[Microbiology] Re: Repeat performance to the tee; Safeway Water contaminated? Coliform bacteria? Same as 2003 incident posted! Have specimen in Chicago

[John Gentile]

On 2007-10-14 23:32:59 -0400, "Kevin Dixler" <kd from dixler.com> said:

> Please respond; we have no one else to go to at this point!  The motile
> living organism was found in another 2.5 gallon container of Safeway water,
> today!  We have a specimen if there is a credible source that can retrieve
> and evaluate it.
> 
> I want to thank you for piquing my curiosity on a posted a question.  We
> purchased a bottle of Safeway brand of supposedly RO water under the Safeway
> label.  Approximately 10 gallons was purchased for my son's science
> experiment, but each bottle was 2.5 gallons.
> 
> In the third bottle, while pouring, an animate and peculiar object was
> motile and swimming around in our glass measuring cup.  We ended our work
> this evening.  The organism was flat to some extent and segmented. When I
> peered into the 2.5 gallon plastic Safeway water container, there was at
> least another similar motile segmented organism that appeared to be the same
> species.  They are quite large, visible to the human eye, and look almost
> like a segmented clear tape with round ends like a mini 'tapeworm-like'
> paramecium.
> 
> Based upon someone's knowledge of biology, the trade, and the fact that this
> demonstrates an apparent carelessness, can anyone "guess" or "speculate"
> based upon you or your organization's knowledge whether it may possibly be
> the above or something else?  It was an extremely bazaar experience for us.
> Does someone credible have an interest in evaluating the specimens before
> they die off?
> 
> This e-mail, below, posted in 2003 by G. M. Voeth to Lesley Robertson is
> completely consistent with our experience with Safeway water on Sunday
> October 14, 2007.  We kept the 2.5 gallon container to preserve whatever
> specimens are left.  This was a rather disgusting experience and the details
> were deja vu.  We have no idea what is in the bottle, but it was definitely
> motile and is being sold at the Dominick's Foods, a subsidiary of Safeway,
> on Howard and Clark in Chicago, Illinois.
> 
> This is a link:
> 
> http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/microbiology/2003-May/022240.html
> 
> We were curious if this is something to alert authorities to.  They are
> selling this stuff and no one has been hurt, yet, but we were pouring the
> stuff on our kitchen counter.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> 
> Kevin Dixler
> 

Without a picture it is hard to figure out what the organism can be. 
However bottled water is probably one of the worst frauds in our 
country right now. These companies take good clean tap water, take the 
chlorine and flouride out of it and sell it as a healthy alternative. 
All it does is allow bacteria and other microbes a chance to live in it.

Some companies use well water or spring water, but without any kind of 
preservative like chlorine you can get the same thing. Now the 
environmentalists are looking at the amount of plastic used for bottles 
and the fuel and polution used in distribution. And how much do you pay 
for a gallon of bottled water versus tap water or your own well water.

If you don't like the taste of chlorine then get a filtering system, 
but don't waste money on water!

-- 
John Gentile
Newsletter editor
Rhode Island Apple Group