h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yeah, had it all sorted then dinner call, then try to post again... all all awry.



Daughter has 10 acres in a Rural District. Their water comes from their own well (it's only 30metres deep, not the 100 I said).
Lovely water, fed from all those aquifers coming down from the Western Alps. To be envied in its quality and quantity.

Except, in the last few weeks they've had a whole-family sickness, as have neighbours. It's being attributed to the water. Overly irrigated land seems to be to blame, with great swathes of it under cattle.


I'm just trying to contribute to the talk... Garden of Eden stuff, but.
We were in a position to be envied by half the world but mankind's blindness, stupidity and closed-mindedness has buggered things up, even here.

Has the water been tested?

That's interesting Rod. Nitrate pollution or pesticide run off wouldn't make you sick 'that way' - so it must be a more direct source. But 30 m down is some way into the ground water...

sprout

Being tested, Keith others have been and there doesn't seem much room for doubt (and none for peace of mind).

Yes, a long way down, sprout. They asked for 100m but the driller said 'only' 30 would be ample. The best formal figures I've found say wells down to 150m - I've been told more than 200 on rising land towards the mountains.

Nitrates, pesticides - not been mentioned.
Much of the area is river stones with a layer of distinctly clayish stuff (don't know how deep but in one part of their garden not less than 300mm/1ft) and of poor quality.
After the latest glaciers retreated those stones would have been formed and spread around by the rivers swishing about like hose-ends - our braided rivers are some indication.

Guilt is aimed at the dairy and meat herds, of which there are aplenty. Pending (dis)proof, I'm in agreement. There have been warnings and attempts at irrigation restrictions since we first visited some, oh, nine years ago - and getting more frequent.

These irrigation machines, great long chains of big (Big) sprayheads may be commonplace elsewhere but were completely outside my experience (and I've been about a bit). Also the apparent length of spraytime.

So Rod, I'm still not clear on what your saying.
I know the big sprinklers your talking about as we have them not too far from my place, are you saying that cow poo is polluting your well?
What did the tests show up?

Rod

Is the well lined or just drilled.

There was an ecoli outbreak in the states some years ago which was traced to water company wells on a dairy ranch.
the wells were not lined or the lining had failed ( I don't remember which) and heavy rain had basically washed cow shit into them through the topsoil.

Also that outbreak affected other local wells once the bugs were in the ground water, so your daughters well may not be the faulty one.

Could also be waste mil from the dairy farm. It's not widely known, but milk is a horrendous pollutant. Discharge a tanker of the stuff into a river and watch the river die.

Insert missing 'k' as you see fit...

Is the well lined?
Don't know

What did the tests show up? (or what 'do' they - they're regular).
Nitrates & so on but nothing in the way of E coli or suchlike.

If you're interested enough, skip/skim this for a basic feel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollution_in_the_Canterbury_Region
(and no, 'twasn't me that's modified it!)
(and your point is taken, Winnoch - the 2012 prosecution)

- Nitrates & so on but nothing in the way of E coli or suchlike -

... so far...

Well well well
I've clogged this one up haven't I?

But still, I'll finish it off with two reports...

1. Despite there not having been fault found with tests, Dorty is getting $5,000 worth of filtering equipment - paid for by the Red Cross. Yes. (Presumably because of their two little boys).

2. There has been hoohaa going on in Waimakariri about our treated water. Waimakariri District Council has written to us all:
... Council approved the proposal to discontinue the chlorination of the Rangiora [my town] Water supply. The dosing ... will cease [end Nov].
... remain functional ... if required in an emergency ... continue testing ... quarterly testing of the source water and weekly testing of water in the reticulation ...

The letter goes on in some detail on what you should do, Now, (ie check and clean) if you have a header tank in the house.