This was NOT a result of Y2K, but it's hard not to think about how precious clean water may be next year.

High E. Coli Levels at Fair's Water Supply Could Be Connected to Death

9.51 a.m. ET (1351 GMT) September 6, 1999

By Cristina C. Breen

ALBANY, N.Y.  High levels of E. coli bacteria found at a county fair's water supply could be the link that connects the death of a 3-year-old girl and the sickening of 118 fairgoers, officials said. Rain water runoff from a barn housing hundreds of cattle apparently seeped into an aquifer used to supply the Washington County Fairgrounds, state Health Department spokeswoman Kristine A. Smith said Sunday.

Water samples taken over the weekend showed high levels of E. coli bacteria. Smith said scientists must test the bacteria to verify whether it is the potentially deadly strain that sent scores of doubled-over patients to area hospitals.

"What could have happened is that the storm event brought cattle fecal material to the ground surface, where it leaked into the soil and through to the aquifer," Smith said.

Those who became ill  mostly children  have been treated at hospitals in New York, Vermont and Massachusetts since Friday. At least 41 remained hospitalized Sunday evening, Smith said.

All had visited the Washington County Fair in the town of Greenwich, about 35 miles north of Albany, on either Aug. 28 or 29  the final days of the weeklong fair, Smith said.

Rachel Aldrich, 3, of Clifton Park, died Saturday at Albany Medical Center Hospital. She had been in critical condition with E. coli contamination since Friday, according to hospital spokesman Richard Puff.

The girl died after developing hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, as a result of the E. coli contamination, Smith said. HUS attacks the blood cells and can result in kidney failure.

By Sunday evening, a 4-year-old boy also had developed HUS and was being treated at Albany Medical Center Hospital, Smith said. The boy was listed in serious condition Monday.

State and county health officials interviewed the steady stream of patients over the weekend, but couldn't uncover any common foods or activities that could have caused the illness.

The possibility of water contamination "would explain why people who had different foods and drinks from different booths got sick," Smith said.

"Water went into the booths there, and could have been used for things like making lemonade, fruit juice, ice, rinsing lettuce for sandwiches and washing people's hands," Smith said.

Some 27,000 people attended the fair on its last day, officials said.

E. coli bacteria normally live in the intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals. Most strains are harmless but some, including 0157:H7, can be deadly. Symptoms of the infection include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever.

E. coli bacteria must be ingested to cause infection. Illness can be caused by exposure to an infected person, or by ingesting tainted food or liquids.

http://www.foxnews.com/js_index.sml?content=/national/090699/tainted.sml

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), September 06, 1999

Answers

I have three more 55 gallon blue water barrels on order.

Wasser

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), September 06, 1999.

Am I right in assuming that a 2-litre bottle holds the equivalent of half a gallon? .... so that, say, 400 of these bottles would hold around 200 gallons?

Thanks in advance to anyone for answering this question.

-- hey (does@anyone.know), September 06, 1999.

My husband and I are having an argument here. He says, "Just pour the damm water through coffee filters and then boil it." and I say, "I want to buy a $200+ water filter." He says "They are just trying to make a buck and that's why you don't hear them talk about boiling water as a method." We are both GI's but he says I'm addicted to this forum LOL and to get a life). I say "yeah, you'll be thanking me for all this forum research when TSHTF." I also want to buy a porti potti and he says "Just pour 2 gallons of water down the septic toilets in the house." And I say "Yeah, and it'll be YOU walking down to the stream to carry up the water." (providing the draught doesn't continue). What's a woman to do? Help please with any suggestions and/or thoughts.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), September 06, 1999.

Debi, I recommend obtaining water filters and portable toilets.

With water filters no heat source is required; this would be important if fuel is scarce.

Portable toilets can have the urine and excrement removed, then buried or composted elsewhere.

If you think you need these products, purchase them NOW.

They won't be readily available when Just In Time distribution chokes the supply system during the Panic of '99.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), September 06, 1999.

Debie, do a search on municipal water quality and let your husband read about all the chemicals, including chlorine, etc. that he drinks with each glassfull. Every time he drinks a glass of chemical water, his immune system goes to work to get rid of the chemicals, because chemicals is poison and the immune system has to get rid of it. If the immune system is overworked and he happens to get in contact with a flue or cold virus, the overworked immune system cannot do it's job properly and his bout with a cold or flue will be much worse than if he was drinking purified water. Filtered water tasts much better and is delicious. When we go to a restaurant, we can taste the chlorine immediately. We have a filter on each tap in the house and also in our 2 showers. When I installed them on our showers, I could feel the difference immediately. Your skin feels much softer and my wife when she shampoos her hair, no longer needs to use a cream rinse.

A filter to clean your drinking water will be one of the best investments you can make. We also use a distiller bought at Sears for $110. Distilled water tastes wonderful! Tell your husband not to be so cheap!!

-- freddie (freddie@thefreeloader.com), September 06, 1999.

Debi,

What a guy!! Consider the facts of outages as relating to water/supply in 2000. Maybe No water, maybe water, maybe water that isn't properly filtered at plant, maybe water you thought was OK, but not sure. Stop and consider the outcome of drinking bad water!! ( See above post) Your hubbie buys car insurance, life insurance, home insurance, etc.,etc., why not buy a little LIFE insurance and at least you'll have SOMETHING to show for your hard earned money and will give you both peace of mind. Clock is ticking, the hoards are getting restless, suppliers are starting to get busy, how long will you'all wait. Let me tell you, it's a bunch worse to know and NOT do anything about it, than it is to pull the trigger and move on to next priorities!!!!!

-- berky (water is gold@wet.com), September 06, 1999.

I say buy the filter! What I do, since I'm the one who is on the net most of the time for both work and personal reasons, is print out Every relevent article I come across and then present them to dh...he has a hard time arguing against an onslaught of evidence from several sources. Good Luck!

-- Tiara (sorceress5@hotmail.com), September 06, 1999.

"Hey," a liter is a little more than a quart. There are 4 quarts in a gallon. So, a 2 liter bottle holds a little more than half a gallon.

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), September 06, 1999.

Debi & Gayla;

I would highly recommend a ceramic microfilter versus storage. The best deal available is the use of a Doulton Sterasyl ceramic filter hooked up as a siphon filter. This is the same filter thats used in the expensive Berkefeld British system. Total cost under $50 and its good (with care) for thousands of gallons! (Note: no ceramic filter treats viruses - you still will need some chlorine bleach to add to the filtered water. Still, if you are near a creek/pond - you have long term potable water. Basic setup goes like this:

(1) Filter the creek water through a mesh/paper filter to take out large particles and junk. Then run the result through a simple activated charcoal filter (Charcoal between two coffee filters (takes out nasty chemicals in the water). The charcoal is available at aquarium/pet shops. Then run that through your simple siphon ceramic filter and add 8 drops of chlorine bleach to each gallon. Its possible to get a ceramic filter with a built in carbon section, but it won't last nearly as long. Total cost of materials is under $75 and will last through thousands of gallons with minimal maintenance. You can get the Doulton filter through:

www.pwgazette.com/gravity.htm

I have no connection with this business other than as a customer. They are quick on shipping and helpful on the phone.

-- RDH (drherr@erols.com), September 06, 1999.

Hey

a liter is a "touch" more than a quart. I don't have my conversion table in front of me and I can never remember exactly. Therefore, a two liter bottle is a bit more than a one-half gallon.

By the way, relative to the post above. I live in the capital district of NY and this outbreak is serious and in the case of one 3 three year old and her family, tragic. Pay attention y'all to water purity. (I personally think that distilled water is tasteless and flat. A few drops of any type of flavoring improves it immensely.

-- bill (schlieder@prodigy.net), September 06, 1999.

Hi Gayla,

I love my well water!!!!

Drop me a note please. Thanks ww

-- wayne witcher (wwitcher@mvtel.net), September 06, 1999.

Checked my roomful of water bottles today, and found about 15% of them were empty! No sign of leaks, still sealed, but empty. Be sure to monitor stored water every now and then.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), September 06, 1999.

Hey RDH, Good to hear from you again. Don't be such a stranger here. Too bad I already have my Berkfield, but it will do it all. I plan however to rig up your deal for a backup. Thanks. BTW, what did you think of the Navy Report? Or how about another review?

To talk about water filters and/or buy a Berkie there is a former pastor who lives in Alabama and can answer all your questions without trying to sell you anything. Give him a call. www.911water.com

-- BB (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), September 06, 1999.

RDH,

>>www.pwgazette.com/gravity.htm

I have no connection with this business other than as a customer. They are quick on shipping and helpful on the phone.<<

Thank you very much for the link. I will be ordering a few of these for some other folks who just won't listen, and two for myself. You just saved me a whole bunch of bucks.

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (buffgun@hotmail.com), September 06, 1999.

About this porta-potty business, I had my septic tank pumped last week, and asked my expert serviceman for his advice re Y2K. He said I could just collect the waste in a porta-potty, and add a little pinesol to keep the order down. He said I could use a little bleach and water to rinse it out, but to be careful with bleach and/or those packets of chemicals that may come with your porta-potty, because they could harm the good bacteria in your septic tank, or even overwhelm it if used in too high a concentration over a short period. When the porta-potty tank is full, he said I could take the cover off my septic and just pour the waste in; he said the outer septic tank cover would be adequate to keep in place between dumpings (that I could set the heavier, inside lid off to the side for as long as I need to use this system of disposal).

I feel the same way about using water to flush toilets; I may need all the water I can get to filter for consumption, and I'd rather not be using multiple gallons just to flush toilets, if I can avoid doing so.

The other way you could collect human waste, if he doesn't want to spend $ on a porta potty, is to just let him park his backside over the top of a bucket ... I think he'd find that so unappealing that he'd rather invest a few dollars to get a molded seat over a container with a lid. I think there is a hassock style that is less than $25 at WalMart; sounds like a bargain to me.

Besides, if you're going to have to "share flushes", it might be nice to have a system that you could set up away from your main traffic area (maybe even the garage if it's not too cold), so that the odor doesn't get to be too strong between dumpings.

I envy you your stream ... it puts you way ahead of the pack to have a water source from which you could rebuild your supply of drinkable if need be.

-- Kristi (KsaintA@aol.com), September 06, 1999.

Thank you ALL so much for your kind responses. The hubby had every answer imaginable for the many replies. He told me how his mother used an outhouse when she was young. I said, "Yeah, cause they didn't have porti potties then. I bet your mom would have loved to have had one of those in the cold freezing Wisconsin weather." Kristi, your post was so funny and informative. I have a septic tank and now know what to do with it during Y2K. So the bottom line is...I'm getting myself a porti potti. The hubby will be assigned his own genuine bucket for his personal use LOL.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), September 07, 1999.

two liters = 67.6 oz. two quarts = 64 oz.

scratchin'...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), September 07, 1999.

I LOVE a dog that can do math! :-)

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), September 07, 1999.

Debi, try this one on your husband: I don't know his favorite vices, but you can ask him if a water filter is less important than his getting a new suit...or those tickets to the Big Game...or that golf outing...or that new boat...or whatever turns him on. And/or tell him that you will go without your favorite one. Or that you can "go halfies," and each give up something else to have the life-saving water filter. Read the archives on the Prep Forum to see why a filter is essential, and what future crisis uses it could have besides Y2K. Lots of luck!

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), September 07, 1999.

I learned this from Gary North's postings. Instead of buying the expensive Big Berkey (approx. $300.00) water filter, get one of the replacement elements for it. This will run $30.00 to $40.00, depending on who you buy from. Drill a hole in the bottom of a clean container, and install the filter inside, and then fill that container. Then, put another container underneath the first one to let the filtering water drip into. I used tupperwares and so-forth from Walmart, and got the whole set-up for a total of around forty- something dollars. My water is Berkey clean for a paltry fraction of the price of a Berkey.

DO store up that water from the water system. Even though it is true that stored county or city water is not too good to keep past a certain amount of time, wouldn't you rather pour THAT through your filter than creek water if at all possible?

Dooda

-- Dooda (letsgoswimming@goodwater.com), September 07, 1999.

Great Idea Dooda! That one will fly! He's basically saying, just boil the water, you don't need to spend lots of money on expensive filters. But what can he say to your idea? Nada! Elaine, his favorite thing is to veg out in front of the computer all day long. He's not into sports. (Ain't I lucky LOL). But of course we woman have the hard core blackmail routine that we can always resort to. If you know what I mean : ) Thanks again all of you who answered my query. All fine answers! I'm ordering my porti potty tomorrow (mine and mine only now LOL) and will get those filters.

-- Debi (LongTimeLurker@shy.com), September 07, 1999.

The cheapest and easiest thing to get would be a hospital porta-potty. There are lots of them and used one can be found in thrift stores or newspapers. They are made comfortable for the ill. The little container can be dimped into a 5 gallon bucket with a right lid to store the waste until dimped into the septic tank. Do not dump the waste into lakes or streams or you may infect people around you with e-coli. Or bury the waste if you do not have a septic tank.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), September 08, 1999.

Y'know, when I used to test water for purity, about twenty years ago, e. coli was considered an INDICATOR organism. Its presence indicated that the water in question had potentially become contaminated. The e. coli itself was considered benign.

Interestingly, back in the early 70's, I think it was, when genetic engineering was in it's infancy, there was a fair amount of concern about the fact that the experimenters were planning to use coliform bacteria (e. coli is one of these coliform bacteria) for their genetic alterations, because they are a very simple, very available organism. Lots of us paranoid environmental types were concerned that, if some of these genetically altered coliforms escaped the laboratory, they might become a health problem, because they might very well take over our bodies' NATURAL coliform bacteria (which we all have living in our intestines, helping to digest our food).

Now, some e. coli is BAD. Is there a connection? Don't know. But I am suspicious.

If there is someone who knows more about this than I do, I'd sure appreciate hearing your input.

Al

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), September 08, 1999.