Water from Bromiliads

pict

pict

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Jan 7, 2003
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A while back I mentioned a high foggy ridge with little water, dew mainly. I was able to get to the top of it with my daughter this week. It's rainy season here now so there was no problem finding water at the top. We had springs on the slope up until about 50 meters from the top and many seeps and puddles on the summit. We even foud three stagnant ponds on top but it was evil, nasty looking water.

This time I had a syringe and was able to measure the water captured by the bromeliads that grow in abundance at that altitude. For those not familiar with them bromeliads are shaped like a cup and trap water from rain, fog, or condensation.

The average plant held more than 100 ml of water. Some ranged up to 250 ml and others only had about 50 ml. In one patch 40 plants I calculated that you could harvest at least 4 - 5 liters of water.

If the plastic tube was allowed to reach the bottom of the cup the water was very dirty. If you drew the water from the top down it was surprisingly clean. It would still have to be filtered and treated but was quality water.

Just a reminder. A 60 ml syringe and length of tube is a must for high altitude hiking. Without the syringe and tube it would have been very hard to get at much of the water we found. We could have gotten to the water but it would have gotten very muddy in the process.

A small filter is also very helpful. I made mine out of PVC pipe, charcoal, and synthetic fish filter floss. Mac
 
Remember, significant nutrients for bromeliads come from bird droppings caught in the "vase." Amphibians live in the larger ones and add their little "bit."
 
TL,

That kind of reminds me of what WC Fields used to say about water "Water! never touch the stuff... fish fornicate in it!"

In some of the plants tested I got greedy and let the tube hit the bottom and got all sorts of crud. If I took the water from near the surface it was tap-water clean. There is no current to disturb the water in the plant so they are very settled already.

There are small bugs and frogs in some of them. The last time I was up there we found a poison dart frog in one of them. He was easy to spot though and the plant he was in had no center leaves or stem so it was different than the others as well.

You can't imagine how dry this area is at times. At the end of the dry season these plants are still filled with water from dew condensation and provide a reliable source of high altitude water in quantity. You have to treat the water as if it was coming from a stagnant pond or puddle. Mac
 
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