[Kartographer]

This is some very serious S#!%. I just talk to a Berkey Water filter Rep and this is what she told me:

Nicole 15:49
At this time, we haven't have data for Microcystin. It is a toxin produced by the bacteria. So even though the Black Berkey Elements can remove 99.9999% of bacteria, we cannot be certain it will remove this toxin. Therefore, we cannot recommend using the Berkey Elements to filter water contaminated with Microcystin.

If a Berkey Water Filter can't make it fit to drink I wonder how it ever will every be fit to drink! Berkeys are used to make good drinkable water by many people working in third world hell holes were passable water is what we would call sludge. Looks to me that the excrement has collided with the rotating air circulator!

[machogirl]

That doesn’t sound good at all.

Usually, they just blend it with untainted water until it is under the EPA PPM levels. Unless it’s something really bad.

[Eagles6]

I would be diverting my down spouts into the rain barrels. Should be safe after being filtered through the AquaCera Ceracarb or even the Sawyer Mini.

Wonder how much of the rainfall around there contains evaporation from the lake and if the rain could still hold the toxin?

[Iron Munro]

I knew something was going to happen.

Yesterday I cleaned out the garage and tossed 4 dozen empty 2 liter bottles.

[FreedomPoster]

Yikes! That’s SRS BZNS!

[Taxman]

Boil first, and then through the Berkey?

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Thx for the Ping...here is a copy of a post (discussion) on another Toledo Water thread:

To: EBH
I did read the entire thread, and I want to add my own two cents.

I work in the pool industry. We routinely computer test our clients’ water to balance the water chemistry (for optimum chlorine, salt, non-chlorine). One of the test we routinely run for chlorine/salt pools is for phosphate levels. The last two seasons we have had remarkable 2500+ ppm phosphates reads on FRESH FILLS (new pools or pools getting replacement liners). This is tap water! We learned that our water authority (as many municipalities do) adds phosphate to our drinking water to (and this is the OFFICIAL term used in literature) “DE-GUNK” our old infrastructure. I cannot help but wonder if this routine procedure is ADDING to HABs like this.

Also, for the preppers, make sure you read labels if you use pool grade dry chlorine (shock) for water purification. ONLY calcium hypochlorite should be used—DO NOT EVER USE a tri-chlor shock for water purification to potable standards.

96 posted on August 2, 2014 at 11:03:56 PM EDT by PennsylvaniaMom ( Just because you are paranoid, it doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you...)

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To: PennsylvaniaMom
We learned that our water authority (as many municipalities do) adds phosphate to our drinking water to (and this is the OFFICIAL term used in literature) “DE-GUNK” our old infrastructure. I cannot help but wonder if this routine procedure is ADDING to HABs like this.

I bet you are right. Years ago, I did some work on clarifiers. The curse to the sanitary departments was phosphates. That was the only thing in their process they could not remove and the big push was on to get it out of detergents. Those levels are insane. I think you are on to something more than the stock excuse of farmland runoff.

During college I also worked for a pool company in Pittsburgh. Did a lot of lab work. Testing was much more primitive and slower in those days. I can only imagine the equipment now.
97 posted on August 2, 2014 at 11:16:57 PM EDT by PA Engineer (Liberate America from the Occupation Media.)

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To: PA Engineer
Our computer testing (Pinpoint) is fairly sensitive. My employer has used several different phosphate testing methods (as again, we were/are getting INSANELY high phosphate readings. They ALL registered at the same levels). Worse concentrations, fresh fills. The multiple suppliers that we buy from have ALL had Phosphate Remover stock issues.

For places/areas/pool owners who don’t get water professionally tested, high phosphate levels (ie, no chemistry used to remove from suspension) it would be called “high chlorine demand.”

[ronnyquest]

Here we go. I hope we are all prepared, should this turn into the main event.

Consider all the items of interest happening around the world right now, specifically as those impact the USA. Remember, too, that our military is woefully inadequate to protect us from a concerted effort to destroy us.

[tpmintx]

Berkey, or any other, water filters will not get this. Boiling makes it worse because it only concentrates the molecule. This thing is a molecular toxin, not a bacteria or a virus.

I'd consider distillation to be safe. Any reverse-osmosis setup for desalination should work as well, but that's a guess.

Most camping/backpacking water filters are set up for making creek water into drinking water, think dirt and bacteria. If your creek has this toxin in it, it will go right thru the best filter. That's what happened to the city of Toledo.

There was some research presented a few years back on using activated charcoal to help to capture this toxin as part of a membrane filtration system (think utility-scale, not something you can do at home) but I cannot find any followup to that research.

If I were in Toledo, I wouldn't be much longer.

[Old Sarge]

I noticed that for Ohio, the governor declared a state of emergency, and there’s a DO NOT DRINK order out - not just a boil-water advisory, but a DO NOT DRINK warning.

Who here has water plans in place that could handle such a situation?

The Bride and I are reviewing ours - which we now see is sadly lacking...