Drinking water source for island stay

[ishoot308]

I have had the lake water tested a number of times over the years and it’s always perfect! It has a better PH than bottled Poland Springs water!

Drink up!

Dan

[Lakegeezer]

You may not want to drink the water from some parts of the lake. I've been testing the water quality for UNH for over 10 years and have seen some pretty nasty stuff in the water. One of the tests filters 500 ml through low-micron filter paper. At times, I've had to pump the vacuum over twice as long to get the water through the sludge. The filtered water is then measured for color and while it varies, colorless it isn't. Here's a picture of the filter papers from a variety of testing spots in the north-east part of the lake. In the broads area, it won't be as bad.

[MAXUM]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I have had the lake water tested a number of times over the years and it’s always perfect! It has a better PH than bottled Poland Springs water!

Drink up!

Dan

That testing include bacteria levels? All other things aside I don't think I would be partaking with running that water through a UV filter. You're not that far from the state park beach which has been shut down before for high levels of bacteria.

Not withstanding what you do see - it's what you don't.

[lakershaker]

On the southeast side/end of Rattlesnake, we drink the lake water after filtering, and it is the best tasting water in the world (objective test of everyone who's ever had it...). We have a whole house filter system with 4"x20" sediment and then 5micron carbon, then a UV system. For under the sink in the kitchen, we also have a reverse osmosys system for extra filtering, but that is an extra step and maybe a bit of overkill.

Sediment filter does get full fairly quickly. With daily use, we end up changing it about every 30 days.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by MAXUM

That testing include bacteria levels? All other things aside I don't think I would be partaking with running that water through a UV filter. You're not that far from the state park beach which has been shut down before for high levels of bacteria.

Not withstanding what you do see - it's what you don't.

Of course bacteria levels are checked! What would be the sense of testing the water without testing for bacteria levels?

I do have a full filtration system which includes UV sterilization. When I have water checked however, it is done before any filtering or UV sterilizing, basically straight from the lake. I also test it right from the faucet after sterilizing. It has always tested good and drinkable with a perfect PH. Unlike many, I don’t draw my water on the edge of my breakwater rocks where algae and bacteria tend to grow. I am in approximately 10’ of undisturbed water.

Ellacoya is 1 1/2 miles away and with 200’ of water Depth between. The prevailing NW winds also Probably blow whatever disgusting things humans place in the water over there...

Dan

[Kamper]

Reverse osmosis has brine as a waste product. Too much dumped in one spot is not good for the environment. Dumping it a little at a time, especially after diluting it, may not be a problem.

The most common tablets are "Portable Aqua." I may have the chemical's name wrong but I believe the bottle says 'hydrochloride.' It's the same as chloralhydrate - 'knockout drops,' so be careful about using it with a cocktail. You should not use these for more than a few days. I forget what the side-effects are but they are listed on the bottle. Probably include diarahea.

There are various filters available at stores like EMS/Eastern Mountain Sports (a NH based company) of from the web from companies like Campmor, Sierra Supply and the Mormon supply companies in Utah.

There is a spigot in the cemetery on Paugus Bay. There is a public right of way from the lake to the street which allows access to the grocery store. I'm under the impression the tap is provided by the city of Laconia. Any update or correction would be appreciated.

Good luck!

[Crusty]

When we set up the cottage, we ran a line into the lake out to a 12 - 15 foot depth. We set the intake 2 - 3 feet off the bottom, away from boat traffic. Water goes through a coarse filter (replaced monthly), a fine filter (replaced couple times a season) and a UV sterilizer before going into the tank. Lake water is very high quality --most of the time. The UV sterilizer ensure no bugs get through regardless. That said, just like at home, we drink distilled water and use lake water for everything else.

One thing for which lake water is unrivaled is in the brewing of beer. My Winnipesaukee Whoopie Juice is the stuff of legend, as is Loon Lager (less than .05% loon droppings, by weight). The brewing process guarantees the elimination of all flora and fauna and after a few, you don't even think about water quality.