watermatters

Water Treatment Guide

• Preparing for the BIG ONE: water you waiting for?

  Thursday, November 15th, 2012
  

  map from EMBC Earthquake Info page

  British Columbia’s current earthquakes are wake-up calls. The Cascadia Subduction Zone is clearly adjusting itself. Daily aftershocks continue to rattle the west coast of BC.
  These seismic events may be precursors to Vancouver’s long expected ‘Big One’.
  Are you prepared?

  If you haven’t got an emergency kit prepared yet, this is the time to get it together.

  Store emergency water
  A major earthquake could damage municipal water supply lines, making tap water unavailable and/or vulnerable to contamination through ruptured pipes.

  Hurricane Sandy has shown us how devastating a ‘natural’ disaster can be. Don’t take adequate water supplies for granted.

  If you store ample water in advance you’ve already greatly increased your family’s ability to respond to an earthquake.

  How much water to store
  At very least, you should store one gallon per person per day for three days. Extra if you have pets. A three-week supply is preferable.

  Water storage containers for an emergency
  Look for sturdy, re-usable one- to five-gallon plastic containers made of number 2, 4 or 5 plastic. Yes, plastic for portability. Glass is too heavy for emergency use. Best not to rely on one or two gallon containers typically found in grocery store as they aren’t designed for long-term storage.

  Home owners may be well advised to also store water in large food-grade plastic drums.

  Sanitation and six month replacement schedule
  Make sure the containers are sanitized before filling them with chlorinated tap water. Yes, chlorinated.   Hopefully you will never have to use this water but if you do, better that it be sterile than bacteria-ridden. Make yourself a reminder to replace the water in these containers every six months.

  Alternate emergency water sources
  Water from the following sources should be disinfected if needed for drinking in emergency conditions. Berkey water purifiers will disinfect water from these last-resort sources as well as making it taste better.

  • Hot water tank
    Turn off the power that heats it, and let the tank cool. Then place a container underneath and open the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Don’t turn the tank on again until water services are restored.
  • Toilet tank
    The water in the tank (not the bowl) can be used to drink in an emergency unless chemical treatments have been added.
  • Water pipes
    Release air pressure into the plumbing system by turning on the highest faucet in the house. Then drain the water from the lowest faucet.
  • Outside the home
    Rain water, spring water, and water from streams, river, lakes, and coiled garden hoses can be used after it is disinfected.

  Emergency water purification methods
  Here are four methods to disinfect questionable water in emergency situations:

  • Berkey water purifier – gravity filter requires no electricity.
  • LifeStraw – portable water filter.
  • Aquatabs – add prescribed number of pre-packaged water purification tablets to water. Wait 30 minutes.
  • Liquid chlorine bleach (unscented) – add eight drops per gallon of water. Double this amount if the water is cloudy.
  • Two percent tincture of iodine – add twelve drops per gallon of water. Double this amount if the water is cloudy.
  • Boil the water vigorously for 10 minutes.

  Local natural sources of fresh water
  Vancouver has paved over all but three of its many creeks and streams. This is very unfortunate for many reasons, one of which would be devastatingly clear in the event of a water shortage.
  Take note if you are lucky enough to live near a natural source of fresh water… a creek, stream, river or lake. Protect and respect this invaluable living resource. It could be your life-saving source of fresh water in the event of an earthquake.

  Note 1: If emergency use water is very murky, it is best to strain it through several layers of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter before applying one of the above treatments.

  Note 2: Most drinking water filters are meant to be used with municipally treated (disinfected), microbiologically safe tap water only. They do not remove bacteria and will not protect you adequately in an emergency situation.

  Posted in Vancouver Water, Water and Health, Water Treatment Guide

• How to prepare Shungite water

  Friday, April 20th, 2012

  Cleaning the shungite chips
  Briefly soak and stir 250g of shungite chips in 1 tsp of baking soda mixed with several cups of water. Don’t use soap. Rinse shungite chips very thoroughly under cool running water.

  Making your first batch of shungite water
  Place the well-rinsed shungite chips in a 2 litre glass or enamel container and fill with cold tap water.  Use 2 liter of water for each 250g of shungite chips.

  Let the water stand with the shungite chips for 24 hours. The container must be open to breathe during this process. A thin, natural fibre cloth can be used to cover the container to exclude dust and insects.

  Using shungite-infused water
  Pour the shungite-infused water into another lidded glass or ceramic container. This water is the finished water, ready for use. Refill the original shungite container with tap water to prepare a new batch.
  Excellent as a hair rinse. Useful for pets, birds and plants.

  Maintenance
  Once a month, briefly re-soak and stir the shungite chips in the baking soda/water mix as described above. Then thoroughly rinse the shungite chips under running water. Put the chips in the sun for an hour to recharge. Sterilize the container at regular intervals. Replace the shungite chips with new chips approximately every 6 – 12 months, depending on the quality of the source water.

  More about Shungite here:

  What is Shungite?
  Shungite Products
  

   

  Disclaimer
  The information provided on this page has not been evaluated by Health Canada. The products mentioned herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Information and statements made herein are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your family doctor.

  Posted in Energizing Water, Water and Health, Water Treatment Guide

• Tunnels, Troubles and Your Tap Water: $820 Million Hangs in the Balance

  Sunday, January 29th, 2012

  Is the Seymour Filtration Plant, completed December 2009, delivering filtered water to your tap year-round, during the rainy season only, or not at all? The answer depends on where you live and/or work, and how much longer this delayed and over-budget project will take to finish.
  
  Swollen budget, delayed delivery
  Although the Seymour Filtration Plant is completed, it is just one component of Metro Vancouver’s Seymour-Capilano Filtration Project. Unforeseen difficulties prolonged the boring of twin tunnels (each more than 7km in length and almost 4 metres in diameter) through the base of Grouse Mountain. These tunnels still need to be lined and hooked up. Their intended purpose is explained below.

  The budget for this massive yet-to-be-completed project has swollen from $600 million to $820 million. Fraught with difficulties, the original 2009 completion date has been pushed back to 2013. Read on to find out what this means for you.

  Know your source water*
  Metro Vancouver supplies water to 18 municipalities** from 3 wilderness reservoirs in the North Shore Mountains – Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam (see second map). Water from snowmelt and rain runoff is captured in these reservoirs.

  • Seymour (yellow) reservoir  typically supplies eastern Burnaby, South Surrey & western New Westminster.
  • Capilano (purple) reservoir normally supplies western North Vancouver, Vancouver, Richmond & western Burnaby. See exception below.
  • Coquitlam (green) reservoir supplies Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Langley, eastern New Westminster & Coquitlam. Its water is treated with ozone and chlorine and is not part of the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Project.

  Delivered by gravity
  Because these 3 reservoirs are situated at higher altitudes, gravity is the most cost-effective means to deliver water downhill to your municipality (see purple, yellow & green areas on map).  Typically, your water will come from the reservoir above (directly north of) your municipality (rather than cross-pumping from another reservoir).  The exception is the Capilano area (purple).

  Water quality challenges close Capilano reservoir during winter months
  Until the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Project is completed (2013?), those of us in the purple area will get unfiltered Capilano water (via gravity) during the summer months and filtered Seymour water (via cross-pumping) during the winter months (approximately late September to late April). The geological conditions surrounding the Capilano reservoir introduce an excessive amount of sediment into the water in the winter rainy season. This condition is called turbidity.

  Why Twin Tunnels?
  The tunnels are Metro Vancouver’s intended answer to this Capilano  water quality dilemma. When completed, one of these tunnels will pump water from the Capilano reservoir to be filtered at the Seymour Filtration Plant. Once filtered, the other tunnel will shunt water back to the Capilano reservoir for downhill (gravity) distribution to the Capilano (purple) area.

  

  Schematic from Metro Vancouver publication about the S-C Filtration Project

   

  Chlorine added to all sources
  No matter which reservoir your water comes from, chlorine is added before water is sent into the distribution system.

  

  SFP Filter Gallery - photo by Mary Johnston, Nov 2011

  Seymour water filtered then chlorinated
  The Seymour Filtration Plant uses a process called coagulation and flocculation to remove sediment from the incoming source water. Water then goes through a massive UV (ultra violet) treatment ‘gallery’. (See photo) Finally, chlorine is added before sending the finished water into the distribution network.

  Fortunately, fluoride is NOT added to water in Metro Vancouver.

  If you own a home in the Metro Vancouver area and want to control the quality of your tap water with water filters specifically for your local water condtions, read details here and here.
  If you rent your home in Metro Vancouver, find countertop options here and here.

   

   

   

  *The colour coding referred to in this article is based on the 2006 map supplied courtesy of Metro Vancouver. Delineations are not precise and changes may have occurred since the map was created. To verify the source of your water, contact your municipality’s water quality department.

  **The 18 municipalities to which Metro Vancouver supplies water are as follows:
  Anmore
  Bowen Island
  Burnaby
  Coquitlam
  Delta
  Langley (City)
  Langley (Township)
  Maple Ridge
  New Westminster
  North Vancouver (City)
  North Vancouver (District)
  Pitt Meadows
  Port Coquitlam
  Port Moody
  Richmond
  Surrey
  Vancouver
  West Vancouver

  ***The aerial view of Seymour-Capilano Water Utility Projects (with red scematic overlay) and the Cross-section of the Twin Tunnels are from Metro Vancouver’s online publications about the project.

  Posted in Vancouver Water, Water Treatment Guide

• Map Details Your Tap Water in Metro Vancouver

  Sunday, January 29th, 2012

  Locate yourself on this map to find out about your tap water.*

  Yellow area – Seymour: your water is coming from the Seymour Filtration Plant and is filtered year round. It is also chlorinated. Details here.

  Purple area – Capilano: from approximately late September through late April your water is coming from the Seymour Filtration Plant and is filtered and chlorinated. Until the tunnels are hooked up to the filtration plant and the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Project is completed in its entirety (2013?), during the summer months your water will come from the Capilano reservoir. This water is unfiltered however chlorine is added. Details here are most relevant to you. Certain parts of West Vancouver supplied by Eagle Lake  are the exception. Eagle Lake has its own treatment process.

  Green area – Coquitlam: your water is coming from the Coquitlam reservoir. It is ozonated and then chlorinated before being distributed to your municipality. Plans are underway to add UV (ultra violet) to Coquitlam’s treatment process (preliminary plannning targeted for 2013). Coquitlam’s water is not part of the Seymour-Caplilano Filtration Project.

  *The colour coding referred to in this article is based on this 2006 map supplied courtesy of Metro Vancouver. Delineations are not precise and changes may have occurred since the map was created. To verify the source of your water, contact your municipality’s water quality department.

   

  If you own a home in the Metro Vancouver area and want to control the quality of your tap water with water filters specifically for your local water condtions, read details here and here.
  If you rent your home in Metro Vancouver, find countertop options here and here.

  Posted in News & Initiatives, Vancouver Water, Water Treatment Guide

• Miron Violet Glass Bottles

  Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

  Miron glass water bottles incorporate the color healing properties of the violet spectrum. The violet glass filters all but the UVA and infra-red spectra of light. This light beneficially stimulates bio-logical substances stored within the glass container. Read our article Bio-photons: the Light in Your Cells, Food & Water.

  Drinking colour energized and solarized water

  Place the Miron violet glass bottle on a sunny window sill for two hours (or all day if overcast) to infuse the contents with the violet ray imparted by the Miron glass. The water will become noticeably more silky and sweet.

  Miron glass containers for food and water

  Miron glass containers have unique properties that offer optimal protection against the aging and degeneration typically caused by exposure to light. This makes them the ultimate container for high quality foods, dry goods and cosmetics, leagues beyond other glass jars for the protection and preservation of organic compounds.

  

  Cherry Tomato Test

  Life force & longevity preserved in Miron Glass

  The dark violet glass helps contain the life force of the contents of the bottle and maximize the longevity of their energetic and nutrient value. It filters out the damaging range of the light spectrum, allowing only the beneficial violet spectrum (specifically UV-A and Infra-red ) to penetrate.

  A cherry tomato was stored for 7 months in a clear glass jar and in a MIRON violet glass jar. Both jars were kept at room temperature and exposed to sunlight. The photo (left) reveals the result after 7 months of storage. The tomato stored in MIRON violet glass shows no loss of color and no signs of drying out.

  Made in Germany and the Czech Republic.

  Posted in Energizing Water, Water and Health, Water Treatment Guide

• Vancouver Water
• Water Treatment Guide
• Water and Health
• Energizing Water
• The Future of Water
• News & Initiatives

Search site:

Home About Us Disclaimer Privacy Policy Contact Us Follow Us Link To Us RSS

© 2007 Water Matters All rights reserved. Powered by WordPress