Hi everyone can any one advise us please on a recent visit to our casa i found 2 dead birds in our cisterna and it was a little smelly probably due to the birds floating in the water is the water safe to use for showers still and also are there any chemicals we could or should add to it to make it safe we do not use it for drinking only showers and washing up etc also what are the risks of catching legionaires from a cisterna the pevious spanish occupants used to drink the water although we would not thanks

Hi Mark
thanks sounds like good advise we will empty it and get a water delivery next time we are out any ideas where we can buy the correct chemicals in the tortosa and what qty we should add to the cisterna it is appx 3000lts
Thank you
jon

Hello, the cheapest way is to put some bleach in the cisterna. Check the label as many say suitable for  drinking water. I use one called Lejia Lecasa. It is in a yellow bottle and I buy it from the local agro co-op. You can probably buy it or something similar in most supermarkets - just read the label first

You must be very careful with water quality not only for drinking but also for showering and cooking. One of the few problems is legionella but there are also ear and eye infections and skin irritations. Why risk your families health!
Legionella live within amoebae in the natural environment. Legionella species are the causative agent of the human Legionnaires' disease and the lesser form, Pontiac fever. Legionella transmission is via aerosols — the inhalation of mist droplets containing the bacteria(via showering). Common sources include cooling towers, swimming pools (especially in scandinavian countries and other countries such as Northern Ireland), domestic hot-water systems, fountains, and similar disseminators that tap into a public water supply. Natural sources of Legionella include freshwater ponds and creeks. Chlorine is only a short term help and must be monitored closely.

It is far better to get a water purification system like we have  which is chemical free and doesn´t use electric plus no maintenance. Just install it and forget about it! It even makes river water safe not only to shower but to drink!

See www.purewaterspain.com for more details where you can have a system for your entire water supply or a smaller one for under the sink.

when we came out here 9 yrs ago we brought with us a filter system which has been in place ever since, with new filters fitted every 6 months. We've never had any problems with drinking cisterna water.  These filter systems are now available here in Spain but check out this coy's website for what the filter does and does not do for your own satisfaction.

http://www.pozzani.co.uk/

I sympathise with the cistern problem as I also have had to use cisternas on my finca in the past. However I would like some things made clear from a previous post. Are you,Pip, solely a concerned finca owner or do you have an interest in Purewaterspain(PWS).
You state that osmosis units produce "dead water" but surely this is innacurate if,as you say, the units don't remove bacteria. And how is pure filtered water"dead"?

I seem to remember Reading an advert for the proposed filtration system(please correct me if I am wrong as it was a few years ago) that suggested osmosis units didn't do the job as they needed a carbon filter which struck me as odd because I knew for a fact osmosis units do come with a carbon filter.
For the record I am solely a concerned/interested finca owner. I have nothing against PWS and use an osmosis unit myself and have friends who have used them for several years with no problems so I am interested in the answer.

On a separate note, with Hazelnut seeming quiescent for awhile I sincerely hope I am not becoming the forum grump and hope that this post doesn't sound to pompous.
Bruixot

I've installed a few of the Seagull units and also the reverse osmosis systems.  I can't comment on the water quality from either but I assume it is good (I've drunk it!)

The significant difference is that the reverse osmosis units (such as the ones sold in Bauhaus and some ferreterias) work very slowly and have a small (5 or so) litre reservor and are only really meant for drinking water. They have their own tap and are usually fitted under (or near) the kitchen sink. 

The Seagull units are designed to supply water to the whole house and are connected in the main water pipe from the cisterna.  You will barely (if at all) notice any difference in the flow of water from the taps so water in any part of the house is safe for drinking/showering.

The Seagull units are installed with 3 normal filters of reducing particle size before the main filter.  These filters are only to remove particles from the water and although aren't essential help to prolong the life of the main filter in the Seagull unit.

Nigel

Hi Mark

Here are just a few reviews other than the blog link I sent before.  Also the system as I understand it works on the quantity of water passing through so it would be installed after the water leaves the cisterna and as it enters the house. This means if you are not there it is not used but will start working again when you return and you use the water so there is not a problem if you only spend part of the year here.

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-82329-10.html
http://www.productreview.com.au/showitem.php?item_id=57273
http://bestbuyledhdtv.techcalendars.net/seagull-iv-x-1f-ca-drinking-water-filter...
http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com.au/

Here is the information about reverse osmosis and what I called dead water where the water is tripped of all natural minerals therefore removing all the goodness our body needs:

Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration Systems
This is a process that exposes water under pressure to a semi permeable membrane with a very fine pore structure. Because most inorganic contaminants have a larger molecular size than water, the membrane rejects certain contaminants, minerals and a large part of the water. The portion of water that passes through the membrane is stripped of inorganic compounds and trace minerals. Because many synthetic chemicals, such as herbicides and pesticides are smaller, molecularly, than water, a reverse osmosis system must also be used in conjunction with a carbon filter. Reverse osmosis systems require adequate water pressure and extensive maintenance. Because most point-of-use reverse osmosis systems produce less than 1 gallon per hour, they require a diaphragm storage tank. Reverse osmosis typically wastes 2 to 3 gallons of water for every gallon it produces and costs 18 to 24 cents per gallon. Often these products are marketed by using a demonstration that measures the TDS (total dissolved solids), and implies that this measurement shows the systems effectiveness at removing contaminants. TDS meters measure the dissolved minerals in water, primarily calcium and magnesium, and have little or nothing to do with contaminant levels or water purity. On a more scientific level, there are several credible research reports and books that stress the more recent opinion that long term consumption of de-mineralized water can in fact be dangerous. Two very negative things happen when we consume water that has been stripped of its natural minerals. First, because de-mineralized water contains more hydrogen it is an acid, with a pH below seven. Any time we consume an acid substance, our body will pull minerals from our teeth and bones to produce bicarbonate in order to neutralize the acid. Second, it has been proven that when our body fluids become more acid than alkaline the production of free radicals increases, causing increased cancer risks.

Pip