Water issues

Living on a lake this summer, we obviously have water issues.

The water here comes straight out of the lake, goes through a filter and then through a uv filter. It is supposed to be drinkable at this point, and you wont die or get sick if you happen to get some in your mouth in the shower, or brush your teeth in it by accident, but it's not really drinkable. To feel safe about drinking it, we boil it on the stove for 10 minutes, and then we use this water to make tea (yup, we boil it again for tea) and to give a final rinse to veggies. We drink bottled water most of the time.

But, since i have been up here, the water in the white toilet bowls has looked kinda yellowish. My cousin went down to the basement the other day, and all of this clanging and banging and swearing ensued. It sounded like she was battling a demon or something. When i went to see what was happening, she had the filter container off the system and was washing it. We had had the water guy out a week ago to try and make sure the water line was down on the bottom of the lake, and he must have kicked up a lot of dirt.

The filter container was full of mud. icky, sticky, lake bottom mud.

Now the water in the toilet bowls is nice and clear. There is still a lot of mud in the tank, but it will have "settled" by now apparently. ewwww.

I am a little worried about the few showers I have had here now. We have had a flock of Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks living on the beach for awhile now, and the water line is not that far out from the beach. And judging by the amount of droppings they have left on the beach, i am sure just as much is going in the lake. Also, we found evidence of beaver in the swamp. Yeah, i am sticking to bottled water as much as possible.

At least it is not like the cottage we used to rent across the bay, where we had to collect our water from a spring in the bush on Martin Short's property and boil it.

Needless to say, personal hygiene has taken a strange turn. I brush my teeth with a glass of bottled water. I only have two showers a week, where i wash my hair. I basically just have a sponge bath in the morning and then try to get in swimming as much as possible (yes, in the icky lake water). I have bought biodegradable soap and shampoo in case it ever gets warm enough i can have my bath in the lake. Likely right on top of the water intake. The weather has not been co-operating though, and we have only gotten in swimming every few days. I don't think I stink or anything, it is just not what I am used to.

It is amazing to realize that I can get away with way less washing, and water, than I use at home, and not feel gross and dirty. Oh, we really are spoiled with our access to an overabundance of clean water in the city!