On Jan 6, 11:15*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Jan 6, 11:32*am, Harry K wrote:





On Jan 5, 2:38*pm, " wrote:

On Jan 5, 5:02*pm, Edge wrote:

Some of the replies raised the possiblities of contamination in
reusing the ground water from the sump well. If there are any oils or
fluids from leaks in cars parked in the driveway, they will be washed
away from the foundation of the house. I suspect that most of *the
water in the sump during our dry summers was from water that
percolated down to the drain tiles from watering plants near the
house. So reusing that water to water those plants again, or the lawn,
seems okay.

However it does raise a point. How contaiminate free is rain water
that has washed off roofs. I have cedar shingles. Don't they treat
them with fire retardants? I suppose rain water might be fine for
plants or lawns, but if you have a vegetable garden use virgin water
and not rain water or ground water.

well theres natural bacteria that eats motor oil, and worn tires too.

which is why the road berms dont have piles of tire dust along them.

so a litte oil or transmission fluid might not really matter, although
probably not a good idea to water vegies with contaminated water

And why not? You _do_ wash them off before use?

Harry K

I wash the outsides but I tend to have trouble getting the water out
of the *inside* of the vegetables.

There are interweb references that state the plants can absorb up to
7% of the lead in contaminated soil.

While the following site is speaking specifically about E .coli, I can
see reasons to follow the same precautions for any type of
contaminated water.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09369.html

"It is important to prevent direct contact of potentially contaminated
water with the fruits or vegetables you plan to harvest. The type of
plant affects how you water. If the edible portion of the crop is
located above the soil, it is better to water with a drip system or a
furrow or flood system than with sprinklers. This will limit direct
contact between the water and the crop. If you have a limited drinking
water supply, save the best water for the period just prior to
harvest. Avoid using potentially contaminated water within 30 days of
harvest."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't think biological contamination is a big problem. Most
organisms dangerous to your health can't withstand outdoor life for
long.
However contaminated groundwater (from septic tanks eg) can be a mjor
problem for wells as it's being sonstsntly renewed from the source

Heavy metals are more of a big deal. I often wonder how much lead we
all were exposed to in our younger days and what effect it has/had. I
wonder too how much lead is still around. Not mention such as
asbestos, cadmium etc.