UKC

Back in the summer a friend and I headed up to Craig yr Ysfa and Carnedd Llwellyn via the access track up to the Ffynnon Llugwy reservoir. As we reached the reservoir we could hear the sound of fast flowing water and decided to take the opportunity to fill up the water bottles. After locating the source of the water it turned out to be a large outlet pipe, presumably from the reservoir (location approx SH 693 623)

Now I don't know about you but drinking water of unknown origin spilling out of an industrial pipe didn't fill me with confidence. However it was a hot day so we decided to fill up and hope to find a better source higher up. We also reasoned that had we not seen the source and come across the fast running stream this pipe was creating 50m down the hill we'd have probably drunk it no further questions.

It was a very hot day, no further water sources were forthcoming higher up, the water was drunk and neither of us had any ill effects.

That said, is there any way in general of knowing the suitability of drinking water coming from pipes? I would assume raw sewage would not be tipped out by the gallon onto the hillside and its proximity to the reservoir would suggest simply run off from there but I am not certain of these things.

The pipe itself was blue.. does this mean anything or is there any other markings etc which imply the quality of water coming out of pipes?

Anyone know if this particular source is ok, or whether we were just lucky not to get dysentery or the like? Cheers.

In reply to NorthernGrit: Apart from the very occasional sheep that drowns in the lake which adds a bit of flavour - the water quality will be far better than that the comes out of most taps in semi detached suburbia

In reply to NorthernGrit:

Oh aye, I've no problem drinking water off the hill but I'm talking about drinking water coming out of a great big pipe origin basically unknown. I would assume the water was coming directly and untreated from the reservoir but sometimes assumptions get you in bother.

In reply to NorthernGrit: yes it's the overflow pipe

In reply to NorthernGrit: Blue normally means Potable water, but I wouln't excpect that to apply up there, as it's beyond the treated network. As said, it is more than likely a reservoir discharge. There certainly isn't any sewerage up that way, or strange industrial discharges. The water is likely to be as OK to drink as the stuff out of Ffynon Llugwy.

In reply to NorthernGrit: I have forwarded this thread link to welsh water company. what you did was theft and now Giardia (or other water-borne disease) is the least of your worries!

Cryptospiridium probably the worst of your worries if there are sheep about. Not very nice!

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

It wasn't theft, it was a loan. I gave it back to Wales later in the day. (Not into the reservoir though, don't worry.)