Private water supply investigated by law

[Gareth Hughes]

As for your "robust health", it would be interesting to know if your water supply is actually a contributing factor. Your immune system is obviously dealing with the water quite adequately, but I wonder if it's a chicken-or-egg thing.

Oh God! don't get her started on the chickens again!

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Hmmm - oh well, at least you now know. I wonder if you could fit the UV light and then also swim in the water to top up your tan at the same time??!!

E.coli can be a nasty bug, but coliform bugs are also all around you. There is the old adage that "germs are good for you" in terms of stimulating immune response and as stated above, you can't live in a totally aseptic environment. We know we get tummy upsets when going abroad and drinking local water - and this is often because we have not been exposed to local pathogens previously, unlike the locals. There'll presumably be an element of this going on with your water?

To put it in perspective, in one hospital I used to work in we did the occasional "spot check" on hand hygiene. One month we did a random swab of everyone going into the canteen for lunch. 50% of them had coliform bacteria on their hands! :shock: Coliform bacteria were there because they hadn't washed their hands properly having gone to the loo. a) yeucchh! b) they didn't all have rampant D&V. (Things are much better these days - all those sprays, foams and gels used).

I do hope this doesn't spoil your enjoyment of your water. I remember growing up that we had no problems with our drinking water, but one day discovered the remains of a dead bat in the cold water tank in the loft. We then worried about what we were drinking for ages!

 

[JoceAndChris]

As for your "robust health", it would be interesting to know if your water supply is actually a contributing factor. Your immune system is obviously dealing with the water quite adequately, but I wonder if it's a chicken-or-egg thing.

Oh God! don't get her started on the chickens again!

Ah yes, you lot haven't had a chicken update for far too long.

Well, the blue Orpingtons are absolutely thriving on e coli water. I grew very concerned over frostbite, resulting in combs and wattles dropping off, but managed to avert this crisis by means of an electric radiator in the hen-house. Harrowby has become the most enormous and masterful cock you ever did see, and his ladies now just settle themselves into the squat postion and allow him his will without the fussing and clucking they used to do. His crow is deafening, but unfortunately because of the thickness of the walls I can't hear it in the mornings. Clara, the one who ate paint last summer, has revealed herself to be the cleverest, most darling hen in the world and sits on my shoulder and pecks my hair. She is so beautiful it actually hurts to look at her.

There is at least one egg a day; they're elegant, elongated eggs of a pale hue, the yolks are bright orange and very large. They are starting to contain zygotes, which makes me feel rather murderous, and means it's high time I organise my incubating nursery.

I'll expand this summer, but am torn between lemon bantam frizzles or silver spangled Appenzellers.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Robin -thank you for your eloquent post, and for understanding the romantic attachment one can feel about the self-sufficiency of a private water supply.

There is the old adage that "germs are good for you" in terms of stimulating immune response and as stated above, you can't live in a totally aseptic environment. We know we get tummy upsets when going abroad and drinking local water - and this is often because we have not been exposed to local pathogens previously, unlike the locals. There'll presumably be an element of this going on with your water?

Absolutely! Come to think of it, I was slightly fragile when we first moved in.

I remember growing up that we had no problems with our drinking water, but one day discovered the remains of a dead bat in the cold water tank in the loft.

:lol: I'm sure it has made you the man you are today!

I don't think they do such things in schools these days, but does anyone remember culturing bacteria on agar jelly in petri dishes during biology lessons?

Yes, that was one of the best bits!

 

[worms]

Joce,

While I would agree with all the comments about germs being good for you, this is only true up to a point (and history is written by the winners/survivors, none of our particular ancestors having succumbed as was mentioned in another recent thread).

You have faecal contamination of your water supply and I would want to take that seriously. I would want to know more about the source of this. If it is from local livestock then the 0157 risk would be a consideration - and that is serious, even for those with good immunity to other coliforms. It would also potentially indicate that other pathogens such as Cryptosporidium could enter the system during periods of heavy rain.

If the source of the coliforms is the ample supply of "furry friends", then add Leptospirosis to the worry list.

 

[Feltwell]

silver spangled Appenzellers.

Weren't they David Bowie's backing group during his Glam Rock period??

 

[AMc]

:lol: Absolutely! People have been drinking from that well for 200 years and have been absolutely fine.

Seriously, if you have the fountain of eternal youth I wouldn't worry about the bacteria?
Most of the previous occupants of this house are dead as far as I know I don't have medical records but I'm guessing a fair number will have been finished off by infections

I would certainly get that UV filter!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thank you,AMc and worms. I promise you that I will be good and try not to give Lepticspireoiss or Cryptosepermium or Coliform to anyone or myself. I am very busy thinking about precise shades of yellows, and how best to achieve the twiddly bits, and whether to make my Print Room woodland animal or architecturally themed, but Chris is taking it more seriously, and spent the evening researching filters, which is so unimaginably boring but must be done.

silver spangled Appenzellers.

Weren't they David Bowie's backing group during his Glam Rock period??

No, they were Benny Hill's costume requirements for his girls.

 

[Flyfisher]

Ah yes, you lot haven't had a chicken update for far too long.

I'm pleased to read that your chooks are enjoying their luxurious lifestyle in chicken paradise and are keeping you amply supplied with eggs. :wink:

Our six have survived the recent freezing weather with no heating, no signs of frostbite and are still managing about 4-5 eggs per day between them. Of course, they're not being constantly pestered by a rampant cockerel.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Our six have survived the recent freezing weather with no heating, no signs of frostbite and are still managing about 4-5 eggs per day between them.

Fighting talk! Chicken one-upmanship!

I'll get you back, FF, one of these days. :wink:

 

[skier-hughes]

My 5 adult hens, 1 cockerel and one probably best described now as being point of lay all survived the recent freezing weather with no central heating in their pen.
The water did move from outside to inside, but that still froze, so chicken water butt was on rayburn each morning to thaw.
I'm getting 2/3 eggs per day, as mother is still not producing and one other had a very heavy late moult.

 

[MdB]

Our neighbours chickens lost 6 of their number overnight for reasons unknown at the moment though Mr Fox maybe involved. :-(

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Chris is taking it more seriously, and spent the evening researching filters, which is so unimaginably boring but must be done.

Good - now please tell me; have you got any smoke alarms yet? This is more likely to kill you than a bit of poo in your well.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Um, no. I don't fancy how they look on my completely plain, without light fittings, Georgian reed ceilings. They'll stick out like sore thumbs.

But thank you for not wanting me to be smoked. xx

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Joce - get a flipping smoke alarm now! Otherwise I'm going to come and carp in your well myself. PLEASE!

 

[MdB]

How do you fancy a nice burnt finish to your beams (like we have). I can assure you it looks far worse than the smoke alarms. Put a piece of red ribbon on them if you must (but not covering any of the vent holes) but please fit them.

 

[Nigel Watts]

After a while you wont notice it. In this pic is both a burglar alarm sensor and a smoke alarm.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, you boys are just so sweet. Robin, come and carp in the well anytime you like, don't think it'll make much difference.

Are there any smoke alarms that are pretty, or at least, really, really tiny?

Nigel, that looks fine on that ceiling, but there's a light fitting to distract from it. Here they're just cracked, old lime plaster ceilings - no beams, no light fittings, nothing.

Do they have to go on a ceiling? Can't they go on the floor, in a dark corner?

 

[worms]

Actually, given the biological content of your well, some carp might be a good idea!

 

[Flyfisher]

Do they have to go on a ceiling? Can't they go on the floor, in a dark corner?

They can if you don't want them to actually work.

Didn't you arrange to have the local Fire Brigade come out and visit you recently? Or was that postponed?