Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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For almost a year now it seems like my town is always in a boiled water order. So much for the best country in the world. Anyway.

This place used to have wonderful water, now they're starting to put chlorine on it, gross!

What do you think of boiled water, does it change any how, is it just as healthy as fresh water? I can't afford bottled water right now, so...

Finally I got sick from the water today because I didn't realize there was another boild water order AGAIN. They never leave a note on the door and I always learn about the boiled water order from the elderly neigbhor who is always home.... 2 days later, I find out =-O

How to heal from diarrhea caused by bad water, I imagine it would be different than diarrhea from food? Oh noes, it's teh e-colis!

flag	asked Jun 19 at 12:44 a mesmerizing trickster 3,102●5●17

	Hmm.. yeah... I'm going to go boil my cat's water now... – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 12:45
	Sweet answers. Learned a lot more than I ever expected. Thanks ! B-) – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 22:49
	Though I'd like to know the reason why I got downvotes! – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 22:50

Kelly · Answer 1 · 2012-06-19 13:14:14Z UTC

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Boiled water should have no negative health effects. Boil it in advance and keep it in the refrigerator and it will taste just great.

If you think you have E.Coli, please contact your doctor. It's not to be messed with and should be reported to your local health department. Make sure you stay hydrated.

I understand the disappointment about chlorine, but in some cases it's inevitable. It can be removed with a brita filter or the like.

Boil orders are serious business and notification by paper notice is generally not very efficient. Water departments often use public notices, cable, newspaper, internet, and reverse 911 to notify their customers. Can I ask where you live?

answered Jun 19 at 13:14

Kelly
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Yeah, I don't have Tv or the newspaper but I did try looking online. I have a brita filter, tried looking online many times to see if removes bleach and never found that information. Do you know what percentage of bleach it removes? Was kind of kidding about the e. coli, but now that I think about it the neighbor did say something about kidney harm. Gaaah. Hmm, would rather not say where Iive :X but really apreciate your answer. I don't know much about these things. – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 13:39

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As long as you change the filter according to the schedule provided on the package, it will remove 100% of chlorine. Carbon filters are very efficient at removing chlorine and chlorinated byproducts from drinking water. – Kelly Jun 19 at 13:44

Repeat: WHERE DO YOU LIVE? – John Cormas Jun 19 at 14:01

I already said I don't wish to say where I live. Why do you want to know anyway :O Just curious – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 22:48

alwayscurious · Answer 2 · 2012-06-19 13:15:35Z UTC

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I would be more worried about e coli than chlorine as long as the water doesn't smell like a swimming pool. If the chlorine smell is strong, put it in an open pitcher for a few hours before drinking it, and the chlorine will dissipate.

If boil water orders are a regular happening out your way, I'd think about putting in your own water treatment. UV water treatment is excellent - kills the bugs with no chemicals. Not cheap, though. A camping-style battery powered UV water treatment device could save you a lot of boiling time.

answered Jun 19 at 13:15

alwayscurious
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Whoa, thanks, lots of info. I'm in an apartment so I'm going to look nto the portable uv treatment. I don't like chlorine in water, no one should be forced to put that in their bodies, let alone children or baby-making age women, no matter how little or how much chlorine there is the water. For now I'll do the pitcher thing you said, plus boiling plus brita filter. Thankee! – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 13:26

I have to advise against the portable UV. They are not very powerful and if the water system is already disinfecting with chlorine then it's not going to do anything additional, and it's not going to remove the chlorine that's already there. They also cost a heck of a lot more than a few gallons of bottled water. – Kelly Jun 19 at 13:34

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If your water system is having repeated boil orders, then they are likely in the process of making upgrades to deal with them. It may be a long process but it may be not that far off. If you live in the US you should be receiving an annual water quality report - apartment dwellers don't always receive them since they need to come from your landlord. Check your water department's website or call the department if you don't get one by July 1. That should outline what is happening right now. – Kelly Jun 19 at 13:37

Wow, thanks Kelly! It's amazing how much I don't know. – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 13:51

My only excuse is that it's my career. :) We try to do a lot of public outreach and education but the amount of information is overwhelming a lot of times. – Kelly Jun 19 at 13:55

Happy Now · Answer 3 · 2012-06-19 19:44:03Z UTC

If it is going to be a while before the boil orders stop, or you don't want to have to follow the news, these ceramic filters and a couple of 5 gallon buckets, can take really contaminated water, and get you something cleaner than boiling and running it through a Brita. Relatively inexpensive too.

http://www.wavesforwater.org/family-filters/

It also couldn't hurt to get some press on this issue if it is ongoing and you think some pressure could speed up improvements, shoot an email to all the major news agencies and maybe one will take it up as a story.

HeatherC · Answer 4 · 2012-06-19 13:26:47Z UTC

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I understand your frustration with having to boil water and even that you're not being notified properly but, it seems to me that if you know water is an issue, I'd be calling the water dept everyday to check or just plan to boil it regardless. Also, at least you have water - millions in other countries don't even have enough, they probably wouldn't complain if they needed to boil it.

answered Jun 19 at 13:26

HeatherC
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Not getting the notifications is a problem, but a lot of people don't get them because they don't give the water department their phone numbers, don't watch cable TV, and don't read the newspaper. If that is the case, people need to find out how their department does notifications and make sure they are paying attention. If the system uses reverse 911 and you only have a cell phone, you need to give them your phone number so you get the alerts. Some more savvy towns/cities also use twitter and facebook so find out and subscribe to their alerts. – Kelly Jun 19 at 13:42

Thanks I apreciate the moral lesson, just after a year on and off you get tired of boiling boiling boiling, after all this is not a 3rd world country ^ ^ Good idea to call the water department. Every day though, they might consider me a loony, hehe! :-D – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 13:42

Didn't know I could sign up for notification by phone, that's cool. I do read newspaper on their website, there's no public notices. Also went to town website and state health department website, there's nothing. I don't have any sort or Tv service, not since the Dtv change. Not that I watched tv anyway. – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 13:47

Well in that case, it sounds like they are dropping the ball somewhere. Or your elderly neighbor was possibly incorrect? The EPA sets pretty strict requirements for notification in these situations. A lot of it depends on the size of the community you live in and what media is available. You might want to call the department and just verify if you actually are under an order and find out how they notified people. If you really think they are not getting the word out, call your State agency and let them know. It is very serious. – Kelly Jun 19 at 13:53

There is boil water order, just the old lady reads the newapaper and watches Tv, she must have found out that way. The shop keeper in the nearby store also asked me if I knew about the water. It's good that i can (hopefully) be put on a "call me" list, so I'll ask about it tomorrow.I'm pretty sure they just assume everyone has tv, newspaper, and so on. Of course, the people on welfare always seem to have high speed interenet and full cable tv channels, so I can see why they'd think that, x__X – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 22:41

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sage_ · Answer 5 · 2012-06-19 15:24:24Z UTC

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if you are not getting timely notification of contamination in your water supply a good UV system would kill off whatever pathogen is in the water. have they told you what type of contaminant it is? it could be bacteria or virus or parasite. some of these can cause eye/skin/ear infection if you use the water for bathing/showering.

answered Jun 19 at 15:24

sage_
10.3k●1●5●22

Whoa, that's awful. Now I wish i'd taken more cod liver oil and vitamin d to boost immune system- Silly girl I am! The neighbor lady said it was something that can cause kidney damage so looking around online it must be e-coli. Gross. – a mesmerizing trickster Jun 19 at 22:44

trjones · Answer 6 · 2012-06-19 15:30:43Z UTC

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Don't do it. Boiling isn't paleo.

answered Jun 19 at 15:30

trjones
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Boiled Water Order

6 Answers