WHAT SHOULD I DO TO MAKE MY DRINKNG WATER SAFER TO DRINK?
In the islands we recyclye rain water stored in our cisterns. Fortuantely, we have ways to treat this rain water for everyday use. Unfortunately, it is common to find the below listed bacteria in your cistern water:
Coliform Bacteria: Include a large group of many types of bacteria that occur throughout the environment. They are common in soil and surface water and may even occur on your skin. Large numbers of certain kinds of coliform bacteria can also be found in waste from humans and animals. Most types of coliform bacteria are harmless to humans, but some can cause mild illnesses and a few can lead to serious waterborne diseases. Coliform bacteria are often referred to as “indicator organisms” because they indicate the potential presence of disease-causing bacteria in water. The presence of coliform bacteria in water does not guarantee that drinking the water will cause an illness. Rather, their presence indicates that a contamination pathway exists between a source of bacteria (surface water, septic system, animal waste, etc.) and the water supply. Disease-causing bacteria may use this pathway to enter the water supply.
Fecal Coliform Bacteria: Collection of relatively harmless microorganisms that live in large numbers in the intestines of man and warm- and cold-blooded animals. These mostly harmless bacteria live in soil, water, and the digestive system of animals. This bacterium is present in large numbers in the feces and intestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals, and can enter water bodies from human and animal waste. If a large number of fecal coliform bacteria are found in water, it is possible that pathogenic (disease- or illness-causing) organisms are also present in the water. Fecal coliform by themselves are usually not pathogenic; they are indicator organisms, which means they may indicate the presence of other pathogenic bacteria. Pathogens are typically present in such small amounts it is impractical monitor them directly.
or Escherichia Coli also called E. Coli: A bacterium that commonly lives in the intestines of people and animals. There are many strains (types) of E. coli. Most of the E. coli are normal inhabitants of the small intestine and colon and are non-pathogenic, meaning they do not cause disease in the intestines. Nevertheless, these non-pathogenic E. coli can cause disease if they spread outside of the intestines, for example, into the urinary tract (where they cause bladder or kidney infections) or into the blood stream (sepsis).Some strains of E. coli are pathogenic, meaning they can cause disease in the small intestine and colon. These pathogenic strains of E. coli may cause diarrhea by producing and releasing toxins (called enterotoxigenic E. coli or ETEC) that cause the intestine to secrete fluid or by invading and inflaming the lining of the small intestine and the colon (called enteropathogenic E. coli or EPEC). A third strain of E. coli has a tendency to cause inflammation of the colon and bloody diarrhea (called enterohemorrhagic E. coli or EHEC).
How to keep you water free from those invasive bacteria: HOUSEHOLD BLEACH Add liquid bleach to your cistern water to kill microorganisms that causes the invasive bacteria’s. Using bleach in your cistern water also prevents breeding mosquitoes and other insects that breed in water. Use only household liquid bleach that contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. Please DO NOT use scented bleaches, color safe bleaches or bleaches that have added cleaners. Also, using water filters is a start for healthier water. The benefits of water filtration lie in the fact that the better water filters can remove many of these contaminants, yielding cleaner, safer, purer, better tasting water for you and your family.
1 cup equal 8 ounces
Gallons of Cistern Water Cups Ounces
1,000 add 4/5 or 6
5,000 add 3 3/4 or 30
10,000 add 7 1/2 or 60
15,000 add 11 ¼ or 90
20,000 add 15 or 120
25,000 add 18 ¾ or 150
30,000 add 22 ½ or 180
40,000 add 30 or 240
* Very important: after every heavy rainfall, you should add the recommended amount of bleach in your cistern. When it rains heavy, whatever the rain comes with it goes in your water.
In the islands we recyclye rain water stored in our cisterns. Fortuantely, we have ways to treat this rain water for everyday use. Unfortunately, it is common to find the below listed bacteria in your cistern water:
Coliform Bacteria: Include a large group of many types of bacteria that occur throughout the environment. They are common in soil and surface water and may even occur on your skin. Large numbers of certain kinds of coliform bacteria can also be found in waste from humans and animals. Most types of coliform bacteria are harmless to humans, but some can cause mild illnesses and a few can lead to serious waterborne diseases. Coliform bacteria are often referred to as “indicator organisms” because they indicate the potential presence of disease-causing bacteria in water. The presence of coliform bacteria in water does not guarantee that drinking the water will cause an illness. Rather, their presence indicates that a contamination pathway exists between a source of bacteria (surface water, septic system, animal waste, etc.) and the water supply. Disease-causing bacteria may use this pathway to enter the water supply.
Fecal Coliform Bacteria: Collection of relatively harmless microorganisms that live in large numbers in the intestines of man and warm- and cold-blooded animals. These mostly harmless bacteria live in soil, water, and the digestive system of animals. This bacterium is present in large numbers in the feces and intestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals, and can enter water bodies from human and animal waste. If a large number of fecal coliform bacteria are found in water, it is possible that pathogenic (disease- or illness-causing) organisms are also present in the water. Fecal coliform by themselves are usually not pathogenic; they are indicator organisms, which means they may indicate the presence of other pathogenic bacteria. Pathogens are typically present in such small amounts it is impractical monitor them directly.
or Escherichia Coli also called E. Coli: A bacterium that commonly lives in the intestines of people and animals. There are many strains (types) of E. coli. Most of the E. coli are normal inhabitants of the small intestine and colon and are non-pathogenic, meaning they do not cause disease in the intestines. Nevertheless, these non-pathogenic E. coli can cause disease if they spread outside of the intestines, for example, into the urinary tract (where they cause bladder or kidney infections) or into the blood stream (sepsis).Some strains of E. coli are pathogenic, meaning they can cause disease in the small intestine and colon. These pathogenic strains of E. coli may cause diarrhea by producing and releasing toxins (called enterotoxigenic E. coli or ETEC) that cause the intestine to secrete fluid or by invading and inflaming the lining of the small intestine and the colon (called enteropathogenic E. coli or EPEC). A third strain of E. coli has a tendency to cause inflammation of the colon and bloody diarrhea (called enterohemorrhagic E. coli or EHEC).
How to keep you water free from those invasive bacteria: HOUSEHOLD BLEACH Add liquid bleach to your cistern water to kill microorganisms that causes the invasive bacteria’s. Using bleach in your cistern water also prevents breeding mosquitoes and other insects that breed in water. Use only household liquid bleach that contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. Please DO NOT use scented bleaches, color safe bleaches or bleaches that have added cleaners. Also, using water filters is a start for healthier water. The benefits of water filtration lie in the fact that the better water filters can remove many of these contaminants, yielding cleaner, safer, purer, better tasting water for you and your family.
1 cup equal 8 ounces
Gallons of Cistern Water Cups Ounces
1,000 add 4/5 or 6
5,000 add 3 3/4 or 30
10,000 add 7 1/2 or 60
15,000 add 11 ¼ or 90
20,000 add 15 or 120
25,000 add 18 ¾ or 150
30,000 add 22 ½ or 180
40,000 add 30 or 240
* Very important: after every heavy rainfall, you should add the recommended amount of bleach in your cistern. When it rains heavy, whatever the rain comes with it goes in your water.
.....information provided by Ocean Systems Laboratory, Inc.
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