Of course we are all planning on storing water before the date roll over. But, what if you wake up on the 1st and turn on the tap, and you have water. Would you figure it to be safe to drink? Should you figure on a waiting a couple of days incase they (the water dept.) don't notice a problem with it right away (as in contamination or what ever)?

-- P.A. (adkins@webbernet.net), November 27, 1999

Answers

As a polly who does not expect their to be many (if any) water treatment plant failures I still ask this question. Do you call your local utility and ak them if it is safe?

-- Pollywog (?@?.?), November 27, 1999.

Get youself a parakeet!!!!!!!

-- xman (xman@aol.com), November 27, 1999.

Why take a chance, drink from your jugs until you see what happens to your stupid polly neighbors.

-- Haw (flyin@high.again), November 27, 1999.

John Koskinen says:

(1) Call your local utility (2) Stay off the phone at midnight

Oops.... ;-)

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), November 27, 1999.

In Florence, OR they had a computer glitch
that allowed exessive chlorine and potassium
permanganate into the water system. They didn't
find the problem for 18 hours because it
happened on a weekend.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 27, 1999.

Do a search for "water" on several of the catagories on this forum. Plenty of posts about previous problems with city water supplies that resulted in sick folk.here's one Even without Y2K. Now imagine the effect if the city infrastructure is stressed to the breaking point by other problems. Better to be safe than sorry. Having an intestional beastie in Jan. with the power out and the hospitals iffy just doesn't sound like a good way to bring in the New Year.

See: here, or here for just a couple of relevant articles.

Note... if you are near a nuke plant and the power goes out and stays out, you might want to assume the water AND the air might make you sick. Got KI?

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), November 27, 1999.

I agree with Haw. That's *exactly* what we're going to do.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), November 27, 1999.

Search "Grapefruit Seed Extact" GSE This must be some wonderous stuff!

-- Dan Newsome (BOONSTAR1@webnet.tv), November 27, 1999.

I am still checking on information about chemical safety levels of water, but I think it might be a good idea to test the water if you can. My original idea (and it may still be a good idea) was to use the chlorine and ammonia aquarium test kits that you can find for a few dollars in any pet store. They will give you some idea of the difference between the concentration of chemicals pre-rollover (if you tested) and post-rollover. They won't really tell you if the water is safe, but it might help to know if something is wrong until the weekend is over and you can get someone on the phone.

Sincerely,
Stan Faryna

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-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), November 27, 1999.

In my town in NC there was a water "glitch" they claimed that it was a rusty valve (true or not?), but the water had too much chemicals in it and many people who drank the water were chemically scalded!

DON'T DRINK PUBLIC WATER! (esp after rollover)

-- dw (y2k@outhere.com), November 27, 1999.

Good point,

We don't drink water from the spigot now let alone on 01/01/00.

In ordeer pf preference: bottled water, stored containers, water filter, swimming pool, local stream, rainwater. Chem test kits available at Lehmans-Kidron, Ohio.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), November 27, 1999.

I can't believe that this was from the salmon expert Flint:

"I agree with Haw. That's *exactly* what we're going to do.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), November 27, 1999.

best wishes,,,

Z

---------------------------------------------------------------------- --

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), November 27, 1999.

That's an excellent point, P.A. and I don't know the answer. Boiling water would eliminate most viral and bacterial contamination but I don't know what effect it would have on chemical contamination (over chlorination, floridation, other). Last thing one would want is a bad case of the runs if the TSHTF.

-- PD (PaulDMaher@att.worldnet.com), November 28, 1999.

We live near Milwaukee, where there was Cryptosporidium in the water a few years back. Weakened many. Killed some. If a city's water purification system is not working properly and there is Crypto. (or whatever) in the water, they are not likely to know it until so many folks are sick that it occurs to authorities it must be the water. No kidding. The regular testing they run on water apparently does not read the presence of Crypto, etc. until the concentrations are really high. By then, it is too late. Why drink city tap water anytime? Another possibility is that the water is running, but there is too much or too little thisorthat chemical in it due to some Y2K glitch. You are storing water, right? Just drink that for the first couple of weeks of 2000, to be safe.

-- Shivani Arjuna (SArjuna@aol.com), November 28, 1999.