[PLUG-TALK] Ash in Bull Run Water (source for Portland and West Slope)

[tomas.kuchta.lists at gmail.com]

On Mon, 2020-09-28 at 18:02 -0700, Russell Senior wrote:

> What you were seeing in your wash cloth might have been regular
> sediment
> that forms in the pipes, and that is regularly dislodged when they do
> hydrant flushing. My sister, who works for the Portland water bureau,
> says that "black" == manganese or scale or something and said to call
> your water utility to get a diagnosis. Portland has a water quality
> lab,
> and if you were their customer you could ask them to analyze a sample
> for you.
> 
>  "Additionally, our water system pulls water from the middle to lower
>  parts of the reservoirs, rather than the surface, for drinking water
>  use, further minimizing any potential impacts. One way to monitor
> for
>  impacts of ash on the water is to look at the turbidity or the
> number
>  of particles in the water. The Portland Water Bureau has been
> carefully
>  monitoring the turbidity of the water and has not found any
> measurable
>  impacts from the fires."
> 
> And, even if they are lying, it's got to be 99.99% activated charcoal
> ;-)
> 

I absolutely believe that the water is safe to drink - I cannot imagine
that you could see that small amount of <0.3um or smaller particles in
a cloth - sand filters are surprisingly effective at filtering out
really fine particles.

Ages ago, I was responsible for making sure that one huge swimming pool
will be pristine clean after being constructed and filled from dirty
local water source containing not transparent water with dissolved clay
and calcium carbonate sub um particles. The particles would not settle
due to their small size - I got the water analyzed and was assured that
normal sand filter will be effective. One could not see 3' through the
water - sand filter got rid of all of the clout in matter of hours.

That being said - are you sure that the smoke is charcoal and activated
one? I am genuinely curious.

I thought that you make charcoal by heating organic matter in oxygen
depleted atmosphere preventing carbon oxidation. We made it the old
fashioned way (slow burn under wet compacted soil) as kids. Those fires
on TV sure looked like not being starved of oxygen.

If it is charcoal - it would be counter intuitive to me.

Thanks,
Tomas