Plumbed

This weekend has been devoted to setting up the Reverse Osmosis (R.O) water purification system. Although advertised as being idiot-proof to install, it did require significant poking around with the plumbing and I was glad to have some help. It would be fair to say that, in fact, I gave up after 5 seconds and resorted to the deplorable female technique of looking helpless in the face of something that required poking a hole in the under-sink water pipe.

It took two trips to Mitre 10 and involved some terse emails to the supplier, but eventually The Programmer got it running. Apparently you can run pee through it and the end result will be drinkable. I hope we never get that desperate.

Because our water pressure is still dismal after the quake, I was expecting a pathetic filtration rate, but it's not too bad - currently about 4L an hour. It does expel a bit of waste water though, slightly less than it filters, which I didn't realise is a crucial part of the R.O. mechanism. However, as we are not showering, that should more than make up for it, for now.

The water passes through four filters:

* The sediment filter which catches large molecules

* The activated carbon filter, which traps chlorine and other nasties that will ruin the R.O. filter

* The R.O. filter

* A second carbon filter, just in case something evaded the R.O. filter.

The resulting water tastes great. I'm impressed. I can feel it cleansing my system - or perhaps I have an active imagination? Whatever, I could probably handle a bit of placebo effect right now anyway. I've started sterilising and filling my San Pellegrino bottles. Seeing as the HAARP watchers, solar flare watchers, Moon Man and even an Australian psychic are warning that another big one is just a few weeks away, there is no harm in being ready for it. More about all these predictions tomorrow.