3 ms·
Good point, I shouldn't have said "any". I'm sure over long stretches of time there could be bacterial growth, but extremely limited especially if no sunlight (
by moneytide1 8y ago
Good point, I shouldn't have said "any". I'm sure over long stretches of time there could be bacterial growth, but extremely limited especially if no sunlight (besides, a little bacteria is a good thing). I suppose my opinion is that as a matter of principle I wouldn't want to drink any water stored in one place for so long, regardless of the quality of the seal.
I drink out of a 7-gallon non-BPA container that I keep out of direct sunlight. Refill about every two weeks.
- Scoundreller 8y agoAlgae is the problem with sunlight, not bacteria. Temperature plays a role too. A little bit of bleach would go a long way in preservation, but maybe that’s what you’re trying to avoid.
- moneytide1 8y agoI am trying to avoid complete sterilization after reading a quote from a study: "... a lack of exposure of children (as well as adults) to dirt, commensal bacteria, and 'minor' pathogenic insults results in an immune system that does not function normally. This lack of antibodies to true pathogens in the immune system has resulted in the dramatic increase in allergies and asthma in developed countries over the past twenty years." -Callaway, Harvey, Nisbet
- fencepost 8y agoTo my mind at least there's a significant difference between commensal bacteria and sucking down one of the bacterial 'spurts' from a rotting pigeon or rodent in the drinking water.
- moneytide1 8y agoI'd like to start harvesting rainwater instead of relying on a well, but these 'spurts' you're talking about will the primary issue with a catching system. I'll probably just make a quick gravel->sand->activated charcoal filter in order to capture the bulk droppings, bugs, or whatever runs down the collection surface.