I have an inground pool that I believe I can make it a source for drinking water. I need to know how to do it and what supplies or tablets I need to do it with. UAFA@flash.net

-- alice young (uafa@flash.net), September 10, 1998

Answers

I don't have and answer, but I was going to post a similar question about pools, lakes and ponds on the gn "Food and Food Storage" board. We are showing the "700 Club" Y2K special from July 10th at church Sun night followed by a Q & A session. Water is the first concern I plan to address. I'm planning to store water in 55 gal drums, but people will probably ask me about treatment of these types of water and I'd like to have some answers ready.

-- Sylvia (in Miss'ippi) (bluebirdms@aol.com), September 10, 1998.

I would think that with all the additional chemicals that go into pool cholorination, you would have to do extensive filtration and purification (if that's possible). Otherwise it has non-potable uses only.

-- Carolyn O'Connor (coconnor@quiknet.com), September 11, 1998.

The swimming pool is an excelllent source of water. I think I'd be tempted to distill it, using a solar still -----

http://www.solardome.com/SolarDome84.html

Cheap, easy to make, and they work. A pool, a still, and a little attention to what you're doing, and you have water for a long time.

Also works with ponds, creeks, lakes, and rivers.

-- please (dont@reply.tome), September 11, 1998.

Thank you "don't". We have a 3/4 acre pond behind the house, it's (solar still) an idea I had not considered.

(Uncle De...) If you brew dehydrated beer in a solar still, does it come out hotter or colder?

-- Robert A. Cook. P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), September 11, 1998.

"Dont", have you ever made a solar dome still? If so, what did you make the base out of? Does the distilled lake water have to be treated to kill bacteria? Does distillation leave the pool chemicals behind? Isn't there an easier way?

-- Sylvia (in Miss'ippi) (bluebirdms@aol.com), September 12, 1998.

I used to have a water purification system that uses the flocculation process. This is a system where 3-4 drops of ferric oxychloride and 6 drops of Aerobic '07' are added to five gallons of tap water, (even mud puddle water), stirred, and allowed to stand for several hours. The Aerobic floc (ferric oxychloride) converts the disolved solids and inorganic metals in the trash water into heavy sediment which settles to the bottom. Aerobic '07' works in conjunction with flocculation, and completely purifies the water, leaving clear, pure drinking water to be syphoned off or carefully poured off.

This is a great purification system, and not just for emergencies, but I'm not sure where the 'Aerobic Floc' can be found. Aerobic '07' is available from Roy Cave (roy@techcomm.net), but I don't think he is handling Aerobic Floc any more.

-- Arcy (arcy@usa.net), September 12, 1998.

As I have seen (experienced) the problem with distilled water, distilling it "leaves behind" all the insiluable material (junk and polutants) and much of the biologics that can disturb, dismember, and disrupt one's tummy. Only pure h2o physically evaporates from the "sludge" in the source water, hence only h2o condenses to be collected and become available to be used.

However,....

It also leaves behind the sterilizing (for example) clorine gasses that also kill those things that immediately start to grow in the collection tank. Therefore, the collection tank (formerly completely "pure") becomes a breeding ground for biologics, not chemicals, remember, but bio's competing with your stomach lining for a living. These biologics must be killed before drinking/bathing/washing dishes. (Clothes would not care if water were biologically impure.)

So the still should (in my opinion) be backed up with a biologic treatment plan, or a bio filter (to the microbe level), before drinking. Phyiscally handling and moving the water from the still to the storage should be thought of course. You have to move what you're gone drink or pour. Buckets, filters, funnels, hand pumps, ....

Hey, don't get disheartened and discouraged people!!! Remember that our ancesters used to just go drink from anywhere, didn't washed their hands or utilsils before or after meals, and most of them lived to have kids. (Else, we wouldn't be here.)

However, considering that most of them also only lived to be 25-30, maybe a little sterilizing and care is important.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), September 13, 1998.

1) If you keep your pool the same way I do, you have too many chemicals in it to render it potable. 2) The OTHER uses available for this much non-potable water are so many that using it as non-potable water would be VERY important to your survival

-- Chuck a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), September 17, 1998.