Water cyclists friend.Filter jugs?

[briansnail]

We all lose up to 1 kg of water after a bout of cycling or other sport.This needs to be quickly replaced.

I was looking at different water filter jugs.I do have a query.

Does the filter slowly get contaminated with bacteria before time for a filter change?.I have looked at friends and the build up looks horrible.

Does the chlorine evaporate in the water in the late evening before it is changed.This will mean a slight bacteria build up especially in a hot Summer.

Comments with thanks before I buy appreciated.I am not sure if tap water is actually safer.Plastic bottled water is not green.It is terribly expensive.
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I ride Brompton,Hetchins 531

[Nicholas]

The jug and filter manufacturers generally recommend cleaning the jug and replacing the filter monthly.

I can usually get about six weeks between filters, and yes, the jug does start to show slight signs of black gunk if left much longer than that.

Dishwashing the jug is apparently not a good idea, so mine gets cleaned with hot water and washing up liquid, then sanitised using sterilising solution before dropping a new filter in.

The filtered water is much better than the tap stuff, which in my area tastes very much like bleach. Hope this helps!

[simonhill]

My first question would be - what is wrong with your tap water?

If you have taste problems, eg chlorine taste then fine, but otherwise I'd stick to the tap. Much cheaper as presumably you already have mains water.

[Cugel]

My first question would be - what is wrong with your tap water?

In this day & age, in broken Bwitain? Who knows - but it certainly seems a possibility that water quality from various taps has degraded over the past decade, along with everything else to do with the privatised criminals supposedly managing water supplies.

****************

When we moved house we were very lucky, I feel, to have a private water supply arrangement included in the new house. It comes from a deep underground river via bore hole and pump, with several filters along with an intense UV light taking out the various minerals, salts and any underground river bugs. Despite this quite intense filtration, it does leave enough minerals in the water so that it tastes very nice indeed.

This arrangement isn't as cheap as mains tap water would be, as the system is serviced once a year to replace the more complex filtration elements, along with our own monthly change of the main sediment filter. In addition, we have a full analysis done every couple of years to make sure that nothing untoward is escaping the filtration.

But I can foresee a time when such an arrangement will become necessary for everyone, at various scales, if drinking water is to remain safe for most. It's become increasingly obvious that not only are water companies degrading to the point that they're producing dangers as bad as killing whole rivers and making beaches unsafe to swim at but that the world in general is polluting water with all sorts of evil chemicals and microplastics.

I suppose a time will soon come when such mass pollution will overwhelm even the sort of water filtration system that we currently have. Forever chemicals and who knows what other micro-stuff can be extremely pervasive as well as extremely toxic.

But perhaps we'll all die of Putin or Gulf Stream failure before then.

[Jdsk]

My first question would be - what is wrong with your tap water?

If you have taste problems, eg chlorine taste then fine, but otherwise I'd stick to the tap. Much cheaper as presumably you already have mains water.

Good question. And for comparing the taste of different water it's sensible to do it blinded. People are often surprised...

Jonathan

[rogerzilla]

I use a filter jug for three reasons:

1. Saves descaling the kettle, although I suppose it would be cheaper to buy descaler than the rip-off filters.

2. My cats don't like tap water, at least until the chlorine has evaporated (takes a few hours).

3. It's useful to have a source of soft water for car screenwash, steam irons, steam mops, etc.

Ironically, I always drink cold water straight from the tap.

[briansnail]

In this day & age, in broken Bwitain? Who knows - but it certainly seems a possibility that water quality from various taps has degraded over the past decade, along with everything else to do with the privatised criminals supposedly managing water supplies.

I would encourage particularly elderly people to drink warm water in winter.You will find you drink much much more.You may not feel like drinking water but if its warm you will gulp down lots.

Lets hope the water supply does not get as bad as Flint Michigan USA.Even the auto plant complained as there was no chemical to inhibit the lead in pipes.This was corroding the engine made in the auto plants.Parents and kids had lots of health issues.As it was a poor area.The politicians turned a blind eye.

I am guessing to be safe you need to chuck the water in a jug every 12 hours .Any thoughts on this?

[mattsccm]

Methinks you are over worrying. Tap water is near enough. Doesn't need to be perfect just not make people ill. In the wilds I'll use a stream, in civilisation I'll use a shop. Whatever,a few hours dry will do no harm.

[Audax67]

My wife used a filter jug a few years back, following the instructions religiously. After a bout with campylobacter she junked it. Just now we drink bottled water despite environmental fashions. I also use low-calcium bottled water in my coffee machines and don't bother with cartridges. The tap-water tastes vile here: it used to be better than bottled water, then they put in a filtration unit to remove an already-minimal trace of arsenic and the taste went to hell.

BTW, Nestlé is being done here in France for contravening the purity laws governing bottled spring water.

[531colin]

My first question would be - what is wrong with your tap water?

In this day & age, in broken Bwitain? Who knows - but it certainly seems a possibility that water quality from various taps has degraded over the past decade, along with everything else to do with the privatised criminals supposedly managing water supplies.

****************

When we moved house we were very lucky, I feel, to have a private water supply arrangement included in the new house. It comes from a deep underground river via bore hole and pump, with several filters along with an intense UV light taking out the various minerals, salts and any underground river bugs. Despite this quite intense filtration, it does leave enough minerals in the water so that it tastes very nice indeed.

This arrangement isn't as cheap as mains tap water would be, as the system is serviced once a year to replace the more complex filtration elements, along with our own monthly change of the main sediment filter. In addition, we have a full analysis done every couple of years to make sure that nothing untoward is escaping the filtration.

But I can foresee a time when such an arrangement will become necessary for everyone, at various scales, if drinking water is to remain safe for most. It's become increasingly obvious that not only are water companies degrading to the point that they're producing dangers as bad as killing whole rivers and making beaches unsafe to swim at but that the world in general is polluting water with all sorts of evil chemicals and microplastics.

I suppose a time will soon come when such mass pollution will overwhelm even the sort of water filtration system that we currently have. Forever chemicals and who knows what other micro-stuff can be extremely pervasive as well as extremely toxic.

But perhaps we'll all die of Putin or Gulf Stream failure before then.

I imagine you don't have a shred of actual evidence to support that?

Its at least half a century since I worked for the Medical Research Council, but we had somebody who was certain he could improve the quality of the mains water coming to the unit, and installed filtration and UV irradiation much as you describe at the point of entry of the mains. There were more bacteria in the water after he had "improved" it than before. (We had bacteriology on site.) To remove minerals and/or salts (I would be fascinated to see your definitions of those 2 categories) requires stuff like activated charcoal and ion exchange resin; this is what is in water filter jug "filters" which have a "life" of a month. I would be interested to see real information on the filters in your system, which operate for a year. Does your system supply one house or several?

[briansnail]

Medical Research Council?

Wow.

You got to be good to get a job there.Its like the British Atomic energy authority.
(although they probably have tighter security).

In light of all the excellent advice above.My mind is firmly set.Tap water for me.If the dog goes on strike.I will ostentatiously use a previously hidden refill bottle marked Perrier. That will fool him.(Dubious hotels do this with Champagne).

[simonineaston]

…British Atomic energy authority.
(although they probably have tighter security)…

A good chum of mine comes from Cumbria and many of his friends and relatives still work at Sellafield. Every time we meet up, we are regaled with a selection of humorous anecdotes that centre around the works. Loose security and management incompetence characterise many of the tales…

[Cugel]

My first question would be - what is wrong with your tap water?

In this day & age, in broken Bwitain? Who knows - but it certainly seems a possibility that water quality from various taps has degraded over the past decade, along with everything else to do with the privatised criminals supposedly managing water supplies.

****************

When we moved house we were very lucky, I feel, to have a private water supply arrangement included in the new house. It comes from a deep underground river via bore hole and pump, with several filters along with an intense UV light taking out the various minerals, salts and any underground river bugs. Despite this quite intense filtration, it does leave enough minerals in the water so that it tastes very nice indeed.

This arrangement isn't as cheap as mains tap water would be, as the system is serviced once a year to replace the more complex filtration elements, along with our own monthly change of the main sediment filter. In addition, we have a full analysis done every couple of years to make sure that nothing untoward is escaping the filtration.

But I can foresee a time when such an arrangement will become necessary for everyone, at various scales, if drinking water is to remain safe for most. It's become increasingly obvious that not only are water companies degrading to the point that they're producing dangers as bad as killing whole rivers and making beaches unsafe to swim at but that the world in general is polluting water with all sorts of evil chemicals and microplastics.

I suppose a time will soon come when such mass pollution will overwhelm even the sort of water filtration system that we currently have. Forever chemicals and who knows what other micro-stuff can be extremely pervasive as well as extremely toxic.

But perhaps we'll all die of Putin or Gulf Stream failure before then.

I imagine you don't have a shred of actual evidence to support that?

Its at least half a century since I worked for the Medical Research Council, but we had somebody who was certain he could improve the quality of the mains water coming to the unit, and installed filtration and UV irradiation much as you describe at the point of entry of the mains. There were more bacteria in the water after he had "improved" it than before. (We had bacteriology on site.) To remove minerals and/or salts (I would be fascinated to see your definitions of those 2 categories) requires stuff like activated charcoal and ion exchange resin; this is what is in water filter jug "filters" which have a "life" of a month. I would be interested to see real information on the filters in your system, which operate for a year. Does your system supply one house or several?

Ooooh - that's a big red post, innit!

Well, you can call here at any time to test the water, the filters and so forth yoursen. I mean, you aren't going to trust the chaps who install those filters or the lab that does the water test every couple of years, are you? After all, this would interfere with your hard&fasts. And I would only lie to you anyway, like in that last post of mine, eh?

No, no - better to trust the water supply companies, who make those vast profits 'cos they're so good at water management. All that stuff about dying rivers and floaters at the beach is just them wokeries moaning or summick.

[531colin]

So, no evidence, then?
How about something on the filters? Manufacturer and part number?

[531colin]

In case there is any doubt, I do not support the water companies releasing untreated sewage into waterways or the sea or wherever.

I had a 1950s house in Harrogate, we had separate foul sewage and surface water disposal, in separate pipes. The next street of 1930s houses did not, so that a single "infill" house built 1960s or 70s had to have their surface water discharge pipe all the way across my garden to access the main pipe in the road, their foul sewage went into the 1930s "combined" sewer.
The water companies are allowed a number of discharges of untreated sewage in the case of heavy rainfall, because the treatment plants don't have capacity to deal with a sudden surge of rainwater. People concreting their gardens for parking don't help. However, there are many documented occasions of sewage release in the absence of heavy rain. I think these result from "operational considerations" at individual treatment works, I don't think they are voted on at shareholders meetings.