Using pond water to fill fresh water tank???

[kjansen]

As another note, what Gordon said is true.  The city of Minneapolis take their drinking water out of the Mississippi River.  They filter it, add chlorine and send to your house and nobody thinks twice about.  My BIL was one of the chief engineers in the MPLS water dept for 40 years before retirement

 

[warsw]

The spring that feeds this pond has been supplying a farmhouse with water for 100 years.

Is it possible to just tap into the spring or maybe even the plumbing that feeds the farmhouse. Spring water is some of the best water on the planet. Once the water hits an open pond you are at risk. Standing or slow moving water is not a very good water source especially if it is open to wildlife.

A good filter system may work but as others have said, have it tested. Even though your intent is to not use it as drinking water just using it for washing/cooking you will still be ingesting it. Drinking water from a pond is one of the big no no?s of survival.

 

[Woody65]

Thank you all for your replies. I will eventually tap into the underground water supply to the farmhouse to feed the TT and eventual home on the parcel. I am not doing it now because the TT is currently on a temporary site. Until a road and land clearing is done. The pond is not a run off or stagnant pond. It is fed by a constantly flowing spring. Like I said before, I have drank this water before and it is always cold and clear. I know you can't see micro organisms with the eye but that is why I am using a filter and will chlorinate the water. I should be setting this system up this weekend and will get the water tested. I will let you know the results of the test when I get them. I agree, that we as a society have become a bit germophobic but its better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Woody65]

It's funny how some folks think because the water at their home or campground comes from an underground pipe it is  better than a spring fed pond. NYC gets its water from many watersheds, which are large ponds (lakes), filter and chlorinate it. Most municipalities get their water from lakes, which have the same issues a pond has and as some have said it is filtered and chlorinated and sent into a rusty pipe to your home. I am suggesting doing the same, but without the rusty pipe, and some folks are dead set against it.

 

[denmarc]

Is it possible to sink a new well on the site where your "eventual home" will be built and still be within a manageable distance of your now temporary site to supply the TT?  It sounds like you are going to need it in the future anyway.  Another option may be if the water table into good water isn't too deep, you could sink your own shallow well with a hand pump at your current site.  No power needed.  I checked into this before but would not work for me due to the fact I need a deep well (130 plus feet to get into good water).  Your situation may be the opposite.

And you are correct about the rusty pipe thing.  Even with proper filtration, I think it's the idea of all the contaminants in pond water that turn people off to the idea.  If pond and lake water was that bad, I would be glowing in the dark, have two heads and three legs by now having spent all of my life living and camping in MI.  I probably have swallowed a lot of "pond scum" in my younger years.  I'm still here and anatomically correct.  As Gary mentions, I would still filter as needed and have the water tested.  Just to be safe.

 

[warsw]

It's funny how some folks think because the water at their home or campground comes from an underground pipe it is  better than a spring fed pond. NYC gets its water from many watersheds, which are large ponds (lakes), filter and chlorinate it. Most municipalities get their water from lakes, which have the same issues a pond has and as some have said it is filtered and chlorinated and sent into a rusty pipe to your home. I am suggesting doing the same, but without the rusty pipe, and some folks are dead set against it.

Have you every seen the filtration system at a water treatment plant. They are huge. They actually have the ability to kill all the bacteria in the water, which would be considered Dead Water, which has no life in it at all. That water would not be good for you either.

The water that leaves a treatment plants is monitored very closely and the water that is in the piping system is also tested on a regular basis. The water you drink may not look good or even taste good but it will be safe to drink.

I own a RV park and the water system is considered a public drinking water system. Because of this it is monitored by the state. We have to have the water tested every 3 month and we have to have a state inspection twice a year. The water systems are closely watched.

 

[Woody65]

Have you every seen the filtration system at a water treatment plant. They are huge. They actually have the ability to kill all the bacteria in the water, which would be considered Dead Water, which has no life in it at all. That water would not be good for you either.

The water that leaves a treatment plants is monitored very closely and the water that is in the piping system is also tested on a regular basis. The water you drink may not look good or even taste good but it will be safe to drink.

I own a RV park and the water system is considered a public drinking water system. Because of this it is monitored by the state. We have to have the water tested every 3 month and we have to have a state inspection twice a year. The water systems are closely watched.

I appreciate your comments. I might be able to learn something from you since you own an RV park and supply water to your customers. Where do you get your water from? Do you filter and disinfect (add bleach or chlorine) the water? If it is from a well obviously, it would be a different scenario. Thanks

 

[Woody65]

Is it possible to sink a new well on the site where your "eventual home" will be built and still be within a manageable distance of your now temporary site to supply the TT?  It sounds like you are going to need it in the future anyway.  Another option may be if the water table into good water isn't too deep, you could sink your own shallow well with a hand pump at your current site.  No power needed.  I checked into this before but would not work for me due to the fact I need a deep well (130 plus feet to get into good water).  Your situation may be the opposite.

And you are correct about the rusty pipe thing.  Even with proper filtration, I think it's the idea of all the contaminants in pond water that turn people off to the idea.  If pond and lake water was that bad, I would be glowing in the dark, have two heads and three legs by now having spent all of my life living and camping in MI.  I probably have swallowed a lot of "pond scum" in my younger years.  I'm still here.  As Gary mentions, I would still filter as needed and have the water tested.  Just to be safe.

Regarding a well, there is a spring house 1500ft up the mountain that supplies the farmhouse with water via underground pipe. I own the spring house, the water and the supply pipes. I allow the owners of the farmhouse to have the water freely since it was all one parcel before myself and the farmhouse owners purchased the parcels separately.  I could attempt to locate the pipe and tee into it to get water. But, that water is the same as the spring fed pond. I was hoping to not have to attempt to locate it, dig trenches, lay pipe, for a temporary location that will be used for only 6 months to a year.

 

[R. J. Barton]

It's funny how some folks think because the water at their home or campground comes from an underground pipe it is  better than a spring fed pond. NYC gets its water from many watersheds, which are large ponds (lakes), filter and chlorinate it. Most municipalities get their water from lakes, which have the same issues a pond has and as some have said it is filtered and chlorinated and sent into a rusty pipe to your home. I am suggesting doing the same, but without the rusty pipe, and some folks are dead set against it.

Woody, I personally have no issue with good spring water. But the water being exposed at the surface in a pond does open it up to all kinds of contamination that didn't come out of the ground with the water. The farm house I grew up in used well water straight from the ground, no filter, nothing. But that water wasn't getting crapped in by birds and raccoons either.  ???

 

[denmarc]

I now get it.  You sound like a very generous person pertaining to the water supply to the farmhouse.  My hat is off to you.

The short time you mention being on the temporary site, I would think you should be fine with proper precautions.  You do realize that future plans never pan out as planned.  Right?  Please plan for that scenario.  That is the way it works for me.  Don't want to read that you got some disease that nobody has ever heard of before from pond water!

I would still have any water source tested.  I just couldn't use a water source that I didn't know positively was safe for me and my family.  Your situation is unique.  Be careful.

 

[Woody65]

Woody, I personally have no issue with good spring water. But the water being exposed at the surface in a pond does open it up to all kinds of contamination that didn't come out of the ground with the water. The farm house I grew up in used well water straight from the ground, no filter, nothing. But that water wasn't getting crapped in by birds and raccoons either.  ???

Very true. That is why I am utilizing a 5 step filter, chlorine and I still am going to get the water tested. I will get a test with it just filtered and filtered and chlorinated. I will post the results when I get them. Thanks for your replies.

 

[Woody65]

I now get it.  You sound like a very generous person pertaining to the water supply to the farmhouse.  My hat is off to you.

The short time you mention being on the temporary site, I would think you should be fine with proper precautions.  You do realize that future plans never pan out as planned.  Right?  Please plan for that scenario.  That is the way it works for me.  Don't want to read that you got some disease that nobody has ever heard of before from pond water!

I would still have any water source tested.  I just couldn't use a water source that I didn't know positively was safe for me and my family.  Your situation is unique.  Be careful.

Yes, the best laid plans of mice and men can go awry! The owners of the farmhouse are a nice young couple and I didn't want them, after the expense of purchasing the home, to have to spend another large sum drilling a well when I had the water. It costs me nothing to allow them to utilize it.

 

[unclerich]

Regardless of what you eventually do, you should have the water tested. In many states the testing is free, or nominal cost at worst from the state water quality control agency. There are things that may be in the water that are not a problem until you have extended exposure to them. It is best to be safe than sorry.

Have you considered running a line from the spring house on the surface? You could use rigid pipe or flexible hosing. May side-step the issue of the pond, rather than the spring.

 

[Woody65]

Regardless of what you eventually do, you should have the water tested. In many states the testing is free, or nominal cost at worst from the state water quality control agency. There are things that may be in the water that are not a problem until you have extended exposure to them. It is best to be safe than sorry.

Have you considered running a line from the spring house on the surface? You could use rigid pipe or flexible hosing. May side-step the issue of the pond, rather than the spring.

I definitely will have water tested. Spring house is 1500 ft away and not really an option.

 

[warsw]

I appreciate your comments. I might be able to learn something from you since you own an RV park and supply water to your customers. Where do you get your water from? Do you filter and disinfect (add bleach or chlorine) the water? If it is from a well obviously, it would be a different scenario. Thanks

We own two wells that feed the park. We have really good water here and only have a filter system. Each well is tested every three months. The water tested is taken before the filters.

If we get a bad sample we would be immediately shut down until the problem is fixed. We would be allowed to take one more sample. If that sample also failed the fix would probably be the addition of a chemical treatment system and more frequent sampling. This would get very expensive.

Thank God for good water!

 

[Mopar1973Man]

I wouldn't panic too hard.

If you seen some of the water systems here in Idaho you would wonder... : Like a good friend of mine in the middle of nowhere Idaho has a old wooden barrel stuffed into the ground and then uses a 12V RV water pump to pump water into a single wide trailer on the property. Been like this for many years.

Even like my place is a fairly shallow well (50 foot) and every spring the water turns a muddy tint (brownish) but 25 years later I'm still here and have no issues.

What's really strange Mom and myself have issues with city water and makes us very ill. So every time we eave with the RV we load the water tank with good ol' fashion well water and leave the city water alone. I can drink from most all steams andwater ways of Idaho but can't drink any city water. 

 

[Woody65]

Well, it has been awhile but finally got the water taken care of. The test of the fresh water pond before the filter came back with traces of E. coli. The test of the water after the 5step filter was clean. So I will use the water for washing and showering with a little bleach added to prevent bacteria growth. Thanks for all of your suggestions and assistance. Now, if I could only get the system pressurized I would be in good shape. See associated post regarding that problem. Thanks again.

 

[DearMissMermaid]

http://www.wikihow.com/Purify-Water

Great information.