RE: [compost_tea] Re: Chlorine in Municipal Water
Chuck,
Thanks for sharing the results of your research. Eradicating the chlorine=
for household gardeners seem to be a more challenging venture than I first=
thought. Maybe spraying the water on the soil avoiding the foliage might =
be an option to minimize the effects of chlorine. I am in agreement with y=
ou in regards to the chlorine strips, the results are not precise. I wonde=
r if there is any data that shows the threshold chlorine level in ppm, for =
which micro activity would be unaffected.
In discussing this with others, it was put forward that many home gardeners=
have been producing wonderful produce for years with hand watering using m=
unicipal water. Therein lies my dilemma, we know for a fact that chlorine =
kills the microbes, yet we see many home gardeners producing successful cro=
ps.
I intend to get a filter and carry out a test in which one area would be wa=
tered with municipal water and the other with the filtered water, and see i=
f there are any measurable results.
Cheers
Deight
From: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com [mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com] On B=
ehalf Of Chuck Lund
Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2011 1:15 AM
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Re: Chlorine in Municipal Water
>From my experience, chlorine works pretty much as advertised, it kills bact=
eria. I have seen this under the microscope so am both glad and surprised =
someone has seen conspicuously different results. Now I wonder why? And wil=
l look some more...
I have experimented with lots of filters trying to come up with a satisfact=
ory way to water the garden and have found the inexpensive charcoal filters=
work nearly as well as the very expensive ceramic filters (neither takes o=
ut all of the chlorine - but most of it). The basic problem I found is the=
y are too slow for hand watering and don't last very long either, even with=
repeated back washing/flushing. They need to be accurately tested after a =
few hundred gallons or so.
I tried using chlorine test strips and spa and pool chlorine test kits and =
found neither accurate enough to effectively test chlorinated municipal wat=
er. I now use a Hatch pocket colorimeter for chlorine.
I have also taken water samples from many kinds of sprinklers at various di=
stances and flow rates, and spray patterns. In my experience I found the s=
prinklers that seem to dissipate chlorine most effectively are the small sp=
rinkler heads you can find in hardware stores for use in installing your ow=
n in ground sprinkler systems. They have various spray pattern options and=
put out a fairly fine spray. They have standard pipe threads so will fit =
many ready made sprinklers (or copper or galv fittings) I use quick discon=
nects (for changing spray patterns) and sprinklers from ground level to one=
that is six feet tall. The tall one will effectively spray about a forty =
foot circle. The fine spray dissipates almost all of the chlorine, even on =
the lower ones used for spot watering. Evaporation could be a problem on t=
he taller ones...
I have tried filtering city water for use in making tea and found it unsati=
sfactory. I have also aerated the water and found it actually takes a few d=
ays to get rid of enough of the chlorine to make tea, rather than simply ru=
nning your brewer overnight. It is easier for me personally to harvest and=
use rainwater.
I have run water through vortex tubes/nozzles used by Boeing in their paint=
department but I can not tell for sure if the small amount of chlorine dis=
sipated is because of the vortex action or the simple aeration between the =
end of the nozzle and the bucket. I'll keep working on this one because I b=
elieve it has great potential.
I am also wondering if an aerating shower head could be an effective (getti=
ng rid of chlorine) hose end watering nozzle?
The shower heads with chlorine filters only get rid of about 80% of the chl=
orine - and that is when they are new.
I have not tried simple molasses but will for sure.
Thanks for the thread,
Chuck Lund
--- On Fri, 7/8/11, sue_plezia <sue_plezia_at_yahoo.com <mailto:sue_plezia%40y=
ahoo.com> > wrote:
From: sue_plezia <sue_plezia_at_yahoo.com <mailto:sue_plezia%40yahoo.com> >
Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Chlorine in Municipal Water
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com>
Date: Friday, July 8, 2011, 9:49 PM
Sorry, I don't notice any chlorine smell, either with or without the filter=
, but I have a rather poor sense of smell -- it's got to be as concentrated=
as the chlorine in a swimming pool before I notice it. I did check with th=
e water company, and we have chlorine, not chloramines. I water with a hose=
and will gradually switch to drip, and I have too little space for barrels=
of water for off gassing chlorine. Summer in the desert means I need enoug=
h water to water daily.
I leave a few vases of water sitting in my kitchen window, letting the chlo=
rine evaporate, for watering my house plants.
Sue
--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com> ,=
"Deight" <deight_at_...> wrote:
>
> I took a look at the website for the Chlorgon filter. I would have liked =
to
> see them present some data , such as, a before and after chlorine reading=
.
> How about a smell test, have you noticed any chlorine smell after the
> filter?
>
>
>
>
>
> Cheers
>
> Deight
>
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>
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>
> From: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com> =
[mailto:compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com>=
] On
> Behalf Of sue_plezia
> Sent: July-08-11 4:38 AM
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com <mailto:compost_tea%40yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: [compost_tea] Re: Chlorine in Municipal Water
>
>
>
>
>
> I recently bought online a Chlorgon filter from Charley's Greenhouse for
> both of my water spigots outside. There isn't a noticeable decrease in wa=
ter
> flow. I haven't had it long enough to notice any difference. I've already
> been using a chlorine filter on my shower and a water distiller for drink=
ing
> water.
>
Received on Tue Jul 12 2011 - 13:12:56 EDT
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