# River water - ok to take and use?



## Thorn (Jul 14, 2009)

Hi all, since I moved I no longer have a rain water collection system as have no garden BUT there is a river not too far away and I have been collecting the water in 2litre bottles for using on all my plants, inc any MJs  now to make sure I have been collecting it when no one is around as i wasn't sure..

But, is it legal to take river water?

And, is it ok to give to mj plants?

Thanks, Thorn


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## stevetosh (Jul 14, 2009)

not sure on how legal it is, but if the water sustains life should be cool to use on all plants, thats my guess anyhow.
I once read that if the water is good enough for you to drink then its go to go.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jul 14, 2009)

you should be fine Thorn...maybe run a ph test on it..other then that  maybe comes from natural spring....and its leagle to take river water..well here in the usa it is..take care and be safe girl


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## pcduck (Jul 14, 2009)

I use river water on my outdoor grows. My river is not an industrial usage river(no massive ships or industry). Works great on the plants.


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## Hick (Jul 14, 2009)

Thorn.. I'm betting by definition, every "drop" of that water is _owned_ by someone. In some circles, instances, it IS considered stealing, and is prosecutable. 
BUT.. I wouldn't think that anyone would spite you of a few bottles of water, even buckets... 
those laws are primarily in respect to 'large' volumes of water. Irrigation or other commercial uses. 
  Water is a "precious" commodity here.But I don't believe you are in any serious violation..


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jul 14, 2009)

God  owns the river water...unless posted by a sign...some people want ya to think they are saints..


Good luck *Thorn*


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## Johnnyrotten123 (Jul 14, 2009)

Right Hick, all kinda "diverting" of the water from the canyon in my area. Serious stuff with their crops. I'm pretty sure theres even some stuff about "water' in my land contract. No biggie to me as i'm not a rancher/farmer. Its funny, one week i have a nice stream thru my property, then its gone for awhile. Hatfields/Mccoys country lol-peace


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## Hick (Jul 14, 2009)

4u2sm0ke said:
			
		

> God  owns the river water...unless posted by a sign...some people want ya to think they are saints..
> 
> 
> Good luck *Thorn*


You are absolutely "wrong"...(at least in the western states)... look into water rights 4u.. "adjudicated" water.. 
If you don't think so, just go plug your irrigation pump into a river.. around here. 
hee hee johnny. 
those people diverting that water "own" it.. If you aquired "water rights" .."shares" with your property. They are worth GOOD money.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jul 14, 2009)

I would test the water before I used it on my plants--not all river water is good.  Some has high concentrations of dissolved solids and no one should EVER drink untreated river water.


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## GMT (Jul 14, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> I would test the water before I used it on my plants--not all river water is good. Some has high concentrations of dissolved solids and no one should EVER drink untreated river water.


 
Yep what the nice lady said..

Also be aware that at different times of the year the pH of the water will vary.

Fall and winter the pH in the stream on my property is higher, around pH 9 presumably due to plant matter decaying.
Spring/summer it drops to around pH 7ish.


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## pcduck (Jul 14, 2009)

When using river the ppm's and the ph change all the time due to storms, the amount of rain fall, where you live..ect..My ppm's rise right after a storm due to all the run off. My river water ppm's are less than what my field run off is after a good rain. And with ph,..if you get acid rain that changes it


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## pcduck (Jul 14, 2009)

Hick said:
			
		

> You are absolutely "wrong"...(at least in the western states)... look into water rights 4u.. "adjudicated" water..
> If you don't think so, just go plug your irrigation pump into a river.. around here.
> hee hee johnny.
> those people diverting that water "own" it.. If you aquired "water rights" .."shares" with your property. They are worth GOOD money.



Yes Hick, I have also heard of people living quite comfortable on their water rights.I always believed that, that was messed upped that they can do that. All I can say is I am glad I live by a bunch of fresh water.


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## Hick (Jul 14, 2009)

yes duck.. in some places, water is more precious than gold.. water sustains life..gold only satisfies mans greed..


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## GMT (Jul 14, 2009)

Fella's ye can have all the water you want from ireland just send over a few tankers.
Raining for 21 days straight over here and we call it "summer" , last year we had 56 days rain in a row during the summer it's a wonder us paddys dont have webbed feet and gills.


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## PencilHead (Jul 14, 2009)

I went down to the river to watch the fish swim by;
But I got to the river so lonesome I wanted to die..., Oh Lord!
And then I jumped in the river, but the doggone river was dry.
She's long gone, and now I'm lonesome blue.


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## Friend-of-a-friend (Jul 14, 2009)

If you live in the Eastern United States, then most likely the water is'nt owned by anyone. People can own the land UNDER the public waterways(key words), but not the actual water itself (some exceptions do occur). Either way though, you may want to research the pollutant levels in your watersheds. You may be better off looking for a feeder spring, which if from natural springs or smaller brooks are generally cleaner than the main river.


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## BBFan (Jul 14, 2009)

Hey Thorn- How've you been?

I would be cautious if there are farms or industry "up river".

Heavy metals, fertilizers, etc could easily be in the water.  Just because it sustains life doesn't mean it's pure.

Besides, I once read that because of the long history of dense population, all the water in the UK has passed through the bladders of at least 10 people before you- watch what you drink and what you give the ladies.


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## HippyInEngland (Jul 14, 2009)

I had me a man who couldn't be true.
He made me for my money and she made me blue.
A woman needs a man that he can lean on,
But my leanin' post is done left and gone.

He's long gone, and now I'm lonesome blue.


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## PencilHead (Jul 14, 2009)

I once lived in Savannah, GA and the Savannah River was so polluted from the South Carolinans putting raw sewage into it that the locals swore the fish in it swam backwards.

Why, you may ask.

Drum roll, please: They didn't want to get **** in their eyes.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jul 14, 2009)

I dont Believe Thorn  was asking about droping a sump pump in..:rofl:  are we reading too much into what i type?


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## Hick (Jul 14, 2009)

4u2sm0ke said:
			
		

> I dont Believe Thorn  was asking about droping a sump pump in..:rofl:  are we reading too much into what i type?



I don't think so..


> BUT.. I wouldn't think that anyone would spite you of a few bottles of water, even buckets...
> those laws are primarily in respect to 'large' volumes of water. Irrigation or other commercial uses



I use water from a creek or spring myself..


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## Thorn (Jul 16, 2009)

ruddy internet!

Thanks for all the input everyone, Yeah I'mfine thanks 

The river is mainly fast moving and pretty wide, lots of fish - been trying to teach myself how to fish, not caught owt yet lol

I have been using the water for over 2 months now on my pepper/chilli plants, sunflowers, herbs and money plants and they are thriving. Not tested the water yet though but have been using it on my little ryder mint.

To be honest its the best I've got...I can either use this, boil tap water or buy mineral water. Once I set up my tent properly I'll test it - although the only test I have is a minimal soil/water ph test lol and will see how we go until I can afford something different.


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## Tater (Jul 16, 2009)

Man its water, unless its brown, pink, or smells like a corpse its going to be fine.  You all worry WAY to much.  Also you can drink from some streams no problem, hell some of the water you spend so much money on gets bottled right outta the ground, no pasturization nothing.  If its comming out of a rock face you should be good to go if you want to drink it.  Its funny when city people pretend to know things about the country. 

To answer your question yeah that water should be good to use on your plants, unless you have someone within 5 km of you poisoning it. 

Also little river knowledge test for you all.  How far does water have to travel on average through a marsh type river before it is considered clean again?


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## Thorn (Oct 21, 2009)

Tater said:
			
		

> Also little river knowledge test for you all.  How far does water have to travel on average through a marsh type river before it is considered clean again?



Thanks Tater. Hmm I don't know but maybe quite some way?


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## [email protected] (Oct 21, 2009)

I stayed at a place once that had a septic system that ran to a sprinkler system for the yard. I put a bucket under a nozzle and collected water for a outdoor grow I did when I was younger. Well after 2 weeks it was right under a foot and bushy bushy. Didn't get to smoke any glad now I didn't everybody was kind of weary of it because of the**** water. N-E-Way My mother found out and poured a gal of bleach down the toilet.



			
				Tater said:
			
		

> Also little river knowledge test for you all.  How far does water have to travel on average through a marsh type river before it is considered clean again?


Its depends on alot of factors. A marsh swamp moves slow depending on current and what it is running across it. What is being dumped into the swamp river stream or lake. Traveling over rocks 30-50ft. But in the marsh(muddy) depending on all the tree stumps it has to pass through the water is moving pretty slow at least a mile


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## Heemhoff17 (Oct 21, 2009)

take it from the rivers in MONTANA....dont take it from someones private creek....people get shot at


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## SkunkPatronus (Oct 21, 2009)

4u2sm0ke said:
			
		

> you should be fine Thorn...maybe run a ph test on it..other then that maybe comes from natural spring....and its leagle to take river water..well here in the usa it is..take care and be safe girl


 
Not where i live.  In Washington you can't poke yer toes in a river without having paid for yearly 'ditch rights'.


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## SkunkPatronus (Oct 21, 2009)

Tater said:
			
		

> Man its water, unless its brown, pink, or smells like a corpse its going to be fine. You all worry WAY to much. Also you can drink from some streams no problem, hell some of the water you spend so much money on gets bottled right outta the ground, no pasturization nothing. If its comming out of a rock face you should be good to go if you want to drink it. Its funny when city people pretend to know things about the country.
> 
> To answer your question yeah that water should be good to use on your plants, unless you have someone within 5 km of you poisoning it.
> 
> Also little river knowledge test for you all. How far does water have to travel on average through a marsh type river before it is considered clean again?


 
I would think that if it had a corpse floating in it that it might be even better for your plants


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## the chef (Oct 21, 2009)

Finally something i know something about! My wife does enviromental studies, i can't say what kind or who for, hope you understand. There are many things to consider when using a stream or river. Freind of a friend touched on a real touchy subject up in wash. state, watersheds. They are everywhere and aren't posted with the green and blue sign. Enviromental impact studies are done where there is fish,wetlands,algea,birds, ducks , and geese, etc. These studies are done first by scouts that work for parks and wildlife. These are for proposed highways, housing development, wildlife refuges, etc. All this you can look up in your local p&w website for your state, different laws vary but i can tell you this, All water is owned by something unless it's an ocean,sea, and sometimes even a gulf. If it runs through someones property they have rights to it up till their property boundries, unless wetlands or some damn fish is discovered and then the state takes over your portion of water and a chunk of surrounding area for preservation of some fish or algea you never heard of or care about. If it freeflows like the size of the river it belongs to the state for whatever reason they see fit, usaually prospected bridge sites for higway congestion ease, unless a fungus is descovered then they move up/down stream in *SEARCH*


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## the chef (Oct 21, 2009)

of a new site. These rivers and streams are being inspected more than you think and if any manmade diversion is discovered they call in a team of engineers to find out why. New studies are being done everyday in preperation for bigger and better highway route systems and cover water first above all. getting finger cramps haven't typed this much fer awhile. Just be carefull and track everyprint you make. Gl and green thoughts be with ya!


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## DynaGlideGuy (Oct 22, 2009)

I'd use it, just make sure to get the running not standing water.

Best Wishes
"P"


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