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Have you had your water tested?
There has been some recent discussion about having home water supply tested for MAC/NTM. People seem to be having difficulty finding a resource to have this done. If anyone has had their home tested, could you please let us know a few details? Here are some of the questions, but you don't have to answer all of them - any info you can provide will be helpful:
Which lab(s) did you use?
What was the approximate cost?
What was the sampling process?
What was the turnaround time?
What did you learn, how detailed was the report, and was it understandable to a layman who is not a microbiologist?
Did the lab have someone you could contact directly with questions, either by phone or email?
Overall, how satisfied were you with the test?
Thank you for any help you can give!
Sue
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HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the MAC & Bronchiectasis Support Group.
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Nothing related to water. I would like to use the “Private Message”feature which I’ve done a few times in the past. Now I’m unable to locate the access to that feature. Help! Don
Click on your picture, you will see "Messages" that's it. Or on your home page, the icon (envelo?) next to notifications is your messages if you9on a PC.
NJH did an extensive test here in Hawaii and found the bacteria for MAC/NTM to be in our water supply and soil. Bacteria in tap water, shower heads and in drinking fountains. This was done several years ago. It is a depressing fact that living in Hawaii makes people so vulnerable. Most people are not affected but people like myself sure are.
Hi Thumper, you can find instructions on how to send a private message and much more in the Get Started Guide here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/get-started-on-connect/
The Get Started Guide can be found in the footer of any page on Mayo Clinic Connect. Handy, eh?
Sue, do fruits such as honey dew melons and watermelons,etc. have mac bacteria?
I looked and looked. There is no medical or scientific evidence that anyone has become infected with MAC from food except possibly a few people with AIDS in a small research sample back in 1999.
MAC bacteria is ubiquitous - it's everywhere., you just need to be sensible and avoid the most obvious vectors like hot tubs. Some take a next step or two and drink boiled water or avoid showers.
If we lived our life in perpetual fear of all germs we would need to be in individual sterile bubbles, drink only boiled water and eat only boiled or otherwise sterilized foods. Can you imagine such a life?
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2 ReactionsThanks to Sue, Terri, and Colleen for your constant amazing work, help, and advice on this forum!!
I am currently in a MAC study at UVA. And they have sent soil and water samples from our properties to Dr Falkinham for analysis. I haven’t gotten mine back yet. But Dr. F wasn’t sure a few years ago if UV systems actually killed MAC. When I was diagnosed, we put in a UV system as it’s supposed to kill EVERYTHING and we keep hot water at 140.
I thought if my house water sample comes back negative it will show the UV system works on MAC, but now realize I need to also test water down at the barn (same well) but doesn’t run through the UV light - because if it’s negative also, we won’t know if UV works and just means our well water is clean.
So I will get out barn water tested also.
If UV works, that’s really good to know for MAC as it’s not that expensive to install and beats boiling water and not using ice cubes and taking paranoid showers….
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1 ReactionWell bummer….
I just got those tests back, and I have MAC in our water even with a deep well, UV system, and 140 hot water.
Oddly, my tub and shower water didn’t have MAC
but kitchen and bathroom sink hot water (same room as shower and tub) did have MAC.
Thankfully, I haven’t been drinking the kitchen faucet water as we filter our drinking water through a Berkey filter machine. I am going to have THAT water tested now.
Rats………
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2 ReactionsDr. Falkinham responded and said if there is MAC in biofilm in the pipes, UV won’t kill it. It only kills directly onto the MAC cells. So my water that runs right through the UV is probably clean until it goes through the MAC infected pipes again.
So I guess that must be the same for my 140 degree hot water not killing the MAC.
May I know how to test water?