River water

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Berniesbargreece

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Hiya guys, I am in the lakes and am parked up right next to a stunning river, the water looks amazing. Can I use this water for my water tanks? I dont mean to drink. I mean for washing up, shower etc? I appreciate I may have to use tablets etc but the water is everywhere in the lake district, any help is very much appreciated.
 
water for your tanks? do you have water cannons on those tanks for crowd control? are you part of the army reserve about to be mobilised to enforce self isolation?

if none of the above then i dont see why not, but as 'tap' water has chemicals in it which keep it 'safe' to use for a period of time, i would make sure you use your tablets to sterilise the water.

so how do you propose getting it into your tanks? you could just use it 'loose' bucket by bucket, but dont let any washing up liquids etc enter the water course.
 
I would not see a problem using it for showering etc, no different to wild camping. But as others have said it will not stay fresh for long so you will need to regularly change it
 
In theory,the should be no issue with non potable (Washing not drinking) use. However, you may be in breach of water regulations?. Farmers who use rivers for irrigation, have to have an "Abstraction Licence" I understand?. Years ago. a friends In laws, had a drilled well and had to pay for it`s use.

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I would not fill my water tank with stream, river or lake water untreated because of all the rotting carcasses, poo, urine and other substances that lie unseen within their depths. As you stare out over the lakes blue skies and a magnificent sunset, just around the bend in a feeder stream are a heard of bullocks churning up the river bank with their hooves, drinking the water while pooing and peeing into the the stream that fills the lake where you would like to take water from to fill your tanks:LOL:
I would go with pre victorian days when water was hardly used at all and mead was the drink of the masses or of course you could probably get It from a tap. Water not mead :drinks:

Cheers
Whiskyman
 
Lovely water for Air plants, in fact any plant but I wouldn't want it in our fresh water tank. What about cleaning your teeth, washing your face.
If it looks that good go and have a swim in it, use it for washing the van/dog/your boots but I wouldn’t put it in the tank!
 
Can’t see why not, after all why do the water companies put all of those chemicals in water! To keep you safe or something ??

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I still don't understand. Bird and sheep all poo in rivers but people swim in them and fast flowing water cleans itself doesn't it.

I don't know. I'm asking.

When we were young we used to stop on hill climbs and drink the stream water... whilst the sheep looked on. :)... Now I know why they were smiling!!!!
 
Whether swimming or showering you'll unavoidably ingest any harmful bacteria in the water.
If desperate for drinking water I'd use purifying tabs and probably boil the water as well.
 
Many years ago when in the T.A. Washing and drinking the water from the streams out in the sticks was always frowned on ,due to the various organisms and other nasties like liver fluke and often when you walked the burns and found dead sheep in them .
 
Spriddler said:
Whether swimming or showering you'll unavoidably ingest any harmful bacteria in the water.
If desperate for drinking water I'd use purifying tabs and probably boil the water as well.
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They dont want to drink it

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TeeMyob said:
They dont want to drink it
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I realised that but my point is that e.g. when showering, washing or swimming you will ingest any harmful bacteria in the water anyway.
When I've wild tented in the Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor, the New Forest and Scotland I've used stream water for everything, using Aquatabs.
 
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PeteH said:
In theory,the should be no issue with non potable (Washing not drinking) use. However, you may be in breach of water regulations?. Farmers who use rivers for irrigation, have to have an "Abstraction Licence" I understand?. Years ago. a friends In laws, had a drilled well and had to pay for it`s use.
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i drilled water wells yo do-not require a abstraction licence under 20'000 meterd letter's per day taking water from a lake or river for personal use as long as it dose not pose a risk to public health is not a problem
bill
 
If it is water you would swim in (if it was warmer) then I don’t see why you should not wash yoursel in it.
 
Advert on TV asking for money to stop African children having to drink dirty water. You can have my share?????

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Spriddler said:
I realised that but my point is that e.g. when showering, washing or swimming you will ingest any harmful bacteria in the water anyway.
When I've wild tented in the Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor, the New Forest and Scotland I've used stream water for everything, using Aquatabs.
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Milton works to make water safe we have used it for years if we use river streem water we usual boil it then use Milton Milton just stops secondary contamination
bill
 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

While the water flowing in the streams and rivers of the backcountry may look pure, it can still be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other contaminants.

When planning on camping or hiking, it is important to remember your water needs. There are many approaches you can take to providing yourself and others in your group with safe water for both drinking and sanitation.

Except for boiling, few of the water treatment methods are 100% effective in removing all pathogens.
 
No Way! Still not sure where I picked it up but I got a dose of Giardia once which is a parasitic infection. Trust me you don’t want to get it! Main source is contaminated water source, common in developing countries and hikers who drink from streams etc. I wouldn’t put anything out of a lake or river in my tanks. Potential for cross contamination is too high.
 
I am of the belief that this modern day hysteria leading to a chemically driven hygiene regime, has meant many folk have lost a lot of their naturally supplied defence force strength against bacteria.

I have a Berkey water purifier for drinking water although my recently acquired borehole provides deliciously pure water without needing filtration.

No chlorine in my coffee these days.

I used to put spring water in my tank often and never used chemical "purifying" tabs...

JJ :cool:
 
JJ said:
I am of the belief that this modern day hysteria leading to a chemically driven hygiene regime, has meant many folk have lost a lot of their naturally supplied defence force strength against bacteria.

I have a Berkey water purifier for drinking water although my recently acquired borehole provides deliciously pure water without needing filtration.

No chlorine in my coffee these days.

I used to put spring water in my tank often and never used chemical "purifying" tabs...

JJ :cool:
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I love the idea of pure mountain streams etc. However, the crisis we are currently experiencing as a result of disgusting animal food hygiene highlights the dangers of any untreated water source where wash-off from animal farming or direct contact with wild or domestic animals is possible.

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When away on a school camping trip a Master, who was disliked by the whole school was cleaning his teeth using water from a small stream
This gave an opportunity for revenge on this 'orrible man! Half a dozen of us quickly went upstream some 20 yards out of site of the Master and peed as hard as we possibly could into the stream We did this every morning when he was cleaning his teeth
We carefully watched the Master for any signs of his impending death but to no avail, it made no difference to him I have no idea why that popped into my head but just thought I would share it and the memory of it cheered me up!!
 
Anyone remember David Walliams swimming the Thames for charity having previously swum the Channel successfully - he got really ill from the upper reaches of it, in the main in open countryside, and having to stop cos he was ill. Bet if you asked eg the Brownlee family they'd have a medical dictionary they could recite off by heart of what you can catch - nobody deliberately drinks it when showering or swimming - but you absolutely have to breathe whilst doing either!
 
dickydo said:
When away on a school camping trip a Master, who was disliked by the whole school was cleaning his teeth using water from a small stream
This gave an opportunity for revenge on this 'orrible man! Half a dozen of us quickly went upstream some 20 yards out of site of the Master and peed as hard as we possibly could into the stream We did this every morning when he was cleaning his teeth
We carefully watched the Master for any signs of his impending death but to no avail, it made no difference to him I have no idea why that popped into my head but just thought I would share it and the memory of it cheered me up!!
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Very satisfying and great fun I’m sure. Human pee is generally sterile so you can happily top your tanks up with that, but poo is another matter!
 
Bore holes and Wells are usually fairly safe as the water is generally filtered through rock, sand etc. River water contains all sorts of contaminants, that can get into your system from washing in it etc.
If you use it in your MH tank it will eventually line your pipework with slimy unhealthy residues which you will never get out. Legionnaires as an example.
Don't be lazy, use a tap to fill up with.
 

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