Fresh water tank and algae

[Byron Kinnaman]

Cheer up!

You could be in one of the United States richest counties and be getting "Toilet to Tap" water.

This is being referred to as the great poop water controversy ...

I understand the science, and it make sense, but my brain is a bit squeamish tho..

Well!
There's only so much water.
Water is a closed loop system.
All water has passed through kidneys at some point in time.

The good news.
Evaporation and rain work like distilling, cleans the water.
Sand, plants, etc. work as filters to clean the water as it seeps into the ground water systems.

Nature is wonderful in this regard. Problems occur when populations gather in large numbers. The system then becomes overloaded and needs some help, hence water treatment plants.

[Ian-Vicki]

Always drink upstream from the herd.

I have met the herd and he is us (to paraphrase Pogo).
cheers
Ian

[ConnieB]

Hi, all - I agree with Byron - by the time the LA wastewater reaches the aquifer, it will be very clean. Prolly cleaner & safer than water treated at plants that use lots of chemicals. After all, many municipal water sources are open ponds or lakes that then have their water "cleaned" before sending to the tap. The aquifer water will also taste MUCH better!! Where I used to live (Champaign, IL) one of the better aquifers in the Midwest U.S. supplies the local water & I've never tasted water better anywhere in my travels.
Connie

[jerry l elven]

The creek water I'm refering to that I have added to my rv tank is from a creek that emptys into the Selway river in central Idaho. It's called Glover creek, It has an elevation drop of about 3200 feet and a total length of 5 to 6 miles. In it's drainage area there has never been any logging or mining and there are no roads. Only one trail that runs along side of it for a ways up the mountain. No doubt there is some algae in the water but that's the way god made it, so I just drink and enjoy.

I have looked at some sites to see what kind of filters are availably and I did come across one site that said "When mounting our water filter be sure you mount it out of the sun because in the sun it will make the algae grow from the heat and light". That's why I was inquiring about about covering the tank in my rv just to see if any one else had tried it. My old slide in camper never did have a water issue and I left water in it several times. But the water tank in it was totally enclosed. I guess what I was hoping for was a "no light" "no problem". Jerry

[Byron Kinnaman]

The creek water I'm refering to that I have added to my rv tank is from a creek that emptys into the Selway river in central Idaho. It's called Glover creek, It has an elevation drop of about 3200 feet and a total length of 5 to 6 miles. In it's drainage area there has never been any logging or mining and there are no roads. Only one trail that runs along side of it for a ways up the mountain. No doubt there is some algae in the water but that's the way god made it, so I just drink and enjoy.

I have looked at some sites to see what kind of filters are availably and I did come across one site that said "When mounting our water filter be sure you mount it out of the sun because in the sun it will make the algae grow from the heat and light". That's why I was inquiring about about covering the tank in my rv just to see if any one else had tried it. My old slide in camper never did have a water issue and I left water in it several times. But the water tank in it was totally enclosed. I guess what I was hoping for was a "no light" "no problem". Jerry

Light and heat do encourage algae growth. Most tanks are made of some form of Polyethylene. Paints don't like to stick to polyethylene, nor does much of anything. I would suggest some sort of cover, a fabric blanket that would absorb condensation and wick it to outer surface would be ideal.

As for drinking from any open water source there's always some animal up stream that doesn't have hygiene habits to prevent it from pooping in the water source or near it. A couple years ago I read some information about using open water sources, one is NOT take the water directly from a moving source. It needs to sit a couple hours or overnight to let some of the stuff settle to bottom, then syphon off the top 2/3 to 3/4 for use.