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Should I harvest berries grown under "recycled" water?

 
pollinator
Posts: 517
Location: 7b at 1050 feet, precipitation average 13 inches, irrigated, Okanagan Valley
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I was walking through one of the town parks this morning, and noticed there were a fair number of ripe saskatoon/serviceberries on the bushes. I ate one. Then I saw the sign reminding me that the park was irrigated with water not intended for human consumption.
In your opinions, should I...

a) go to the hospital immediately

b) I should be fine but probably shouldn't harvest those berries

c) take a bag down to the park with me tomorrow and collect a bunch of berries, make sure to rinse them when I get home, and enjoy?
 
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Location: Pacific Wet Coast
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I think I'm going to suggest, "it depends". Any idea *what* recycled water is being used? Water that's been through a processing plant, water that's washed dishes/hands etc.. It's not likely to have unusual levels of toxins like lead, or they wouldn't be allowed to use it. Even really high levels of pathogens and the health department would probably give them grief.  Lastly, *how* is the irrigation being done - in other words, is the water being sprayed on the plants, or is a lot splashing on the plants?

a) maybe if you feel you're severely immune compromised. Otherwise I'd wait and see.

b) I would try to determine some of the issues I mentioned above because "the dose makes the poison".

c) If it turns out that the only real risk is pathogens, I would go ahead and harvest but *only* to make something like Jam that gets really thorough boiling. If the water is not being sprayed on the fruit itself, I'd still tend to cook them, but not worry about boiling the heck out of it.

Just my thoughts - I'm not a biologist!
 
Vera Stewart
pollinator
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Location: 7b at 1050 feet, precipitation average 13 inches, irrigated, Okanagan Valley
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Your thoughts make sense.

I believe the irrigation is quite vigorous, although it might not reach the higher branches.

I'm not sure it would be worth the effort to me to make jam (or similar) so I will leave the berries for the birds.
 
pollinator
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In the SF Bay Area, the non-potable water used for irrigation was processed water from the sewage treatment plants. I would suspect this is true in many areas. Americans have funny ideas about  this kind of grey water hence the required notice of "non-potable". I wouldn't worry about it unless immune compromised and that's only because it would be better safe than sorry.
 
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