Boquete water contamination

[NewsLady]

Dear Boquete friends,

I am also concerned with the contaminated water situation. 

My background is in microbiology and immunology.  I worked in the area of researching infectious diseases as well as managing the laboratories that I worked in for over 15 years.  I also taught microbiology at the universities where I worked.  I have hands on experience using and selling Reverse Osmosis systems for water purification and using Ultra-violet systems for disinfection.

Unfortunately with the coliform load currently in the water, a reverse osmosis system will be overwhelmed and may allow microbes through or fragments of the microbes, which can also make an individual sick.  
Ultra-violet systems offer no protection against parasites, especially their eggs.  With the current coliform load in the water, again, UV systems may be overwhelmed.

We know that the local government is not known for moving quickly to solve problems.  And I think this situation with the water will be another example of this.

*******
So in the interim, the best protection for an individual is to take your filtered or UV irradiated water and add an extra step:

Boil your water on the stove in a pot (with the lid on) for a minimum of 20 minutes.  The 20 minute countdown starts when the water starts to boil.

For 1 gallon (or about 4 liters) of water - minimum boiling time is 20 minutes.

If your pot is holds more than 1 gallon (or 4 liters) of water, for every extra 1 liter of water, add another 10 minutes to the boiling time.

Allow this water to cool and use this water for drinking, food preparation, cleaning your teeth - basically use this boiled water for anything that goes into your mouth.  I would even go to the extent of using this water to wash your hands.

The amount time for boiling is extremely important.  The boiling step will kill parasites and their eggs and it will also destroy the proteins in the microbe fragments that make you sick.

*******

If you are already having stomach upsets (but do not have diarrhea), you may want to consider doing something about this……

-  see your doctor and have him prescribe something for you - make sure you explain to the doctor where you live and that there is a contamination problem; or

-  I personally use colloidal silver as an alternative to an anti-biotic, anti-viral or anti-fungal pharmaceutical.   If this indicates to you, take the colloidal silver on an empty stomach - do not have it with food as stomach acid changes the structure of the silver and makes it less effective.

********

I hope this information is helpful.


Best regards,
 

Carmel George

 

[Bob G]

Boiling is practical and fast, but it is good to know an alternate way for purifying water.  One of those is SODIS (for Solar Disinfection).  See the information below.

In addition to being very useful as a very broad spectrum treatment against bacteria, viruses and some parasites, colloidal silver (some of which is nano silver) can be used to treat suspect water directly.  I make colloidal silver that is substantially nano silver, and water can be treated with it at a rate of one teaspoon per liter.  For more information and pricing on colloidal silver, send an email to rhgusn@gmail.com with "SILVER" in the subject line.

===================

This link is to frequently asked questions about SODIS.

http://www.waterschool.com/faqs/

 

How does it work?

The SODIS method is very easy to apply: A transparent PET bottle is cleaned with soap. Then, the bottle is filled with water and placed in full sunlight for at least 6 hours. The water has then been disinfected and can be drunk.

Important points to consider when applying the SODIS method

Material, colour and shape of the bottle

 

We recommend using PET bottles in the application of the SODIS method because they are light and do not break. They are also easy to obtain in many regions. However, glass bottles or special bags can also be used. PET bottles are usually labelled as such, but they are not called by the same name in all countries.
Factsheet Glass vs. PET (EN, FR, ES)
Factsheet Bottle vs. Bag (EN, FR, ES)
Factsheet Use of Bags (EN, FR, ES)

 

 

 

The bottles must be transparent and colorless. PET bottles often have a bluish tinge. This is not a problem. Heavily scratched bottles must be replaced.
 

 

 

The bottles must not hold more than 3 litres.
Factsheet Depth of water (EN, FR, ES)

Turbidity

 

If the water is very turbid, the effectiveness of the method is reduced. It is very easy to determine whether the water is sufficiently clear:

The filled PET bottle must be placed on top of a newspaper headline. Now one must look at the bottom of the bottle from the neck at the top and through the water. If the letters of the headline are readable, the water can be used.

If the letters are not readable, the water must be filtered. This test corresponds to a turbidity of 30 NTU.
Factsheet Turbidity (EN, FR, ES)

 

Cloudiness

 

Cloudiness affects the strength of solar radiation and thus also the effectiveness of the method.

Rule of thumb:

• If less than half of the sky is clouded over, 6 hours will be enough to completely disinfect the water.
• If more than half of the sky is covered with clouds, the bottle must be placed in the sun for 2 consecutive days.

Factsheet Cloudiness (EN, FR, ES)

 

Rain

 

 

The method does not work satisfactorily during lengthy periods of rain. On these days, we recommend collecting rainwater.

Preventing recontamination

 

The treated water should be kept in the bottle and drunk directly from the bottle, or poured into a cup or glass immediately before it is drunk. In this way, it is possible to prevent the treated water from becoming contaminated again.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Admin_01
converted email to active link