H2O Science – Page 25 – MyWaterEarth&Sky

Water that families use for drinking at campgrounds and isolated areas around the country where there is no Municipal water supply or EPA standards relies on the owner of Private Wells for safe potable water supply. The standards are somewhat different for private Wells around the country. To be safe, EPA recommends that Campers and RVs have their own treatment system. What are the Best RV Water Filter Systems? According to EPA, look for a reputable filter with a pore size of 0.2 microns or less. This size removes microbes & bacteria that are larger. Filters are broken into 2 classifications: Absolute 1- remove microns that are Giardia & Cryptosporidium microbes. Absolute 2 type removes part of the microbe. Wells are normally filled with groundwater. Water that seeps down through the soil and gets trapped in pores and spaces above the dense rock barrier is called Groundwater normally is used at campsites around the country. Water Filter Systems and Giardia Groundwater can easily become contaminated at any time with germs like Crypto when septic tanks fail or farm runoff happens. Septic System is by law restricted to around 250 feet from a drinking well source. This won’t always be the case everywhere you go. Giardiasis is the most commonly diagnosed intestinal parasitic disease suffered by travelers in the United States. Giardia is a disease caused by a microscopic parasite that feeds off the animal or person in order to survive. The parasite lives in the intestines and it is passed and spreads in animals like deer, beavers, and even dogs, and cats. Giardia can survive outside a host body for months and can be found in every region around the country and the world. There are other bacteria and contaminants that affect Well systems. These contaminants are washed into the well from overflows from groundwater infiltration that is hard to monitor at the source unless it is found in the scheduled testing that should be done at campgrounds. The problem is groundwater finds its own way in and at different times during the year. EPA is responsible for overseeing the Public Water suppliers along with Well water providers where water filtration systems remove them. These happened under Community providers but Campground is listed under Non-Communities and therefore not under the watchful eye of EPA and Drinking water standards. How Does Well Water Get Contaminated A private well uses groundwater as a water source. Most Campsites use their own Private Wells to supply Water to campers and RVs. They are supposed to have them sampled but most can use them a while before they are sampled by Health Departments and/or Private Laboratories. There are many sources of contamination of groundwater that eventually end up in wells supplying campsites or RV/Trailor Parks. It’s important that you have water Treatment Filtration inside your RV or Camper that can isolate the Campsite’s water from your own. Naturally occurring Chemicals and minerals like Arsenic, Radon, & Uranium. Sewer Overflows Fertilizer, Pesticides from Farms, and Livestock feeding Operations. Manufacturing Processes Failed Septic Systems Best RV Water Filtration Units Most RVs and Trailers are headed on the road this season to find the peace and solitude of the Great Outdoors. The woods are awesome in late summer or fall. Americans love to camp and live for a short time in Nature enjoying the smells, views, taste, and feel of outdoor living. Nature comes with a few obstacles that always need to be addressed during your time away from the real world. One is Clean water. Always taken for granted but in the scheme of things a very important necessity for living at the or of the grade. EPA recommends that you should use a Water Filter when traveling and drinking water from water systems that are not under control and aren’t considered Community Systems. Some treatment filters are more suitable for good contaminants than others would to remove parasites like Cryptosporidium Reverse Osmosis Water Filters. According to EPA, You should look for a filter with a pore size of 1 micron or less. This will remove microbes that are 1 micron and larger that are in the water being processed. The Filter is broken into 2 classifications; Absolute 1- This classification will consistently remove microns that are Giardia and Cryptosporidium microbes. Absolute 2 type – will only remove part of the microbe. Water Filter label Designed to Remove Crypto and Giardia Labeled with (any of these 4 messages) on the package Reverse Osmosis (with or without NSF 53 or NSF 58 labeling) The absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller (with or without NSF 53 or NSF 58 labeling) Tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for cyst removal Tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 or NSF/ANSI Standard 58 for cyst reduction Water Filter Labeled with these words May Not be designed to remove Crypto or Giardia The nominal pore size of 1 micron or smaller One micron filter Effective against Giardia Effective against parasites Carbon filter Water purifier EPA approved (Caution: EPA does not approve or test filters) EPA registered (Caution: EPA does not register filters based on their ability to remove Cryptosporidium) Activated carbon Removes chlorine Ultraviolet light Pentiodide resins Water softener Chlorinated This 1 micron should be of interest to you on the road and staying at campgrounds that use Well Water for potable water supply. Water Filters that are reputable will have these contaminants tested, certified, and labeled appropriately. Water Filter label Designed to Remove Crypto and Giardia Labeled with any of these 4 messages on the package Water Filter Labeled with these words May Not be designed to remove Crypto or Giardia There are other Contaminants Found In Well Water. Arsenic, Hepatitis A, Lead, Nitrate, Radon Salmonella, E.coli, and more besides Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Water Filters should have these contaminants and more listed on the label. along with removal rates. To filter all the water, you will need a filter that is attached to the hose and filters all the water going into the holding tank of your RV or Camper. You may want to consider an RV inline water filter. RV inline water filters screw directly on the water outlet and then attach to the hose which runs to the camper from the campsite’s water supply. I would recommend the In-line fill, Water Filter, as a pre-treatment for sediment. Then a Reverse Osmosis Filter inside your RV for drinking and cooking. MyWaterEarth&Sky’s Choice Clearsource Premium RV Water Filter System Pristine Water. Unparalleled Water Flow. Built-in Stand. On Amazon check for the price. Featured In 2018 TrailerLife Magazine’s “Essential Equipment For RV Camping” Gear Guide. And now with NEW industry-exclusive all-stainless steel rotating female inlet fitting! 5-micron 2.5 x 110-inch first-stage filter removes sediments. .5 micron 2.5 x 10-inch second stage filter removes chlorine, volatile or volatile organic compounds, cysts, giardia, and other contaminants. Abundant Flow Water PRO-Alpha 4 Stage Mikro Alpha Portable Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System with 75 GPD Membrane4 Stage Portable RO System Great for cabins, campers, RVs, motorhomes, and apartments 75 GPD membrane produces about 2-3 gallons per hour and Provides 96-98% effective contaminate removal, including chlorine, fluoride, salt, and many others The RV Essential System Essential RV Water Filter System with Hose Fittings – Premium RV Water Filtration System with Cyst Removal Removes cysts, sediment, and chemicals from your water before it enters your RV Heavy-Duty, Lead-Free Hose Fittings Premium Filter Housings All Filters are included with a spare 1 micron. The Essential System has been the best seller for RV Water Filter Store for many years. This system comes fully assembled and ready to use with hose fittings for easy connection to the external water source. The two-canister system houses a 1-micron sediment filter to remove floating particulates down to 1 micron, then a class 1 modified carbon block filter, which removes cysts (giardia and cryptosporidium), Chlorine, VOCs, taste/odor issues, and pesticides. EPA Water Testing These Water Filters can be used in RVs or Campers anywhere Reverse Osmosis Treatment is needed. The inline hose adapters let you fill your main water tank pre-treating as you fill the tank then that water supplies a Reverse Osmosis Treatment system that will treat your drinking and cooking water. This will ensure clean fresh drinking water for miles to come. With cost savings, you will see over time. the RO filters have the necessary classification with EPA Standards needed to take out parasites like Cryptosporidium and Giardia from water supplies. These contaminants may be questionable among the other contaminants that find their way into well systems through groundwater infiltration. Now you shouldn’t have to worry. The Hose Filters are inexpensive and will last more than a few fill-ups. The Reverse Osmosis filters mentioned here through Amazon, are medium-priced and easily installed or like the Berkey don’t need to be installed. I have one and think it’s the best water filter on the market today. It will clean almost anything you need to be cleaned. You can run a river or creek water through it with no worry. It's Gravity fed and portable so you don’t need to use it indoors. The cheaper Inline filters that reduce sediment and chlorine contaminants along with bacteria and particulates like this one from Camco TastePure have a higher flow rate and can last a whole camping season can improve the taste of your drinking water supply before it comes out of your faucet on the inside of your RV. The set comes with two high-tech filters. They are incredibly inexpensive for the job they do. I have a few around my house for my Hydroponic garden. It makes so much sense to use these in conjunction with a higher RO filter system inside your camper. These filters remove sediment and particulates that can interfere with the filtration involved with Reverse Osmosis. They adapt t a garden hose and can be used everywhere you would think of using your hose. Boats, RV, Campers, gardens, washing the dog, you name it. The filters can kick-start your clean water supply and add life to your main purifier which should be the Reverse Osmosis system. They can get costly if your well water which is most likely your supply water at the campsite contains sediment or particles which most do. It just makes sense to pretreat the incoming water before you purify it. When the Hose Filter gets clogged just change and add the spare While the water flowing in the streams and rivers of the backcountry may look pure, it can still be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other contaminants. When planning camping or hiking, it is important to remember your water needs. There are many approaches you can take to provide yourself and others in your group with safe water for both drinking and sanitation. With the availability of excellent water filtration units either portable or home systems. The tools are here and in place to ensure clean fresh drinking water. There is no need not to have it. We still need to educate ourselves not to be naïve to think that all water is clean just because it flows from a faucet or hose at a campsite, gas station, or even a restaurant. The truth is that a lot of public places today have what the EPA calls Private Water Systems water that doesn’t meet the criteria to be considered safe and the providers are not under jurisdiction to report to State or Federal agencies. Even though they may try to do the right things. What was safe last month, might or might not be safe today. Having been sick myself by what was probably Crypto or Giardia infection(Beaver Poop) in the well water at the Pocono Mountains 40 years ago. I wouldn’t want to go through being that sick again. I know my family still talks about how sick we all were. Back then, Nobody knew why. JimGalloway Author/Editor References: Center for Disease Control and Prevention -What are Public Water Systems. EPA –Ground Water and Drinking Water