I read a short piece on a new trend, drinking " raw " water. Yes, raw water. That is what they are calling water taken directly from the ground and drinking it ! No treating that water, no chlorine, no fluoride or bromine added, just throw it right back. By all accounts the scientists say this is a dangerous thing to do. Well, little did I know I was living a life of danger for the first 18 years of my life. Now I'm singing that song in my head, secret agent man, odds are I won't live to see tomorrow. But I had to chuckle bit as I read that article. Yes, drinking contaminated water isn't good for you, glad 21st century science has figured that out and warned us. Raw water is pretty dangerous stuff and we are indeed fortunate that our ancestors survived at all. Guess that is why they watched where the animals drank their water from. If the cow didn't die, it was good.
After reading that I was reminded of the time I helped drive a well point. In the basement of my house there was a well point that supplied the water to our house. At one time the point collapsed as they are apt to do after years of use. That collapse necessitated driving a new point. Now, if you don't know what that is I'll explain. A well point is exactly what it sounds like, a steel point that is fastened to the end of a pipe. It's purpose is to penetrate the ground until you strike water. I'm certain you have seen a well drilling rig. It doesn't really drill a hole, it just pounds the point into the ground. The water table wasn't that far down at my house. I really don't remember the depth but remember reaching that depth. You see, I was the well drilling rig, myself and my brothers that is. Dad set the point were he wanted it and we took turns driving it in. We used the same device you use to drive a fence post with. That is basically a slightly larger pipe that will fit over the piece being driven. It has a heavy weight on one end. All you have to do is pick it up, drop it. Just do that a few thousand times and the pipe, along with the point is driven into the ground. Just add sections of pipe as necessary. Dad knew about where to expect water and when we reached that depth he dropped a line down there. If it comes back wet, it's water. Once you have water, connect the pump. We were modern folks and so had an electric one, automatic too, just open the tap and water came out. Our neighbor had the hand style pump in his house, like you see on television.
And so we pumped that raw water right outta the ground under our basement. We drank it, cooked with it and bathed in it. We didn't have it tested or treated in any way. Dad tried it and said, tastes good to me, and that was that. Times were simpler back then and apparently very dangerous. I remember getting fresh eggs from Gramps free range chickens. Well not exactly free range, they were in a coup with no hope for parole. Had a few of them chickens for Sunday dinner a time or two as well, not even FDA approved. Guess we really were risk takers. And the seafood, we aren't even going to talk about the seafood. It is an amazing thing that I survived all of that and see-saws ! Well I remember riding in the back of the station wagon and going to the beach were I ate beach plums right off the bush. We were like animals just foraging off the land and drinking raw water wherever we found it. Whew, glad I made it to the 21st century where all I need to worry about now is not eating tide pods ! And we have government warnings and infomercials about that ! Raw water, what were we thinking ?
After reading that I was reminded of the time I helped drive a well point. In the basement of my house there was a well point that supplied the water to our house. At one time the point collapsed as they are apt to do after years of use. That collapse necessitated driving a new point. Now, if you don't know what that is I'll explain. A well point is exactly what it sounds like, a steel point that is fastened to the end of a pipe. It's purpose is to penetrate the ground until you strike water. I'm certain you have seen a well drilling rig. It doesn't really drill a hole, it just pounds the point into the ground. The water table wasn't that far down at my house. I really don't remember the depth but remember reaching that depth. You see, I was the well drilling rig, myself and my brothers that is. Dad set the point were he wanted it and we took turns driving it in. We used the same device you use to drive a fence post with. That is basically a slightly larger pipe that will fit over the piece being driven. It has a heavy weight on one end. All you have to do is pick it up, drop it. Just do that a few thousand times and the pipe, along with the point is driven into the ground. Just add sections of pipe as necessary. Dad knew about where to expect water and when we reached that depth he dropped a line down there. If it comes back wet, it's water. Once you have water, connect the pump. We were modern folks and so had an electric one, automatic too, just open the tap and water came out. Our neighbor had the hand style pump in his house, like you see on television.
And so we pumped that raw water right outta the ground under our basement. We drank it, cooked with it and bathed in it. We didn't have it tested or treated in any way. Dad tried it and said, tastes good to me, and that was that. Times were simpler back then and apparently very dangerous. I remember getting fresh eggs from Gramps free range chickens. Well not exactly free range, they were in a coup with no hope for parole. Had a few of them chickens for Sunday dinner a time or two as well, not even FDA approved. Guess we really were risk takers. And the seafood, we aren't even going to talk about the seafood. It is an amazing thing that I survived all of that and see-saws ! Well I remember riding in the back of the station wagon and going to the beach were I ate beach plums right off the bush. We were like animals just foraging off the land and drinking raw water wherever we found it. Whew, glad I made it to the 21st century where all I need to worry about now is not eating tide pods ! And we have government warnings and infomercials about that ! Raw water, what were we thinking ?
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