Bushwalk Australia

McGinnis wrote:Just out of interest, where are you living that you need/want to filter water? I'm in Sydney and it's a pointless exercise here, though in other areas I could understand it.

Strider wrote:

McGinnis wrote:Just out of interest, where are you living that you need/want to filter water? I'm in Sydney and it's a pointless exercise here, though in other areas I could understand it.

The great outdoors.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

McGinnis wrote:I'm in Sydney and it's a pointless exercise here.

Zone-5 wrote:

McGinnis wrote:I'm in Sydney and it's a pointless exercise here.

Sydney (Eastern) has a ongoing water problem with cysts of crytosporidium and Giardia. I know as I got quite sick from drinking the tap water when I lived there!

The Brita filters reduce the amount of chlorine in the water, reduces copper by 88%, reduces mercury by 91%, reduces 99.99% of cysts (crytosporidium and Giardia), and reduces lead by 97%. Combines activated carbon to remove colloidal suspensions, bad taste, scale and odor with an ion exchange resin is used in the further reduction of lead and copper ions. It also significantly reduces pesticides (lindane, atrazine, and 2,4-D), fertilizers, hormones and other chemicals directly linked to an increased cancer risk (benzene, TTHMs, and toxaphene).

"Less is more" when it comes to my preferred drinking water...

Zone-5 wrote:

McGinnis wrote:I'm in Sydney and it's a pointless exercise here.

Sydney (Eastern) has a ongoing water problem with cysts of crytosporidium and Giardia. I know as I got quite sick from drinking the tap water when I lived there!

corvus wrote:me thinks you are scare mongering and or are a representative for Brita Filters ??

McGinnis wrote:I don't know where you got that information, but it's just wrong. No part of Sydney has any issue with crypto, giardia, E. coli or any other pathogen.

During the year to March 2015, both cryptosporidium and giarda cysts had been found in Sydney water, the report said...

The cysts had mainly been found in raw water sources managed by Water NSW which supply the Prospect Water Filtration Plant in Sydney’s west and the Richmond Water Filtration Plan in the northwest.

The report said a single cryptosporidium occyst had also been detected on two separate occasions on October 1 and again on October 2 last year.

The occyst was found in a 100 litre sample taken from the North Richmond plant, with Sydney Water immediately notifying NSW Heath, it said.

The report said Sydney Water investigated treatment performance while also undertaking re-sampling of the plant water.

With no further cryptosporidium occysts or giardia cysts were detected during the follow-up tests, NSW Health had advised the detections were “unlikely” to have affected public health, the report said.

“Cryptosporidium occyst was detected on two separate occasions,” it said.

“On each occasion, Sydney Water notified NSW Health immediately, investigated treatment performance and undertook re-sampling.

Ramped up treatment

“Based on an assessment of all relevant risk factors associated with these events, NSW Health advised that these events were unlikely to have affected public health.”

From July to September 1998, Sydney siders were banned from drinking tap water without boiling it first after high concentrations of Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected in both Sydney Water supply and distribution systems.

Three boil-water advisories were issued to more than three-million people, with an inquiry resulting in Sydney Water dramatically ramping up its water quality testing regimes.

A series of investigations into the cause of the contamination blamed a series of rainfall events for flood-waterborne Cryptosporidium and Giardia short-circuited the storage reservoir and entering the treatment plant.

Both parasites can be deadly to young children and the elderly, triggering a bowel infection which can result in gastroenteritis.

A Sydney Water spokesman said the agency took the provision of safe drinking water “very seriously”.

“Sydney Water’s filtration system has operated exceptionally well over the past few weeks of heavy rain and has continued to deliver high quality drinking water that has met the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines — some of the most stringent in the world,” he said.

“Our water treatment plants operate under strict filtration targets designed to remove pathogens, particles and colour.

“We continually monitor the performance of our filtration plants to ensure they are delivering high quality drinking water regardless of changes to the water they receive.”

McGinnis wrote:I don't know where you got that information, but it's just wrong. No part of Sydney has any issue with crypto, giardia, E. coli or any other pathogen.

McGinnis wrote:I don't know where you got that information, but it's just wrong. No part of Sydney has any issue with crypto, giardia, E. coli or any other pathogen.

The occyst was found in a 100 litre sample taken from the North Richmond plant, with Sydney Water immediately notifying NSW Heath, it said.

McGinnis wrote:An event 17 years ago is all you've got? An event in which there were no confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis? It was a "crisis" of publicity. CG levels were overstated, and reactions were knee-jerk.

Show me one confirmed case of cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis resulting from drinking Sydney's tap water.

McGinnis wrote:That's nice, but what exactly is your point?

wayno wrote:start your own thread if you want to lecture people...

GRLillistone wrote:I always carry a Millbank filter with me and prefer that over any other filter as it is not plastic, mechanical or battery-powered and is therefore not at risk of moving parts breaking while out bush.

Zone-5 wrote:

McGinnis wrote:That's nice, but what exactly is your point?

This...

wayno wrote:start your own thread if you want to lecture people...

McGinnis wrote:Sorry mate, but I'll dispel ignorance wherever I find it.

It's also poor etiquette to quote somebody out of context.

McGinnis wrote:I don't know where you got that information, but it's just wrong. No part of Sydney has any issue with crypto, giardia, E. coli or any other pathogen.

You probably got sick from eating dodgy food. It wasn't the water, though.

If you don't believe me, check Sydney Water's website for water quality testing results, and NSW Health's website for boiled water alerts and incident reports.

McGinnis wrote:An event 17 years ago is all you've got? An event in which there were no confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis? It was a "crisis" of publicity. CG levels were overstated, and reactions were knee-jerk.

ABSTRACT: This paper traces the history of the contamination of Sydney's water supply between July and September 1998, its impact and consequences. Routine testing found persistently high readings of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the water supply. After initial official inactivity, health warnings were issued leading to comprehensive boil water alerts. The paper examines the issues of scientific uncertainty and the response of the Government to the crisis. In particular, the paper examines the establishment and course of the Sydney Water Inquiry, chaired by Peter McClellan, QC, which delivered its final report in December 1998. The recommendations of the Inquiry are assessed, in particular the establishment of an independent catchment management authority, augmentation of treatment processes, and upgraded monitoring and research. Implementation of the recommendations by the Government by legislative and executive act is also addressed. Finally, the lessons to be learned are discussed, especially care of the catchment and restrictions on certain types of development within it.


References:
Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment: 1999, March, Health Stream 13, Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Urban Affairs and Planning,: 1998, December 24, State Environmental Planning Policy No 58-Protecting Sydney's Water Supply, Government Gazette No 178, 24.
Getches, D.H.:1997, Sectoral Conflicts over Water: Resolving tensions among Agricultural, Municipal and Industrial and Ecological Demands, Paper presented to Rosenberg International Forum on Water Policy, San Francisco.
McClellan, P.: 1998, December, Sydney Water Inquiry-Final Report (2 volumes).
National Audubon Society v Superior Court of Alpine County: 1983, 189 Cal Rptr 346 at 356 Sydney Water Catchment Management Act: 1998 (NSW).

http://link.springer.com/article/10.102 ... 5255202854

GRLillistone wrote:I always carry a Millbank filter with me and prefer that over any other filter as it is not plastic, mechanical or battery-powered and is therefore not at risk of moving parts breaking while out bush. On the contrary, I can use it as often as I want for as long as I want. In fact, it will probably outlast me.
Millbank filters are a reliable, small, lightweight and unbreakable filter that I can't recommend highly enough.

McGinnis wrote:Millbank filters are great for removing sediment, but do note they will not remove pathogens. Millbank-filtered water should still be treated (depending on the source).

Routine testing of Sydney's water supply between July and September 1998 found persistently high readings of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the water supply. After initial official inactivity, health warnings were issued leading to comprehensive boil water alerts for the entire metro area.

Zone-5 wrote:Cryptosporidium; its impact, consequences and symptoms.

"while doing my postgrad, I hadn't read, listened or watched any news for weeks! Yep, I drank the water...

Routine testing of Sydney's water supply between July and September 1998 found persistently high readings of Cryptographic and Giardia in the water supply. After initial official inactivity, health warnings were issued leading to comprehensive boil water alerts for the entire metro area.