PJ
I don't we need to be overly worried. Here is a listing of the process municipalities use.
http://water.nv.gov/Water%20Planning/dic...-index.htm
Purification (Water) — Steps taken to eliminate impurities and pollution from water.
Purification Process (Water) — The sequence of steps taken, beginning with unpurified water, which results in
purified water delivered through a water system to the ultimate consumer. This sequence would normally include
most or all of the following:
[1] Begin with unpurified water;
[2] Screening – removal of leaves, sticks and large foreign material;
[3] Pre-Chlorination – removal of disease organisms, bad taste, and odors;
[4] Pre-Settling – settling out large dirt particles;
[5] Flash Mix – a process in which chemicals are added to cause fine dirt to clump together;
[6] Coagulation/Flocculation – a process in which flash mix particles are gathered and made even larger;
[7] Sedimentation – a process in which gravity is used to settle out the large particles formed in
coagulation/flocculation;
Filtration – removal of any remaining particles; water is at least 99 percent particle-free at this point
in the process;
[9] Final Chlorination – removal of any remaining disease organisms and adds necessary chlorine to
prevent microbe regrowth in the distribution system;
[10] Corrosion Control – a step in which chemicals are added to neutralize the corrosive effects of “soft”
water systems, thereby preventing damage to plumbing and fixtures;
[11] Finally, effluent pumps send the purified water to residential, commercial, and industrial
establishments.
Purify (Water) — To rid water of impurities or pollution. See Purification Process (Water).
Note that it's basically chlorination and filtration. We might not add chemicals to boost the filtration part, but a multisatge filtration system will work.
I'd also recommend that Water Treatment section of the catchment reference be read in its entirety as pulling quotes out of context possibly presents an incomplete picture.
I really think catchment water can be as safe as public, we just trust that municipal water is OK without really knowing.
David
Ninole Resident