Aqua sobriquet
Member
This doesn’t sound good.
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Don’t Drink the Water?!
- Thread starter Aqua sobriquet
- Start date
Hi all,
Having said that, there definitely <"are issues"> with "Wessex Water" (and all the other water companies) - <"How to improve resiliency of in-vitro plants?">.
I don't know what his angle is, but he loses any remaining shreds of credibility when he suggests that we could test our own water for trace metals, PFCs and pesticides, it is as feasible as suggesting that you could fly to the moon to find out what it is made of.
cheers Darrel
It is mainly 2 + 2 = 5 scaremongering. Lead (Pb) isn't an issue in our drinking water <"Struggling with a few plants">. If he had been <"talking about the USA">? Then you have every chance of getting toxic water from your drinking tap.
Having said that, there definitely <"are issues"> with "Wessex Water" (and all the other water companies) - <"How to improve resiliency of in-vitro plants?">.
I don't know what his angle is, but he loses any remaining shreds of credibility when he suggests that we could test our own water for trace metals, PFCs and pesticides, it is as feasible as suggesting that you could fly to the moon to find out what it is made of.
cheers Darrel
Aqua sobriquet
Member
We had a new Kitchen Tap fitted some years ago and it came with its own under sink filter. Even with it though the water doesn’t taste nice. We’ve also had assurances from our water supplier that the noticeably yellow water they have supplied on more than a few occasions is perfectly safe, even if it doesn’t taste good. It’s even off putting drawing a bath that colour.
I seem remember some time ago on a TV news report that customers in another area of the UK had creatures swimming around in their tap water, and once again the supplier insisted it was perfectly safe.
Edit: is this scaremongering as well?
“The drinking water regulator for England and Wales has brought only three prosecutions against water companies for providing poor quality water since 2021, despite 362 instances in which water was flagged as being unfit for human consumption.”
www.theguardian.com
“Last month, unsafe drinking water led to more than 100 cases of cryptosporidium in Brixham, Devon. About 17,000 households and businesses were told by South West Water not to use tap water for drinking without boiling and cooling it first after the parasitic disease was detected in the supply.”
I seem remember some time ago on a TV news report that customers in another area of the UK had creatures swimming around in their tap water, and once again the supplier insisted it was perfectly safe.
Edit: is this scaremongering as well?
“The drinking water regulator for England and Wales has brought only three prosecutions against water companies for providing poor quality water since 2021, despite 362 instances in which water was flagged as being unfit for human consumption.”
Only three water company prosecutions in England and Wales for unfit drinking supply
Figures show breaches have rarely led to prosecution by Drinking Water Inspectorate since 2021
www.theguardian.com
“Last month, unsafe drinking water led to more than 100 cases of cryptosporidium in Brixham, Devon. About 17,000 households and businesses were told by South West Water not to use tap water for drinking without boiling and cooling it first after the parasitic disease was detected in the supply.”
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sparkyweasel
Member
- Joined
- 30 Jun 2011
- Messages
- 3,011
That shows there's nothing toxic in it. 🙂
simon_the_plant_nerd
Member
I’ve been to relatively few wtw (compared to wwtw) but the general impression I got was that this stuff is very clean. The treatment, the analysis, the protocols - it was all incredibly strict. Compared to large parts of the world, our drinking water is safe.
I’m unconvinced that any domestic consumer can test their water to the extent that the provider can (or understand and interpret the data).
I’m unconvinced that any domestic consumer can test their water to the extent that the provider can (or understand and interpret the data).
Aqua sobriquet
Member
Agreed, chemical wise, but would you really want to be ingesting potentially dangerous bacteria etc?
Hi all,
cheers Darrel
I have personal experience of that one - <"Looking for Fairy Shrimp, Scuds (amphipods) and Female Amano Shrimp">.
<"That is a real issue">, neither the Environment Agency or OFWAT are doing their job -<"What Water To Use?">.
cheers Darrel
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Connswater
Member
I have had problems for my planted tanks with high nitrates, both in Kent and here in Berkshire, but the high levels have been temporary and though they contribute to algae blooms I otherwise have in 50+ years had no issues with tap water for my tanks. As for human health, fish don't drink the water, they breathe it etc., I have no concerns, though black tea is definitely better with soft water.
Bradders
Member
Funny you say that. I have around 30PPM straight out of the tap so my low-tech and high tech aquariums never really get below that after adding fertiliser. Not quite sure what is considered high nitrates but I seem to sit fairly high with no algea. (Well, no algea once the tank had matured of course! There was plenty before it did!)
Connswater
Member
You make a good point. I don't want more than 10-20 ppm in my tank, but pristine chalk streams are, I am led to believe vulnerable if Nitrate levels are much above 1 ppm. I think you can safely drink at much higher levels but not every day for years. I have measured a few times in the summer at quite high levels, certainly above 40 ppm. But normally my tap water is around 5-10 ppm. Personally, I am very wary of trying to filter water 'under the sink' because unlike a filter jug maintenance is not straightforward.
Connswater
Member
Absolutely, but in my case the tests by the provider are, somewhat infrequent, but the peaks in Nitrate I have picked up, which I am confident are real, are occasional seasonal peaks, primarily related to when water is extracted from the local river. My trusted local tropical fish shop manager was also picking up high levels in his testing when I went in expressing some level of concern a few years back.
When in Kent over two decades ago, (2003 I think) I picked up issues, but only that once, when Bewl reservoir was exceptionally low, we were in a drought then, though Kent is, looking to the future short of water storage and low water in reservoirs, particularly in the summer, seems to be problematic in terms of concentrations of Nitrate.
The dip strips are as we all know, are not great, but I tend to use a dip strip and then a drop test, repeated, and the bottles shaken etc., as instructed and I run a test on distilled water to just check that my tests aren't mad and can identify 'clean' water. Water off my roof is normally great but a short shower of rain after a dry spell means bird poop raises the Phosphate levels to a point where I can't really use the water without mixing it, or using a Phosphate absorbing resin. In the winter I find few problems from either the tap or the water butt, and of course in the winter I have clean water from the tumble drier as well. Clean water is a bit like buses I find.
