Louse In Drinking Water

[RooF]

I wanted to share my experience and see if

-anybody had similar experience

-anyone had an opinion of how the problem is coming about

-any solutions they suggest

I live in a permanent mooring, and get my water from a water point on the tow path. I believe this is drinking water as you would expect. 
 

I have a large kilner jar which I fill for my drinking water (I use my water supply to the tap for everything else, I like the idea of my drinking water being freshly filled every few days and not sitting in my tank for a few weeks. I understand that’s not what everyone does, but I’d ask that we don’t discuss this aspect as that’s not what I want to discuss here, start another thread if you wish). On three occasions over the past year I have found there to be some kind of water louse floating in the water. My theory is that they have hatched in the water as I’ve never seen them crawling around the boat or outside near the water point. 
 

Has anybody else had this issue? Do you have a solution? It’s clearly doing me no harm but it is admittedly a bit gross. 
 

Thanks all

[LadyG]

I used to take water samples from numerous sources and never came across this.

I suggest you add  two bottles of thin bleach to a full tank, leave it overnight then flush through till it no longer has any taint. 

I would use a water filter jug for a few weeks, then try a test sample which is left in corner of the boat for a week.

I  never drink water straight out of my tank. It's not the best idea.

PS after adding the bleach the water should be undrinkable if not add another bottle of bleach.

Milton is for rinsing babies bottles, it is not strong enough to sterilise water tanks. You can also buy Puri tablets, more scientific. 

Shift any sediment by putting hose to bottom, with high pressure, even use a big stick, but don't drop it in as I did!

Edited February 24 by LadyG

[BEngo]

How is the water tank vented?  If it vents to the outside the lice may be getting in that way. 

 

If so stuff scotchbrite pad into the vent, or fit it with a gauze like a diesel tank vent.

 

N

[Jen-in-Wellies]

This is what the strainer ahead of the water pump is for. So you don't find out what is living in your water tank! Out of sight, out of mind.

The water has to be healthy, if there are so many wriggly things happily living in it.

I've read the OP's post a couple of times and can't decide if they are saying the bugs are coming straight from the shore water point, or from the on-board tank.

[LadyG]

Make sure you always run  water through your hose before you fill tank. 

Edited February 24 by LadyG

[RooF]

Oh sorry if I didn’t make this clear. This water has come straight from the shore point and is going straight into a kilner jar with a tap, which I get glasses of drinking water from. The water tank on the boat isn’t involved, at least in this case. The reason I think they’re hatching from the water is that I’ve never seen these bugs crawling around in or near the boat, so even if they could some how crawl into the jar, I don’t think they have.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

8 minutes ago, RooF said:

Oh sorry if I didn’t make this clear. This water has come straight from the shore point and is going straight into a kilner jar with a tap, which I get glasses of drinking water from. The water tank on the boat isn’t involved, at least in this case. The reason I think they’re hatching from the water is that I’ve never seen these bugs crawling around in or near the boat, so even if they could some how crawl into the jar, I don’t think they have.

Perhaps it's a new profit maximising ploy by the water companies? Instead of dumping untreated waste in to rivers, which some people have inexplicably objected to, they've connected the outflow direct to the water supply. This gives us a fully circular, recycled, green (and smelly) water supply and sewage system. Bonuses all round!

[system 4-50]

Flush the tap before filling.  Flush the hose fully before use.  Put a filter on your water tank's breather.  Avoid drinking the stuff,  drink alcohol.  Fill bath with ass's milk.  Think that covers it.

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, RooF said:

Oh sorry if I didn’t make this clear. This water has come straight from the shore point and is going straight into a kilner jar with a tap,

 

 

I thought you were perfectly clear, and thats the way I read it.

 

The bugs are hatching in your drinking water 'kilner jar'.

[tree monkey]

16 minutes ago, RooF said:

Oh sorry if I didn’t make this clear. This water has come straight from the shore point and is going straight into a kilner jar with a tap, which I get glasses of drinking water from. The water tank on the boat isn’t involved, at least in this case. The reason I think they’re hatching from the water is that I’ve never seen these bugs crawling around in or near the boat, so even if they could some how crawl into the jar, I don’t think they have.

If that's as you suggest straight out of the tap something is wrong and the best thing to do is contact the water supplier direct, not CRT.

 

I'm struggling to see how this is possible considering how many processes the water goes through tbh but if that is from an actual drinking water supply the supply company needs to know

[David Mack]

Bugs in the public water supply are not unknown.

https://www.osmiowater.co.uk/worms-in-tap-water

I would report it both to the local water company and to CRT.

[Tracy D'arth]

Crayfish?

[MtB]

25 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

I thought you were perfectly clear, and thats the way I read it.

 

The bugs are hatching in your drinking water 'kilner jar'.

 

This seems improbable with no food supply. 

 

How do they grow so big on nothing?!

 

Hopefully one of our wildlife experts will identify the bugs shortly, then an examination of their life cycle might suggest how they are getting into the OP's drinking water.

 

 

Edited February 24 by MtB

[magnetman]

1 hour ago, RooF said:

 

I live in a permanent mooring, and get my water from a water point on the tow path. I believe this is drinking water as you would expect. 

 

Why do you believe it is drinking water? 

 

I'm slightly intrigued by the reasons behind this comment. I personally think that there are circumstances where a tap may not in fact provide drinking water especially if it was originally installed for cleaning out portable lavatories. 

 

Report this and have it clarified. The result may be attachment of a notice indicating it is not drinking water. 

 

 

Another approach is to boil the water and if you want a cold beverage have cider or beer. 

[Alan de Enfield]

Fresh water shrimp

 

[magnetman]

Choking hazard. Field day for the ambulance chasers. 

[Rincewind]

These could be Fresh Water Shrimps (cant remember the technical name) but you would have to identify them to be certain.  They used to be quite common in the water supply pipes if the disinfection regime was ineffective - or at least the larvae of the shrimp used to be commonly found.  

When water flows from the service reservoir into the service pipes it is injected with chlorine to kill any bugs on its journey to your taps.  When chlorine mixes with water it turns into an acidic mixture that dissolves the bugs. (which is why Mustard gas containing a high proportion of chlorine, when mixed with body moisture, blinded and destroyed the lungs of soldiers in the first world war) -  

Water companies are increasingly moving away from injecting chlorine gas and injecting Sodium Hypochlorite instead which has the same effect but is less of a hazardous substance to handle and store.

The further the distance is from the injection point, the less effective it becomes and often - but not always - booster stations are provided to inject more gas / hypo if sampling indicates it is necessary.

If the tap you are using is at the end of the pipeline the solution may be depleted and the bugs will flourish   

Fresh water shrimps are not considered harmful and swallowing them or their larvae should not do you any harm but should not be in the water supply as this indicates that other more harmful bacteria could flourish.

I suggest you get the water from the tap tested by the relevant water company. 

 

[wandering snail]

Had this comment on FB: these occur after a lot of rain,the excess water dilutes the chlorine ( meant to kill them)In embryo form they pass through the 5 micron filtration capacity of our friends at the water board and grow in the pipes. If you have a Brita filter it will take them out,they might gum it up quicker, they are unpleasant but non toxic

Edited February 24 by wandering snail

[GUMPY]

I have this vision of the water tank being full of them possibly a breeding colony, as after all it's filled from the same tap 😱

You would never know as the pump filter would stop them reaching the tap 😉

[ditchcrawler]

4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

I thought you were perfectly clear, and thats the way I read it.

 

The bugs are hatching in your drinking water 'kilner jar'.

Thats my thoughts as well, When I see people refilling bottle from the tap because they wont drink out of the tank I wonder how well and often they sterilise those bottles 

[LadyG]

13 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

I have this vision of the water tank being full of them possibly a breeding colony, as after all it's filled from the same tap 😱

You would never know as the pump filter would stop them reaching the tap 😉

If there is a physical filter this could increase the number in the tank. I didnt know every pump has a filter, maybe a coarse sieve to stop grit?

4 hours ago, tree monkey said:

If that's as you suggest straight out of the tap something is wrong and the best thing to do is contact the water supplier direct, not CRT.

 

I'm struggling to see how this is possible considering how many processes the water goes through tbh but if that is from an actual drinking water supply the supply company needs to know

Some of these waterpipes will never have been inspected or tested at point of use, especially those out in the country. Mains water will not be sterile at the point of use, and it will only be chlorinated at a monitored site,  nevertheless, it should not contain bugs which will cause tummy upsets, but anything like water tanks, or cooling towers, air conditioning processes can lead to a build up of nasties.

Edited February 24 by LadyG

[magnetman]

I suppose thinking more positively it could be a bit of extra protein. 

The stomach acid would presumably break down the invertebrate's ability to move about. 

 

I think there will be occasions where a tap water supply does not come from municipal mains. It may come from a spring or a well or landfill site. 

 

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

4 hours ago, Rincewind said:

I suggest you get the water from the tap tested by the relevant water company. 

 

If the tap gets tested and is found to have a problem which do you think is more likely to happen?

1. Extra water treatment is installed, so the water reaching the tap is free of bugs.
2. A sign placed on the tap saying it is Non Potable Water.
3. The tap is removed completely.

Answers on a post card...

[GUMPY]

3

 

[magnetman]

It could just be lousy luck.