Oh no, bacteria in my local water.

kaylo · 04/22/2009, 07:45 PM

I just had to post this because I found it pretty humorous.

I was questioning if the RO/DI water I had made and putting in my tank because of hearing about a "bacteria" in the local water. We're being told to boil our water before drinking so I naturally freaked out thinking I was putting something dangerous in my tank.
I did a check on what was going on and this is what I read:

"Residents of ten Cities and Towns in central Connecticut are being advised to boil their water because of the presence of microorganisms. This includes the city of Hartford and several surrounding towns.

The Metropolitan District Commission says microscopic organisms called "copepods" and "rotifers" have been found in the drinking water distribution system for Reservoir No. 6 in Bloomfield."

Free food for my tank? hehe

Does a RO/DI unit remove these from water as well?
Should I worry about a high chlorine content to come in my tap water soon?

laugh · 04/22/2009, 08:11 PM

I'm almost positive your RODI unit will remove 100% of these pods and rotifiers. Pretty sure the only things that will get through the RO membrane is a small amount of trace elements that are dissolved at a molecular level.

kaylo · 04/23/2009, 10:20 AM

It's kinda funny hearing everyone here freak out over "polluted" water. You'd swear there was rat poison in the water by the way people are talking and buying up bottled water.

Damn media hype.

widmer · 04/23/2009, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by laugh
I'm almost positive your RODI unit will remove 100% of these pods and rotifiers. Pretty sure the only things that will get through the RO membrane is a small amount of trace elements that are dissolved at a molecular level.

almost positive? If the membrane's (insert-any-number-here)-micron prefilter will pull out sediment, I'm pretty sure it rotifers or pods can't get through there...

kaylo · 04/23/2009, 03:05 PM

I also use the RO/DI water for drinking. I fill up those 5 gallon poland springs bottles and use them on the dispenser. I can taste the difference in the pure water and it helps me to not have to flush my unit as much.

I'm not too concerned about the drinking water. The announcement now says that there is no known effects from drinking the water, but they still want you to boil it for a minute before drinking.

I was just wondering if the city water was feeding my tank with copapods and rotifers, but it sounds like they are getting filtered with the ro/di.

RichConley · 04/23/2009, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by widmer
almost positive? If the membrane's (insert-any-number-here)-micron prefilter will pull out sediment, I'm pretty sure it rotifers or pods can't get through there...

You're also proceeding to dump freshwater organisms into a high salt environment.

don't worry about it.

laugh · 04/23/2009, 05:18 PM

Haha I didn't want to come off sounding like I was putting the OP down for even asking if the RODI unit would remove them from the water. And who knows the condition of the RODI unit

kaylo · 04/23/2009, 05:54 PM

The unit is not even 2 months old. =)

luther1200 · 04/23/2009, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RichConley
You're also proceeding to dump freshwater organisms into a high salt environment.

don't worry about it.

That is 1 reason to definetly get them out. Because they would die and add extra nutrients to the water. I doubt it would be a lot, but still who would want to add any extra nutrients.

ChuckLawson · 04/23/2009, 08:06 PM

Not to add a note of alarm here, but watch your RODI output very closely -- as everyone noted, the freshwater creepy-crawlies aren't likely to bother your tank, but I'd be real concerned about what the city is going to do to your tap water as a result.

Our local water treatment occasionally =seriously= increases the amount of chloramines in our water (our water is from surface reservoirs, and it's prone to cyanobacteria in the summer).

The time before last that they did this, I was trying to diagnose a tank crash when I discovered I had 0.5 mg/l of ammonia in the output water from my RODI (even though it read 0 TDS). I added two extra stages of DI resin, and the last time sailed through without a problem.

I don't know that you'll have a problem with this, but anytime I hear municipal water treatment warning residents about the water, I suspect that some sort of extreme changes in their treatment is just around the corner.

kaylo · 04/24/2009, 07:15 AM

I was actually wondering this as one of the questions in my original post. I figured they would treat with chlorine so I was figuring this would be something I need to watch for.

Funny you should say that you were reading ammonia levels in your tap water. I just changed tanks last week and was fearing a mini-cycle. Last night I tested .5 on my ammonia.
I was thinking a cycle at first, but now you have me wondering about the origin water being the issue. I'm going to test my ro/di water this afternoon to see if thats the problem.

How do you add stages of DI resin? I'm new to the ro/di and haven't researched what it's actually doing.

Thanks.

fsn77 · 04/24/2009, 07:58 AM

The DI stage is the final stage, so it's quite easy to add additional DI stages if you like. You can buy the extra chambers and tubing to do so from just about anyplace online that sells RO/DI units, then connect the output from the existing DI chamber to the input of the add-on DI chamber(s).

See the following link for an example of add-on DI chambers:
http://thefilterguys.biz/ro_di_add-ons.htm

kaylo · 04/24/2009, 08:15 AM

Ahh, gotcha. Thanks.

I just tested for AM in my ro/di water and it tested 0.
Looks like I won't need to add anything to my unit.

I'm going to keep an eye on it as they ok'd to drink the water again. Who knows what they did to the water to clear it up now.

ChuckLawson · 04/24/2009, 01:19 PM

+1 -- I just bought two more filter canisters, two refillable DI cartridges and a bucket of color-changing resin, and added them to the end of the chain.

The other upside is that (after the initial expense) it's cheaper to run over the long haul; I can safely run the first DI cartridge until it has completely changed color, then I refill it, add it to the end of the chain, and bump the other two up.

noahm · 04/24/2009, 02:33 PM

This is hilarious. Our company cleans city water tanks while online. Pods are the least of people's worries. The only reason they even found them is some guy who works for the utilty, found them in his newly installed RO filter.

We have found fish in finished water, various dead animals etc. etc. etc.

The funniest part of people's panic is that the drinking water standards are far more stringent than for bottled water. That can be full of all kinds of crap.

Jane · 04/24/2009, 04:22 PM

Just watch your tank life for a month or so. We had ecoli in our water here last October. The water system was treated with chlorine for 2 or 3 months. I lost some hard coral frags even with a 4 stage RO/DI and avoided water changes during this water treatment time. I'm sure our water was treated much heavier because of the nature of the bacteria though.

kaylo · 04/24/2009, 05:54 PM

Yikes, ecoli. Thats no good.

I'm going to make sure to keep an eye on my water for a while. I still had the unexplained trace of ammonia that was there yesterday and gone today. I am going to assume it was the top off water.

I find it funny that people always rush to the bottled water. I've seen news reports that some of it is way worse than anything ever found in tap water.

Rich D · 04/24/2009, 06:07 PM

ive heard that wal mart sells deionized water really cheap. Im in CT too and just heard about that whole water fiasco this morning. Luckily its not in New Haven area=)

04/22/2009, 07:45 PM	#1
kaylo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 449	Oh no, bacteria in my local water. I just had to post this because I found it pretty humorous. I was questioning if the RO/DI water I had made and putting in my tank because of hearing about a "bacteria" in the local water. We're being told to boil our water before drinking so I naturally freaked out thinking I was putting something dangerous in my tank. I did a check on what was going on and this is what I read: "Residents of ten Cities and Towns in central Connecticut are being advised to boil their water because of the presence of microorganisms. This includes the city of Hartford and several surrounding towns. The Metropolitan District Commission says microscopic organisms called "copepods" and "rotifers" have been found in the drinking water distribution system for Reservoir No. 6 in Bloomfield." Free food for my tank? hehe Does a RO/DI unit remove these from water as well? Should I worry about a high chlorine content to come in my tap water soon?

04/22/2009, 08:11 PM	#2
laugh Member of the Registry Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 1,226	I'm almost positive your RODI unit will remove 100% of these pods and rotifiers. Pretty sure the only things that will get through the RO membrane is a small amount of trace elements that are dissolved at a molecular level. __________________ NORK President Current Tank Info: All gone

04/23/2009, 10:20 AM	#3
kaylo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 449	It's kinda funny hearing everyone here freak out over "polluted" water. You'd swear there was rat poison in the water by the way people are talking and buying up bottled water. Damn media hype. __________________ Hi. My name is Brian and i'm a reef addict. Current Tank Info: 135g tank: 75g sump, Reef Octopus Extreme SX 200 skimmer and marineland 4500 return, 2x Koralia EVOLUTION 1400

04/23/2009, 03:05 PM	#5
kaylo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 449	I also use the RO/DI water for drinking. I fill up those 5 gallon poland springs bottles and use them on the dispenser. I can taste the difference in the pure water and it helps me to not have to flush my unit as much. I'm not too concerned about the drinking water. The announcement now says that there is no known effects from drinking the water, but they still want you to boil it for a minute before drinking. I was just wondering if the city water was feeding my tank with copapods and rotifers, but it sounds like they are getting filtered with the ro/di. __________________ Hi. My name is Brian and i'm a reef addict. Current Tank Info: 135g tank: 75g sump, Reef Octopus Extreme SX 200 skimmer and marineland 4500 return, 2x Koralia EVOLUTION 1400

04/23/2009, 05:18 PM	#7
laugh Member of the Registry Join Date: May 2004 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 1,226	Haha I didn't want to come off sounding like I was putting the OP down for even asking if the RODI unit would remove them from the water. And who knows the condition of the RODI unit __________________ NORK President Current Tank Info: All gone

04/23/2009, 05:54 PM	#8
kaylo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 449	The unit is not even 2 months old. =) __________________ Hi. My name is Brian and i'm a reef addict. Current Tank Info: 135g tank: 75g sump, Reef Octopus Extreme SX 200 skimmer and marineland 4500 return, 2x Koralia EVOLUTION 1400

04/23/2009, 08:06 PM	#10
ChuckLawson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 383	Not to add a note of alarm here, but watch your RODI output very closely -- as everyone noted, the freshwater creepy-crawlies aren't likely to bother your tank, but I'd be real concerned about what the city is going to do to your tap water as a result. Our local water treatment occasionally =seriously= increases the amount of chloramines in our water (our water is from surface reservoirs, and it's prone to cyanobacteria in the summer). The time before last that they did this, I was trying to diagnose a tank crash when I discovered I had 0.5 mg/l of ammonia in the output water from my RODI (even though it read 0 TDS). I added two extra stages of DI resin, and the last time sailed through without a problem. I don't know that you'll have a problem with this, but anytime I hear municipal water treatment warning residents about the water, I suspect that some sort of extreme changes in their treatment is just around the corner.

04/24/2009, 07:15 AM	#11
kaylo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 449	I was actually wondering this as one of the questions in my original post. I figured they would treat with chlorine so I was figuring this would be something I need to watch for. Funny you should say that you were reading ammonia levels in your tap water. I just changed tanks last week and was fearing a mini-cycle. Last night I tested .5 on my ammonia. I was thinking a cycle at first, but now you have me wondering about the origin water being the issue. I'm going to test my ro/di water this afternoon to see if thats the problem. How do you add stages of DI resin? I'm new to the ro/di and haven't researched what it's actually doing. Thanks. __________________ Hi. My name is Brian and i'm a reef addict. Current Tank Info: 135g tank: 75g sump, Reef Octopus Extreme SX 200 skimmer and marineland 4500 return, 2x Koralia EVOLUTION 1400

04/24/2009, 07:58 AM	#12
fsn77 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: SC Posts: 777	The DI stage is the final stage, so it's quite easy to add additional DI stages if you like. You can buy the extra chambers and tubing to do so from just about anyplace online that sells RO/DI units, then connect the output from the existing DI chamber to the input of the add-on DI chamber(s). See the following link for an example of add-on DI chambers: http://thefilterguys.biz/ro_di_add-ons.htm

04/24/2009, 08:15 AM	#13
kaylo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 449	Ahh, gotcha. Thanks. I just tested for AM in my ro/di water and it tested 0. Looks like I won't need to add anything to my unit. I'm going to keep an eye on it as they ok'd to drink the water again. Who knows what they did to the water to clear it up now. __________________ Hi. My name is Brian and i'm a reef addict. Current Tank Info: 135g tank: 75g sump, Reef Octopus Extreme SX 200 skimmer and marineland 4500 return, 2x Koralia EVOLUTION 1400

04/24/2009, 01:19 PM	#14
ChuckLawson Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Plano, TX Posts: 383	+1 -- I just bought two more filter canisters, two refillable DI cartridges and a bucket of color-changing resin, and added them to the end of the chain. The other upside is that (after the initial expense) it's cheaper to run over the long haul; I can safely run the first DI cartridge until it has completely changed color, then I refill it, add it to the end of the chain, and bump the other two up.

04/24/2009, 02:33 PM	#15
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	This is hilarious. Our company cleans city water tanks while online. Pods are the least of people's worries. The only reason they even found them is some guy who works for the utilty, found them in his newly installed RO filter. We have found fish in finished water, various dead animals etc. etc. etc. The funniest part of people's panic is that the drinking water standards are far more stringent than for bottled water. That can be full of all kinds of crap.

04/24/2009, 04:22 PM	#16
Jane Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Bernardston, MA Posts: 210	Just watch your tank life for a month or so. We had ecoli in our water here last October. The water system was treated with chlorine for 2 or 3 months. I lost some hard coral frags even with a 4 stage RO/DI and avoided water changes during this water treatment time. I'm sure our water was treated much heavier because of the nature of the bacteria though.

04/24/2009, 05:54 PM	#17
kaylo Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Windsor, CT Posts: 449	Yikes, ecoli. Thats no good. I'm going to make sure to keep an eye on my water for a while. I still had the unexplained trace of ammonia that was there yesterday and gone today. I am going to assume it was the top off water. I find it funny that people always rush to the bottled water. I've seen news reports that some of it is way worse than anything ever found in tap water. __________________ Hi. My name is Brian and i'm a reef addict. Current Tank Info: 135g tank: 75g sump, Reef Octopus Extreme SX 200 skimmer and marineland 4500 return, 2x Koralia EVOLUTION 1400

04/24/2009, 06:07 PM	#18
Rich D Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CT Posts: 828	ive heard that wal mart sells deionized water really cheap. Im in CT too and just heard about that whole water fiasco this morning. Luckily its not in New Haven area=) __________________ “Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you.” Current Tank Info: 120 display 40 gallon approx. sump