Water Quality - Totally Off Topic

[Mr. Bloom]

Years ago, I actually read the annual water quality report that came with our bill. I recall a comment indicating that federal standards allowed for chlorophyll coloring in the water...which I took to mean it could be a bit green.

Other than a brief visit to Greenville Mississippi where the water is "tea colored" , I had never in my life seen coloration in tap water. When we moved to a semi-agricultural area of Southern Indiana, I noticed a tinge of color in the jacuzzi...which prompted me to read the water quality report...but it never bothered me.

Tonight, I'm staying in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. My room has a garden tub...and I took a hot bath in the squeaking clean, white tub.

Guess what! Very green tinted water! In the heart of the 12th largest city in America!

So, it got me thinking...is the coloration due to organic matter in the water or due to refraction of light?

[crazycanuck]

Hmmm..umm..I have no idea

I've not seen funny coloured water since i visited my aunt in Smoky Lake, Alberta years ago..

I hope someone will be able to help ya Mr S..If not, your friendly local water dept might have the answer.

C

[bmccasland]

Mr.Sliver - there's probably *something* in your water. Although most algae doesn't grow very well in chloronated water.

Come down to the bottom of the Mississippi and share a glass with me! We drink the treated/resued water from 1/3 of North America, farm run-off, and for final seasoning there's petroleum/chemical alley just up river. Thirsty yet?

[solobiker]

In the spring and fall if the water treatment plants change their source water, which they often do, that could change water quality. And in the spring and fall, if wherever the water comes from also changes because the water in the lakes turn over. That would be my and DH's thoughts. He is a water engineer, and I grew up on the water and saw the changes seasonally. High tannins (tea colored) in the water mixed with chlorine (for disinfection) can created harmful byproducts (cancer causing). These byproducts also have to be monitored. All of this could be less of an issue depending upon what your municipality uses for disinfection of the water (chlorine gas, hypo-chlorite, ozone, etc) Also what type of pipes are in the hotel. Old rusted galvinized pipes. I am sure you know that , Well that is all I have for you.

[singletrackmind]

Water quality reports for some areas can be found online...might do some snooping if you're in the mood.....or feeling daring.

[boy in a kilt]

Chances are if you didn't get burns from the water, and aren't sick then anything that could've been in the water probably won't kill you for another twenty years. By that time you will have forgotten about green water in a bathtub.

Now, for a quick primer on water color (my MS thesis was in Optical Oceanography).

Water color depends on the wavelength of the scattered light. The absorption spectrum of water peaks in the red wavelengths (to include infrared which has a bunch of other ramifications) and has a minimum in the blue wavelengths.

As light passes through water, the red gets absorbed first and the blue gets absorbed last. Whatever wavelength is left after it makes the trip from the source to your eyes is the color you see. If both you and the light source are above the water surface, it's a round trip. Any other combination is basically a one-way trip.

For the nerds in the audience, the scattering mechanism is largely due to vibrational modes of the water molecule and is therefore, inelastic.

Coloring due to other stuff like chlorophyll and dirt is due to a combination of the scattering and absorption of the material in the water.

[sandra]

Mr. Silver, we moved here almost 20 years ago from right outside of Greenville. We had that colored water way back then! It stained everything!

[Mr. Bloom]

Thanks all. You've sated my curiousity. I actually learned something...

For Sandra's entertainment... After flushing the toilet three times wondering if there was something wrong with me , I noticed the placard on the bathroom vanity at the brand new Hampton Inn in Greenville Mississippi @1999:

If you're wondering why our water's brown

It's the deep well aquifers under our town

You can bathe and drink without fear

'cause no one lives longer than the folks around here.

[OakLeaf]

As if I needed any more reason to refuse to move off our spot of land where the water is delicious and tested completely chemical free.

[Hub]

'They' say The water in greenville is 'tea colored from all the cypress trees . . . . we lived there for 3 years before moving (snort) north to Cleveland (MS, of course).
Our water is clear.
What were you doing in our neck of the woods Mr. Silver?, it's not exactly a vacation spot!

[silver]

'They' say The water in greenville is 'tea colored from all the cypress trees . . . . we lived there for 3 years before moving (snort) north to Cleveland (MS, of course).
Our water is clear.
What were you doing in our neck of the woods Mr. Silver?, it's not exactly a vacation spot!

Hey, hub, I'll answer for him. We lived in Memphis from '93 to '00. I think he had a customer there that he went to visit with.

We're pretty familiar with most regions Southern. Grew up in Birmingham. Lived in Nashville from '86 to '93. My parents are now in Gulf Shores, AL and they are from there so we've always visited. Many drives from Memphis to Birmingham and to Gulf Shores, traversing your great State. My sister lives in Arkansas now.

He's been draggin my northward kicking and screaming since I met him 24 years ago.

[Hub]

Hey those are some of my favorite towns- Memphis and Gulf Shores- which you must know is a suburb of Foley! I love Riveria Center!

Anywho- I was just checking !

[Blueberry]

As if I needed any more reason to refuse to move off our spot of land where the water is delicious and tested completely chemical free.

We'll hope it stays that way

Sadly, more and more aquifers are becoming infiltrated and polluted. As an aside, who knows what's in our water. The test results are never good for our city water, and we've been tested as having very high lead levels in some areas of town. Plus, I live in a house built in 1912. Yep, we use a pretty hefty filter.

CA

[bmccasland]

I repeat, come have a glass of water with meeeeeeee! It is absolutely scary the number of petro-chemical plants that line the Mississippi River between here and Baton Rouge. Especially at night, when you see their lights beaming from the swamps.

edit: um, sorry, I was in a "wetland value assessment" meeting all freaking day. Got home at 7, missed my bike ride and everything. I'll just quietly go to my corner.

[Mr. Bloom]

hub: Memphis has the BEST water in the world. I even recall that soft drinks were cheaper there simply because their production required less treatment and filtration. Germantown was the favorite place we ever lived. But gosh, going from Greenville to Cleveland????

bmc: wow! we take a lot of things for granted. It's been years since we've visited New Orleans (1985 when Hurricane Juan hit)... I struggle with all the efforts to ban bottled water when I hear stories like that.

Years ago, my cousin on the North Shore of Boston got a water bill every month with the disclaimer: "This water is not fit for human consumption". WOW! 20 years and $10billion later, they've now separated the sanitary and storm sewers and I believe their water is drinkable again!