organisms,
including Campylobacter, cholera,
amoebic dysentery, beaver fever (Giardia)
and Cryptosporidia. These
organisms usually enter drinking water
supplies when source waters, like lakes
or rivers, are contaminated by animal
wastes or human sewage, which quite
often, you won’t be able to tell by the
water’s appearance. In general, surface
waters such as streams and lakes are
more likely to contain disease-causing
organisms than wells, which take their
water supply from groundwater.
So how do you make your drinking water
safe? |
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First, select your drinking water source very
carefully.
Avoid filtering water in area where animal or
human activity is obvious. For example, Are you
near an open farm or ranch where cows, horses,
and goats are eating lunch? How about a popular
campsite or trail crossing? It probably would be
best to find another place for water.
Try to draw your water from the flowing portion
of a stream or river, and as far away from the
shoreline as you can get. If you must draw your
water from still, clear water
sources, scoop it from the top of the lake. . Many microorganisms tend to sink in
still water due to the weight of their shells.
However, even if you have carefully taken your
water from the most innocent looking of sources,
there still are no guarantees that it is safe.
What are the best ways to disinfect your water
supply? |
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Judy Ekkert, an environmental health officer,
tells NIHO, “Don’t underrate boiling your
water.” Boiling is the best way to kill
bacteria, viruses and parasites, although this
method is not useful if you are in an area that
clearly has heavily polluted water. A full boil
for at least one minute at sea level is
recommended. As you ascend in elevation, you
will need to boil the water for longer periods
of time. At elevations over 1,000 feet, you
should boil for two minutes, at 2,000 feet, boil
for three minutes, and anything over 3, 000
feet, boil for four minutes. To remove the flat
taste of boiled water, leave the boiled water in
a clean covered container for a few hours or
pour the cooled boiled water back and forth from
one clean container to another. |
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You can also purchase chlorine dioxide kits
or tablets, to disinfect your water supply.
Todd Macfie from Mountain Equipment Co-op
explained to NIHO that these kits are very
popular, especially when camping in the
backcountry. “There are times when boiling
your water in the backcountry can be highly
inefficient. Depending on how long you need
to boil your water, you will wind up using
up all your fuel to get your drinking
water!” |
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Boiling water is good, but time
consuming |
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He suggested two products that are helpful
for backcountry use. Pristine produces a two
part treatment where you mix the chlorine
and the dioxide solutions together in a
provided cap, wait for the mixture to turn
yellow, and then add the mixture to the
water. A second company, Katadyn, produces
tablets which have been EPA certified. These
can be added to the water directly without
having to mix anything. |
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However, as Mr. Macfie pointed out to us, the
main drawback to these systems is the time it
takes to be truly effective. While Pristine
advertises a 15 minute waiting period, that is
extremely low. Depending on the original quality
of the water, it can take up to four hours for
your water to be safe. |
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A third way is to use iodine tablets, tincture,
or crystals. It is extremely important
that pregnant women should not use iodine drops
to purify water, as it may have an effect on
their babies. Also, iodine should not be used to
disinfect water over long periods of time, as
this can cause thyroid problems. Health Canada
recommends that the iodine solution only be used
three weeks per season. |
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Whenever possible use warm water (20 ºC), and,
if using iodine tablets or crystals, follow the
manufacturer’s directions. If you are using 2%
tincture of iodine, use 6 drops (0.3 mL) for
every one litre of water. Let stand a minimum of
30 minutes after mixing and before drinking.
For colder water, increase the waiting time
after mixing to 40 minutes before drinking.
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Iodine Tablets |
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Disinfecting water with chlorine or
iodine will give the water a distinctive
taste that many people find unpleasant.
However, given the option of spending
the holidays in the hospital, it is
worth it. You can also bring powdered
drink mixes (Tang, Kool-Aid, ice tea,
juice mixes) to mask the flavor.
All of the above methods to disinfect
your water will not do you any good if
you pour the good clean disinfected
water into a dirty container. Ms. Ekkert
reminds us to use some of the good water
that you’ve just boiled to clean out the
containers before storing your water in
them.
You may also filter your water, but be
careful. |
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Filtration alone is usually insufficient to
purify water, so you always should combine
filtration with disinfection to have a safe
water supply. Mr. Macfie told NIHO that as the
micron levels (the pore sizes) in the filter go
below .5 microns, the filter should catch
everything but viruses.
There are several types of filters you can
choose. Pleated paper filters are becoming less
popular, as the filter only lasts a couple of
days before you have to replace it. Most
companies have moved to one of three types of
ceramic filters. The first is a simple molded
filter, where the ceramic has been poured into a
mold and mass produced. A more effective one is
the Swiss filter, used by companies such as
Katadyne. This filter has been created from a
piece of ceramic that has been milled down to
the size requested, and, as such, is more
precise. The third, and most effective and
expensive of the three, is the multi-stage
filter. The water goes through a ceramic filter
and then through a carbon layer, to get rid of
any unwanted taste.
As with all filters, make sure you keep the
filters in good shape. You will want to use some
of the good water to backwash the filter to
remove the sediment it picks up. If you leave it
to the next day, you may have to wash a clogged
filter with dirty water, which may leave you
with infected water. |
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Does this apply to you if you have a well
dug on your recreational property? After
all, we said at the beginning that
groundwater is safer than surface water,
right? Unfortunately, while safer, well
water also needs to be tested. The
groundwater supply comes from spring run
off, which means that any hazards in the way
of the run off can get swept into the
groundwater supply. In addition, groundwater
can be contaminated by underground sources,
such as leaking fuel tanks at gas station or
faulty septic tank systems at other
cottages. |
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Wells in BC still need to be tested |
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It is suggested that cottage wells are
tested three times a year for E.coli and
Cryptosporidium, and once every three years
for nitrates and other chemicals (these can
occur naturally or arise from farming in the
area). If you find that your well water has
become infected, there are several steps you
can take. |
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The best option would be to bring in your well
contractor to check the construction of the well
and to advise on treatment options. As Ms.
Ekkert
advises, “The more you know about your water
supply, the better decisions that you can make.” |
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In general, water in British Columbia is purer
than in other locations in North America. To
make sure you have a safe and enjoyable holiday,
taking a few precautions will make all the
difference.
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Thank you to Judy Ekkert and Todd Macfie from
Mountain
Equipment Co-op
for their assistance with
this article. |
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