Is tap water ok?

[MonicaMc]

My birds generally do received filtered water.... fancy fridge that has it's own cartridge and gets replaced every now and then.

The reason for giving it? In case something from the tap could potentially make them sick...

 

[NightEule5]

Am very surprised that nobody mentioned (unless I missed it) that they give their bird filtered water from Brita, Pur, or any other charcoal filtered water.
I just took my 12 week old Conure for his first vet visit and the vet was ADAMANT to not giving filtered water. She said that the charcoal filter does develop bacteria over time and although not un-safe for us, IS for the bird.

That's what I used to use for them, now I use tap water. Although, I wouldn't say it was bad for them because of bacteria though. You have to change the filter every month as it loses it's filtering properties after a while. But I'm definitely not an expert on this topic.

My birds generally do received filtered water.... fancy fridge that has it's own cartridge and gets replaced every now and then.

The reason for giving it? In case something from the tap could potentially make them sick...

Britta seems to claim not filtering your water is bad for humans too. Something about Cadmium or Lead or something. I don't know if there's any truth to that.

 

[Scott]

My historic concern with the local tap water is the profuse addition of chlorine. The water is also fluoridated. I do not doubt that it is technically safe for humans and free of harmful levels of impurities, but for fids? While they are much smaller organisms, they likely consume less per gram of body weight than an average human.

 

[NightEule5]

Ya, that's the main concern. We've watered our chickens with it as long as we've had them though. The only thing they've died from is disease, and we know this for sure because we've had autopsies done (at our local university's lab) and the ones we had tested had visible tumors in them. No chlorine or heavy metal toxicity that we know of.

I'm not sure if parrots are different as far as what would make them sick, but I would think they'd be fairly similar.

 

[SailBoat]

Water has become a Hot Button Topic in North America as recent failures of Government at all levels, including (in the USA) the Lorded EPA, has failed to properly follow testing schedules and to test for specific nationally required chemicals, including chemicals known to be effecting local water sources.

Water testing at all levels of Government has become sloppy!

Note, it is very important to define one's water source!!! If your water source is your personal 'well' or other water source on your property. It is your responsibility to have your water source checked regularly! Wells and other Water Sources change with time and depth of the Well /or surface source(s).

Group, Town, City and/or Regional water sources that have a network of supply piping and a connection to that system to your home places you at the quality effort of your governing group. Those governing groups are required to 'regularly' test the water they supply. The test are to be made available to you either in the form of a yearly report or are publicly provided at the offices of the group.

It is very important for you to know the 'source(s)' used by your group!!! Most groups use a combination of several wells and /or river or lake (surface) water sources. For a very long time, it was believed that well water was safe and that surface water need to be closely monitored. Especially during Spring and Summer as the combination of 'Run-Off' and warm water are sources for a wide cross-section of chemicals and 'bugs.' Over the last 20 twenty years the number of groups with well source water have been reporting ever increasing issues with contaminated wells.

If your group water source is not adding some level of chlorine, you are more at risk of water sourced contamination than a group that is use it. The profuse addition of chlorine is a problem! That commonly occurs from the group not having the proper equipment to determine the amount needed, and /or the equipment to meter that introduction of it. Heavy use of chlorine is ether an indication of seriously contaminated water source(s), a spot treatment resulting from a water pump or main break or sloppy methods of adding it.

Many groups will choose to provide fluoridated water to their customers. The belief is that it can improve the quality of their customers 'teeth.' The good news is that if your group is adding this chemical, they have the testing equipment and metering equipment, which is driven by the expense of the chemical. That means that they also have the equipment to add chlorine at proper levels. Whether this chemical should or should not be added, I have chosen not to address that as part of this Post. The Point Is: If your group is providing fluoridated water and at the same time, providing heavily chloriated water, your group is activity chasing contaminated water source(s).

Note #1: Both of the above chemicals 'off-gas' quickly by simply placing the water is an open contain, commonly as quick as 12 to 24 hours.

Note #2: Regardless of your water source, if your area has known issues with Lead or other contamination issues (chemicals, and /or micro organisms) you need to have your water checked for those additional items. WARNING: There is a ton of junk on the market that have high claims regarding what they remove. If you do not have your water source checked by a Certified Testing Group, you haven't a clue what your filtering needs are! This Certified Testing Group commonly know what issues exist in your area, since they are already providing 'treatment' system targeting those issues.

 

[NightEule5]

I just looked on the MD's (Municipal District) website. It says they send samples of the water at each of their water points every month to a "provincial lab" to ensure water quality. It also says they test these points anually to ensure they meet the "federal guidelines". They don't, however, report to us anything about water quality. They did tell us once that our water point wasn't potable before but is now (after we specifically asked them), but nothing about precise water quality. Maybe there's something I'm missing, but I don't think they report that stuff to us.

Anyway, thanks for the information post!

 

[SailBoat]

I just looked on the MD's (Municipal District) website. It says they send samples of the water at each of their water points every month to a "provincial lab" to ensure water quality. It also says they test these points anually to ensure they meet the "federal guidelines". They don't, however, report to us anything about water quality. They did tell us once that our water point wasn't potable before but is now (after we specifically asked them), but nothing about precise water quality. Maybe there's something I'm missing, but I don't think they report that stuff to us.

Anyway, thanks for the information post!

Someone told you that your water was not 'potable'! Really? Yup, that person is cleanly an expert regarding their water system. Nope!

Anyway, long story short, that information is available to the Tax Payer /User 'on-demand.' Try a major step up the food chain and look for the department head. If you get stonewalled there, call or visit your Municipal District Attorney's Office. If that goes not where, time to visit the local news group and ask them "Whats wrong with our Water? No one at the Municipal District will allow me to see the results of the required testing. What's wrong with our Water?

NOTE: Sugar will get you further than a stick. So apply as you need. But remember, at the end of the day that information is Public!

 

[NightEule5]

Sorry, I just saw this, lol.

I don't know honestly. That was one person, and they might have well been wrong. Not sure. I don't think they've removed the "non-potable" sign. We asked about it, and that guy said, "We should really take that sign off, it's basically potable." Something like that anyway.

They've been shifty/inconsistent with other stuff. My parents went to a meeting once regarding "changes" to the bylaws, which involved becoming more like big city bylaws which doesn't make sense with rural areas. The people were trying their best to answer questions, but they weren't particularly knowledgeable and two people were giving two different answers for a few of the questions. Needless to say, hardly anyone around here likes them (the polite way of putting it, lol).

We could try to push them to tell us more about water quality, but we just don't want to deal with them more than we have to, lol.