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#92000 - 03/05/08 10:43 AM To Filter or To Boil, That is the question.
dhock83 Offline
member

Registered: 02/20/08
Posts: 30
Loc: Southeast Ohio
Well Im getting ready to BP in an area where the park says that some filters dont filter all the bad out of the water due to it being old mining area. My question is, if I boil my water will I be safe??? I also have a katadyn hiker pro filter. I really dont want the weight of water on my back. What should I do?? Please Help.

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#92001 - 03/05/08 11:12 AM Re: To Filter or To Boil, That is the question. [Re: dhock83]
DownsD Offline


Registered: 02/20/03
Posts: 701
Loc: Fountain Valley, CA, USA
Find out from the Rangers what the filters won't remove. If it's heavy metals (often found in mining areas) then boiling won't work either. Ask them for recommendations on the proper way to treat the water.

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#92002 - 03/05/08 02:12 PM Re: To Filter or To Boil, That is the question. [Re: dhock83]
leadfoot Offline
member

Registered: 07/16/03
Posts: 954
Loc: Virginia
Drink the potted meat juice. Can't be any worse than the water. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

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#92003 - 03/05/08 07:22 PM I second that. [Re: DownsD]
Wolfeye Offline
member

Registered: 01/11/07
Posts: 413
Loc: Seattle, WA
Yes, find out what's in the water that's dangerous. I've no experience with mines, but we have some old WWII military installations in the woods near my hometown, and they used to seep oil & who knows what else into the environment until the town forced the military to remove it half a century later. I still wouldn't drink water from those areas unless I was dying of thirst.

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#92004 - 03/06/08 04:34 PM Re: To Filter or To Boil, That is the question. [Re: DownsD]
aimless Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
I also second what DownsD said. Mines can be very bad news for water. It sounds very much like a heavy metals issue or else some undesirable substance such as arsenic. In that case, boiling would not help one iota.

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#92005 - 03/07/08 03:33 AM Re: To Filter or To Boil, That is the question. [Re: aimless]
leadfoot Offline
member

Registered: 07/16/03
Posts: 954
Loc: Virginia
Just slightly off-topic but, has anyone seen the PUR water commercial? They are trying to get money so they can serve 3rd world countries clean water. They pour something in this merky mess and all the sludge falls to the bottom. Any ideas what that is? Would it be something of value for us bp-ers?

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#92006 - 03/07/08 11:48 AM Re: To Filter or To Boil, That is the question. [Re: dhock83]
sarbar Offline
member

Registered: 07/15/05
Posts: 1453
Loc: WA
Defintely find out what is leaching. There are old mines here in Wa where you need to pack your water in. Same with agricultural run off.
_________________________
Freezer Bag Cooking, Trail Cooking, Recipes, Gear and Beyond:
www.trailcooking.com

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#92007 - 03/07/08 11:58 AM Re: To Filter or To Boil, That is the question. [Re: leadfoot]
DTape Offline
member

Registered: 11/23/07
Posts: 666
Loc: Upstate NY
The product is being distributed via Reliance Products. http://relianceproducts.com/consumer/pur.html

I have seen it at Wally World.

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#92008 - 03/07/08 12:57 PM Re: To Filter or To Boil, That is the question. [Re: dhock83]
BobEFord Offline
member

Registered: 01/28/08
Posts: 72
Loc: SE AZ
Filtering removes particulates. Boiling and chemical disinfection kill microbes.

None of these methods will remove dissolved solids.

These dissolved solids (including metals, radionuclides and other ions) are the contaminants of concern that are typically associated with mining impacts to surface water and groundwater.

The suggestions to pack in water are correct.

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#92009 - 03/07/08 01:42 PM Re: To Filter or To Boil, That is the question. [Re: leadfoot]
azcanyon Offline
member

Registered: 07/12/04
Posts: 264
Quote:
They pour something in this merky mess and all the sludge falls to the bottom. Any ideas what that is?

I haven't seen it, but it sounds like a flocculant, perhaps combined with some other form of treatment.

River runners have often used alum (potassium aluminum sulfate, available as a pickling spice) to settle turbid river water, and then treat the clearer water by some other means.

(As I get ready to click the submit button, I can only keep my fingers crossed that the word "flocculant" will slip past the foul language filter <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ).

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