Checking Bacteria Levels ?

[tony]

I use the amount of residual chlorine 8 and 24 hours after a dose as an indicator for active bacteria in the tub.  If a 3-5 ppm dose still has over 1ppm after 8 hours, and any measurable amount after 24, I feel confident that the chlorine is staying ahead of the bacteria.  Now there could be some chlorine resistant strain in there... but with otherwise clear, no-odor water, I'm not concerned.

On the other hand, if all the chlorine is gone after 2 hours...

A good sanitizing routine will keep your water safe and bug free.  The question specifically was does clear water mean bacteria free water.  You can have unsafe water that is clear.  You can have cloudy water that is safe.  Cloudy water is certainly an indicator of a problem as clear water is an indicator of being maintained.  To unequivically say that clear water is safe water is inaccurate.

Tony,

I have to agree with Reese on this, but you make a valid point as well. Since the question isn't as simple as yes clear water is clean, cloudy is dirty - a great indicator would be put chlorine in a tub and see how much is left after a while, I do this myself. I put minimal amount of chlorine in (about 1.5 PPM) after soaking and many times I have a residue by the morning or even the following night. It may be very light but it's still there. All info that I have read is that bacteria will use up the chlorine quickly as the chlorine is trying to kill it and if the demand is greater than the supply there will be no residue. In the year that I have had my tub, I have had only about 3 times where the next morning there wasn't any chlorine left and I hit the tub with 3 to 4.5 PPM to have a greater kill. I have also soaked in cloudy water that I hit with 3 to 4.5 PPM in the morning and it was still cloudy at night but I still had a chlorine residue (maybe 1 PPM) even though it was cloudy. My logic on that is that if after at least 480 minutes I still have chlorine then the cloudiness if caused by bacteria (and I always assume it is) is a dead cloud.

I will say that I REALLY hate soaking in a cloudy tub.

I, too, am a minimalist.  I use the least amount of  chems possible, between one and two tsp after normal use, along with N2 and ozone.  When and if my ozonator dies, I do not think I will replace...not because I do not think it works, but because I believe it causes as many problems as it helps.

[Bonibelle]

Vinny, I think this would be a cool experiment if we could use the data to draw any kind of useful conclusions.  I really don't think we could...I think that the best way to assure that contamination is under control would be to keep your tub within the correct parameters. Obviously this science has already been done.  Canada, if we really want to do this, couldn't I plate 1 ml. (on surface of agar TSA) plate and do a count at 36 hr?
I think the only value in determining if there were organisms in the tub would be to differentiate between cloudiness caused by chemical contamination (oils, body lotion) or bacteria. I am thinking however contamination by oils and lotion could contribute to bacterial growth...
OK we are thinking too much....it is far too early for this

[Vinny]

Vinny, I think this would be a cool experiment if we could use the data to draw any kind of useful conclusions.  I really don't think we could...I think that the best way to assure that contamination is under control would be to keep your tub within the correct parameters. Obviously this science has already been done.  Canada, if we really want to do this, couldn't I plate 1 ml. (on surface of agar TSA) plate and do a count at 36 hr?
I think the only value in determining if there were organisms in the tub would be to differentiate between cloudiness caused by chemical contamination (oils, body lotion) or bacteria. I am thinking however contamination by oils and lotion could contribute to bacterial growth...
OK we are thinking too much....it is far too early for this

Boni,

I agree!

Also you use bromine and dichlor would be different. I would suspect that your tub would have very little bacteria since bacteria is constantly killing even with combined bromine.

Vinny

[Bonibelle]

Guess we have to find a new experiment...oh darn :-?

[In Canada eh]

Vinny, I think this would be a cool experiment if we could use the data to draw any kind of useful conclusions.  I really don't think we could...I think that the best way to assure that contamination is under control would be to keep your tub within the correct parameters. Obviously this science has already been done.  Canada, if we really want to do this, couldn't I plate 1 ml. (on surface of agar TSA) plate and do a count at 36 hr?
I think the only value in determining if there were organisms in the tub would be to differentiate between cloudiness caused by chemical contamination (oils, body lotion) or bacteria. I am thinking however contamination by oils and lotion could contribute to bacterial growth...
OK we are thinking too much....it is far too early for this

Boni,

    I am not the guy to ask about alternatives to an HPC test.  I am in charge of maintenance at the water plant, I could ask an operator but it looks like you or your husband would know better then they would.  Since the disaster in Walkerton all microbial testing has been done by a 3rd party lab and I think our operators may have lost thier "edge" as far as testing is concerned.   I have to agree with Vinny that it would be interesting to see the results though.  Although I don't think anyone here would want to know them,  100 deg water plus bathers might lead to "yuk"