Community Forums

dms · 09-18-2016, 04:27 PM

Interesting thread, but no mention of changing water supply from one CG to another and the effect on pets. People can handle many different bacterium but pets, especially dogs, cannot. We learned this the expensive way with dogs with continuing diahrea while traveling, having contracted HGE (hemoraghic gastroenteritis).

Vet's first question was if we had changed their food OR water supply. He said that dogs, unlike people, cannot tolerate changes in water borne bacteria. Voila, we have since used only jug (bottled) purified water for them and in 8 years, no problems. He said that he sees a multitude of GI problems in dogs from camping families.

I use a sediment filter, water softener, and in house filter, mainly to soften the water and catch sediment and some degree of iron. No more problems with hard water spots on shower and faucets. We bath, brush teeth, and wash dishes with CG water but only drink, cook and make coffee with jug water.

dexters · 09-18-2016, 05:45 PM

This is not about the music.

The one item not being discussed is heavy metals.

It is not safe to assume a RV park uses city water. They could use well water that contains heavy metals. Heavy metals can not be filtered out of water.

Even if they do use city water the RV pipes and city pipes could be old and at risk.

Health effects of metals in drinking water

I only used bottled water for drinking and cooking. It isn't worth the risk to my health to chance it with park water.

TechWriter · 09-18-2016, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

FWIW - one really needs to do some homework to avoid pouring a lot of money down the water filter rat hole. Here is some very useful information to start:

source OA Guide to Water Purification.

Great info for backpackers, but less so for RVers as we can carry more stuff than a backpacker.

dexters · 09-18-2016, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechWriter

Great info for backpackers, but less so for RVers as we can carry more stuff than a backpacker.

It has nothing to do with what you can carry-it is the concepts.

Hudsoner · 09-18-2016, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

Note: The cysts are that stage of crypto and giardia protozoa. They are transmitted in a cyst state then morph into an active state in their new host.

.

OK, the cysts are the equivalent of spores in bacteria. Most bacteria can form spores and in that stage spores are almost impossible to kill. Only gas or steam sterilization can kill them. This is the reason that he CDC (A Guide to Water Filters | Cryptosporidium | Parasites | CDC) does not consider Ultraviolet light to be an effective microbial removing system, because those spores and the cysts cannot be killed by it.

I feel that the CDc gives a pretty good idea what the ideal water filter should look ,like. One could use several filters in tandem, to remove other contamination.

TechWriter · 09-18-2016, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dexters

It has nothing to do with what you can carry-it is the concepts.

In that case, I'd recommend the CDC's Guide.

dexters · 09-18-2016, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechWriter

In that case, I'd recommend the CDC's Guide.

Unfortunately, it doesn't mention heavy metals from what I can see.

See my post above

TechWriter · 09-18-2016, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudsoner

OK, the cysts are the equivalent of spores in bacteria. Most bacteria can form spores and in that stage spores are almost impossible to kill. Only gas or steam sterilization can kill them.

On the other hand, though it won't kill cysts, won't an RO system filter them out?

nothermark · 09-18-2016, 08:09 PM

FWIW I think you will find the CDC and Princeton track fairly closely. Probably the same root source material.

I have been tracking this kind of thing since the mid 70's for backpacking then carried it over to the portable cabin. If you look at the RVFilter site they do have heavy metal and other filters but they price goes up fast. It quickly becomes obvious that if you want to worry about all possibilities you need to go to RO or something along those lines as it is almost impossible to filter out everything. I am not even sure how selective the RO membrane is. OTOH it takes a lot less and some knowledge to be reasonably safe. Most of us tolerate a minimal amount of pathogens that our body handles as part of daily living. As for the rest one needs to know what the probable contaminants are and add to the filter string as needed. For instance if I was just a bit concerned I'd probably use a 3 filter setup with a 1 micron spun poly ahead of a charcoal taste and odor and an empty filter body. If I spent much time with a lot of sediment put a 10 micron ahead of the 1. If I was in a heavy metal area use a specific filter after the 1 micron. Charcoal will get small amounts of a lot of things by itself.

For the bottled water fans - what about the plasticizers in the bottles. We went through BPA a few years ago. I noticed ch 13 in Albany NY was starting a series on the new bottle materials. Today was a tease or I would have a link. I won't be there tomorrow. Something to dig into later. It does seem like you cannot win.

Hudsoner · 09-18-2016, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechWriter

On the other hand, though it won't kill cysts, won't an RO system filter them out?

If you take a filter quality recommended by the CD, it should filter them out.
I would put CDC recommended filter in tandem with a sediment/heavy metal filter, if I would go that route.
But a way safer way is the use of distilled (probably purified if distilled is not available) water for all food service purposes. That is the way I travel, I don't even use the know clean water (that I filled in at home) of my own tank after it traveled for a few days through the country.

dexters · 09-18-2016, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

If you look at the RVFilter site they do have heavy metal and other filters but they price goes up fast.

For the bottled water fans - what about the plasticizers in the bottles. We went through BPA a few years ago.

Solid Block Carbon Filters can filter out heavy metals.

https://www.amazon.com/Multipure-MPA.../dp/B000PGI7KY

I didn't know about plasticizer. I think I'm going back to glass drinking glasses. But I think the benefits of bottled water outweigh the risks vs rv park water.

Plastic Problems: New Study Says BPA-Free Is No Safer - Men's Journal

Hudsoner · 09-18-2016, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nothermark

For the bottled water fans - what about the plasticizers in the bottles. We went through BPA a few years ago. I noticed ch 13 in Albany NY was starting a series on the new bottle materials. Today was a tease or I would have a link. I won't be there tomorrow. Something to dig into later. It does seem like you cannot win.

To my knowledge are the water bottles now free of BPA. However, BPA seems to be a problem only if the content (the container) gets warm and the plasticicer can diffuse out.
In addition, the rather strict European regulations state "According to the European Food Safety Authority "BPA poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents) at current exposure levels"
And, in 2013, the FDA posted on its web site: "Is BPA safe? Yes. Based on FDA's ongoing safety review of scientific evidence, the available information continues to support the safety of BPA for the approved uses in food containers and packaging. People are exposed to low levels of BPA because, like many packaging components, very small amounts of BPA may migrate from the food packaging into foods or beverages."

Because of this, I believe that a microorganism contamination or heavy metal load to drinking water is a far larger risk than any possible negative health effects caused by BPA