We have just been told that our yard water (well water ) is unsuitable for us to drink or even wash our hands in !! Horses have been stabled here for 4 years and are ok . Is it safe .
I don't know about that specifically but I personally would be concerned. Is it that the well/water supply has been checked recently by water company and e coli found - in what quantity - did a lab/person give an indication of how severe it is? My horse has just had a horrible salmonella infection in his sheath, the vet thinks splashed on to that area from either contaminated water or ground in field or on yard. Could it be that something's leached into the well recently as with the water table being so high, we were wondering if anything had streamed into the grazing field from fields nearby that might have been fertilised by human slurry, or something as simple as dead bird or something left by a fox etc or a leaking septic tank. The lab report showed profuse salmonella. With so much rain and flooding I expect things are being washed about where they shouldn't be. I think with mine it's been just an unfortunate splash from something as no other horse has been effected and he grazes in a herd of 10 and unfortunately it's a yard with not great hygiene procedures, standing water etc.
Someone did say to me that all these bacteria are present all around us but conditions change whereby they get going in quantities they shouldnt' which is when they cause problems - we've had such funny wet but very mild conditions followed by very cold I suspect things are out of kilter at the moment. With regard to risk of me getting salmonella I've had to disinfect everything, change all his bedding and wear gloves all the time whilst treating him for it and my hands are raw from using constant antibacterial soaps and gels!
