8th World Rogaining Championships
Picture: Marsh
Forum
2008-08-27

water quality

It seems there is a lot of natural water on the course, streams and bogs. Is it flowing water? Is it drinkable? provided we treat it in some fashion.

2008-08-27

While there is a lot of naturally occurring water on the terrain, most of it is not drinkable even if treated by tablets or filters.
The water in the marshes and ditches is not flowing and will look something like this:
http://8wrc2008.rogain.ee/img/album1/photos/photo_6.html
In the streams, the water is flowing slowly.
Therefore we suggest you rely on the water drops. We will mark on the map also two wells, which are in suitable locations on the terrain, increasing the total number of water drops to 7. And you can fill your water packs at the hash house from the taps.

Lauri Leppik
8WRC2008 co-ordinator

2008-08-28

Well, during other longer Adventure Race competitions in Southern Estonia our team and many others have been using natural water for drinking.

For weaker organism it can cause running stomack, but most endurance people can well handle it.

The thing is that the area we are competing is a natural park, that means there is basically no industrial or agricultural pollution. The only thing that can make water undrinkable is really when it is standing water.

So I would say you can judge the quality of water by eye - if it looks clear and clean, then it is probalby drinkable.

At least I am planning to use water from swomp-lakes (hags) even though it can contain much iron and from small streams in hills, which probalby have started from springs.

I would not suggest to use water from flatland man-made didges, wider and slower rivers and bigger lakes with dirty water (as in the picture).

A local competitor

2008-08-28

Having tramped hundreds of kilometers on the terrain this summer while preparing the race, I suggest you use my advise. Indeed, pollution is not a problem in the natural park. The problem is standing water. Most of the naturally occuring water you will encounter during the race is standing water that you will not want to drink.
While in Northern Estonia some bog pools have crisp clear water, here in South Estonia bogs have actually very few bog pools and these are often grown in. The main bodies of water you will encounter on the course are man-made ditches and flooded marshes. There are only few streams on the terrain, and these will actually look quite similar to wider ditches. There are no quick-flowing streams originating from springs with clear water on this terrain.
The water is clear in bigger lakes and you may consider drinking from the lakes, but often that would mean some extra hundred meters.
Again, it is strongly advisable to carry a water pack and rely on the water stations and wells.
At the same time, as hot weather is very unlikely, water consumption will likely be relatively low.

Best wishes,
Lauri Leppik


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