Worried about health risks from stagnant water

[downintheweeds]

Hi, this might seem a bit silly, but I have OCD, so bear with me! There's been a plastic storage tub collecting rainwater (unintentionally) in our garden for the last 3 to 4 months - it got left out by mistake, and because the lid has holes in it, it gradually started collecting rainwater. I could see it had gone green so decided to carefully empty it away today while I was out there doing some other gardening. I planned to tip it upside down and let the water slowly drain out of the holes in the lid, but as I tipped it, the lid came off and the water came flooding out. The smell was as disgusting as you'd imagine, and I jumped back away from it. I had to go back to where it was briefly to turn off a hose that was running, but held my breath because of the smell, then went inside. Then I started googling, which I know I shouldn't do, and kept reading about the risks of contracting legionnaire's by breathing in aersols from stagnant water, and how it can be fatal, and now I'm in an utter panic that I've breathed in all the worst possible bacteria and will end up really sick in the next few days. I washed my hands plenty (which I always do anyway, but of course went way above my usual) and changed my clothes, but I can't shake the feeling that it was a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria and I've put myself at risk. I don't even know what I'm asking for here, I think I just need to be talked down from the panic I've got myself into. I hate OCD/catastrophising, and I feel simultaneously stupid for panicking over nothing & stupid for almost inevitably contracting a fatal disease. Please tell me you've all emptied out buckets of stagnant water and been absolutely fine before I work myself into a frenzy!

I’ve poured out many a bucket of disgusting water and I didn’t contract anything from it at all. And it was really gross, all sorts in it! Best wishes, try and put it out of your mind, you will be fine xx

I've emptied out many over the years. I've never caught anything.

I've also emptied out many buckets of stagnant water over the years, to no harm. You will almost certainly be fine.

I think you'll be fine and in any case legionnaires needs the water to be relatively warm to multiply which if you're in the UK it probably hasn't been very often.

Thank you all, that's definitely helped! My OH must have emptied out a bucket that had also colleted stagnant rainwater recently - I noticed today that a bucket that was full a few days ago is now completely empty! He, of course, won't have batted an eyelid, whereas I'm in a tailspin!
thaegumathteth That's actually one of the things that is worrying me, because it was in a sealed box (albeit with some holes in the lid) that has gotten quite warm since the weather improved! But I'm trying not to spiral too much, and it's genuinely helpful to hear that others have done the same thing with no ill-effects :)

People empty out things like this every day and how many people do you know who've died of legionnaires?

I have dealt with so much stagnant water (especially cleaning out the drains at my work - most disgusting smelly water ever!) and have never ever been ill from this. You will be fine.

You cannot catch Legionnaires disease from tipping stagnant water away.

It can be caught by breathing in microscopic droplets from a source of warmed water produced in a steamy atmosphere such as from a poorly maintained hot tub. But as I say, the particles have to be incredibly small and be propelled through the air and breathed in.

This is your OCD talking. I have poured away stagnant water. It is an every day non-event. Try to put it out of your mind.

I'm a gardener - I tip out containers of rank water all the time. No ill effects whatsoever.