Holy water has turned green or spoiled: why and what to do

Why does holy water spoil in the house?

It happens that while being stored at home, holy water spoils. Of course, a true believer still considers it a shrine, although agiasma:

could change color;
sediment or flakes have appeared in it;
began to smell unpleasant;
lost transparency.

What happened, because clear, clean, blessed water came home from the Temple?

How can you use holy water?

Orthodox Life

Priest Andrei Chizhenko answers.

First of all, don't worry. Often an Orthodox Christian takes prosaic and everyday things as good or bad signs. For example, if the priest accidentally dropped his wedding ring at a wedding, the young people will not live. Or: when I prayed to the Most Holy Theotokos for something to come true, I saw how a ray of sunlight fell on my face and the image seemed to smile, it means that what I wanted will come true; Epiphany water has spoiled - God’s grace has departed from the house, expect trouble. This, of course, is superstition, that is, vain faith. The Holy Fathers say unequivocally: do not look for signs, do not indulge in superstitions and do not be inflamed by either positive or negative mental and emotional attitudes in this regard. Everything should be accepted indifferently, as if it had never happened.

All the will of God. Trust her, based primarily on the commandments of the Lord and the advice of the holy fathers. It is necessary, as they say, not to get excited or panic, but to clearly and soberly realize that our salvation depends on the will of God and on how zealously we work on ourselves to eradicate sin and cleanse and sanctify our inner man.

It is very easy to recycle holy water that has spoiled. Pour it somewhere under a bush or tree, on the grass or ground in a clean place where there is no debris. If this is an apartment, then pour it into a flowerpot, but not into the sewer, so that the shrine does not interfere with sewage. If holy water was stored in a plastic bottle, then it is advisable to burn it in a clean place, and if in a glass container, it can be rinsed well several times and also poured into a clean place.

It is better to store holy water not on a window or in a place where it receives direct sunlight. This can also cause it to deteriorate. On the other hand, you need to understand that initially the consecrated water may contain seeds of aquatic plants, from which the water can “bloom.” There are many natural options in which holy water spoils.

When holy water becomes unfit for drinking, you can sprinkle it on your home, children, and relatives from the palm of your hand. And thus use the shrine for its spiritual purpose, so that the baptismal water, by the power of the Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, sanctifies and cleanses our home, and our souls and bodies receive the saving and life-giving power of God’s grace.

You can replenish your supplies of Epiphany or other holy water (from water-blessing prayers) in the church. They keep it all year round, adding plain water to the shrine according to the principle “a drop of holy water sanctifies the sea.” In a similar way, baptismal water is stored in the temple.

It’s nice to watch when you enter another house and see holy water and a cup standing next to it, and a bag of prosphora. And you already know that this person regularly eats holy water and prosphora. And sometimes you can see that a person’s Epiphany water is brought into the house on the feast of the Epiphany, placed closed in a closet and taken out from there only the next year on January 19th. It is poured out or replenished with fresh Epiphany water. This is, of course, sad. Because Epiphany water should serve us for our good. With proper consumption, it can and should support our spiritual and physical strength every day. She is a means of sanctifying our spiritual-physical nature. And therefore it is desirable that the day of an Orthodox Christian begins with her. After all, water, among other means consecrated by the Church, helps us fight sin and draw closer to God. The great shrine-agiasma is a symbol of the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord. God appeared to His people and dwells among them forever... Therefore, after the morning rule on an empty stomach, consumption of prosphora and holy water with a certain prayer is a kind of echo-symbol of the Liturgy, a certain very important moment of our personal home worship, in which God sanctifies both us and the coming day, teaching us His blessing in it.

Priest Andrey Chizhenko

Was it stored correctly?

Use dark glass bottles. One of the reasons for damage is improper storage. First of all, you should treat the storage of holy water with due reverence, sincerely revering it as a shrine.
When going to the temple to pick it up, the believer must prepare clean dishes. It is best to use dark glass containers with lids that screw on tightly. The best solution is glass bottles with metal caps for mineral water. Even if the selected container seems clean, it needs to be washed and allowed to dry.

At home, treat the container with agiasma reverently. Place it closer to the icons, next to them or behind them.

How to consecrate an apartment?

Where to put spoiled water

Do not pour it down the drain under any circumstances.
, Holy and unclean things are not compatible!

It happens that the water has deteriorated slightly, impurities have precipitated. Strain out impurities. And continue to use the shrine for its intended purpose. Wash your face, sprinkle your clothes and home from your palm.

If
The quality of the Epiphany shrine
has deteriorated thoroughly, it is better to dispose of it!

To do this, pour water into a place that is not trampled,

where they don't go. Pour into running water - into the river. Water flowers in pots or carefully pour under a tree trunk. Burn the plastic dishes, rinse the glass and the rinsed water is also wood-like.

Has it turned green, cloudy or bloomed?

Still, if the water spoils, one cannot do without explaining simple natural phenomena that also occur by the will of the Lord. If, due to improper storage:

You cannot drink spoiled water. the holy water turned green - the reason for this is that a transparent jar with it was placed where direct sunlight falls; according to the law of life, the sun provoked the proliferation of microscopic green algae;
the water acquired an unpleasant odor - holy does not mean sterile, storage conditions allowed the development of simple organisms, perhaps people drank water directly from the vessel into which the agiasma was poured, from them microbes got into it, it was because of the waste products of microscopic creatures that the water became musty or simply rotten;
a sediment became noticeable, perhaps in the source from where it was collected, the water is rich in mineral salts and as they were stored they formed a sediment;
noticeable flakes have appeared - here the reason may be hidden in the material of the dishes, if the bottle is made of plastic, it reacted with water, insoluble compounds were formed.

How to wash with holy water?

The reason may also be that the person made too much of a reserve for the Great Blessing of Water so as not to visit the temple for a whole year. Overcome your greed and laziness. Collect enough holy water so that there is enough of it from one blessing of water to another, because small blessings of water are held several times a year. Don’t be lazy to come to the temple for your next portion of holy water.

If all storage conditions are met, but the water has spoiled, then you probably shouldn’t blame the water, the temple, or the priest. It is worth looking for the reason, first of all, within yourself, in your life and actions.

How to drink holy water?

The opinion of the priests

Priests of Orthodox churches prohibit pouring holy water anywhere, but they fully support the idea of watering indoor and garden plants with old water. If there are none, the holy liquid can be taken to the temple territory and poured there under a tree or bush. Some of it will evaporate, and some will absorb moisture from the plant.

On a note! By the way, you shouldn’t even wash your face with holy water over a sink; it’s better to do it over a flower. It is not good if the shrine ends up in the sewer. And in the territories of some temples there are also special wells into which old holy water can also be poured with the permission of the priest.

Well near the temple

What to do if holy water has spoiled

It is better to pour the spoiled liquid into the river.
If sediment or flakes appear in the water, but its smell and taste have not changed, then you can strain the water into a sterile container and use it for its intended purpose. If it is impossible to drink water due to the smell and (or) taste, then it must be disposed of. However, during this process we must not forget that we are talking about a shrine, do not pour it down the drain, do not splash it onto the street or road.

The best solution is to return the water to nature, pour it into the nearest river. If this is not possible, take it to the garden or forest and water the tree.

To prevent the shrine from being trampled underfoot, people did not walk around this place.

If you follow these rules, agiasma will remain fresh for a long time. It can be eaten and used for other purposes regardless of the shelf life.

Why does holy water not spoil for a long time?

Natural causes of water spoilage

If this happens, don't panic.
If you listen to “good” people, they will tell you about the evil eye and damage. Bad thoughts immediately come, and suddenly this is a bad sign - Grace has moved away from home. Different situations happen, and the reasons happen are natural.

When water is consecrated, the Grace of the Holy Spirit is imposed on its aqueous nature, but the properties of water and its impurities remain

. Therefore, the Great Agiasma, the Great Shrine (Greek), is what the baptismal water is called in the temple:

may become cloudy;
change color;
acquire an unpleasant odor;
sediment and flakes will appear in it.

Blooming reservoirs

Open reservoirs begin to bloom in the warm season, when the water warms up to at least 18 °C. Bacterial spores and microscopic algae “wake up” and actively multiply, forming a green film on the surface of the water. For humans, this phenomenon is not dangerous, which cannot be said about aquatic inhabitants. Water blooms in water bodies lead to a decrease in oxygen concentration in water, which causes mass fish deaths. Rotting remains become a source of phosphorus, which feeds bacteria. The latter begin to multiply even faster, and the situation worsens.

Usually this process is controlled by nature itself. Some living creatures eat microscopic algae, purifying the water of them. Also, the concentration of algae decreases significantly when air and water temperatures drop, as well as during rains. But it happens that the process of self-purification in a reservoir simply does not have time to occur. There are reasons why water blooms at tremendous speed:

High concentration of organic matter in the reservoir. The reason may be water contamination with bio-waste, rotten leaves, and fertilizers.
Hot days, lack of precipitation for a long period.
Excessive feeding of fish.
Reproduction and distribution of certain types of algae in a reservoir.
Significant change in the hydrochemical composition of water.

How to improve pond water

What to do if the water in the pond turns green? First, you should assess the degree of bloom in the reservoir. If the process is not very intense and lasts no more than 2-3 weeks, there is no need to worry - nature will do everything itself. If you are afraid that the fish will suffocate, you can increase the movement of water using a fountain or blowing pipes.

How to store blessed water so that it does not spoil?

To prevent consecrated water from becoming unusable and to store it for as long as possible, it should not be left on the windowsill, as many people do. It ends up directly exposed to the sun's rays, which often causes it to deteriorate.

Also, plant seeds can get into the blessed water brought from the temple. Because of them, any water blooms, including consecrated water. There are a large number of other situations when water deteriorates naturally. So don't worry when this happens.

If the consecrated water spoils, it becomes impossible to drink, it is recommended to sprinkle the house and your relatives. The shrine will be used for its intended purpose. The believer will receive additional spiritual strength, the house will be cleansed, the person will feel that God's Grace is descending on him.

When consecrated water becomes unusable, its reserves can be replenished at the nearest church. If everything is done correctly, blessed water remains drinkable throughout the year. It is recommended to add it to plain water, following the principle that one drop of consecrated water can consecrate an entire sea. Epiphany water is properly stored in churches all year round.

Source

Methods for removing green water from a pool

To determine the routes of their penetration into the container, blooming water must be subjected to laboratory tests to obtain the appropriate conclusion.

For example, to remove greening in a swimming pool, you again need to know the indicators and reasons for their occurrence. For this purpose, the following is measured: 1. Free chlorine, water hardness, alkalinity level, mineralization and sulfate content. 2. Probable cause of green, cloudy fluid.

If this is detected or a slippery surface of the pool walls appears, rechlorination should be done to a level of 25 mg/l with free chlorine.

Carry out high-quality mechanical treatment of the entire area of the pool. It is advisable to maintain the chlorine content at a level of 3 mg/l. And to prevent the appearance of greenery, it is recommended to use the drug “algicil” in the future.

Thus, only high-quality water analysis and a competent choice of solution to the problem can lead to the elimination, in particular from the pool, of green turbidity.

Carry out high-quality mechanical treatment of the entire area of the pool. It is advisable to maintain the chlorine content at a level of 3 mg/l. And to prevent the appearance of greenery, it is recommended to use the drug “algicil” in the future.

The benefits and harms of spring water

Undoubtedly, spring water is beneficial for the body; Let's list its positive properties:

good balance in chemical composition and physical characteristics;

properties of pure natural water;

dissolved oxygen saturation;

not exposed to any influence, for example not chlorinated;

depending on the source, it can be fresh or mineralized;

It is believed that living natural water is very useful; it gives a person additional energy and a boost of vigor.

It is noted that liquid from different sources has different effects on the human body. Spring water from one source is useful for migraines, from a second it helps normalize blood pressure, and from a third it has a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system. Cosmetologists believe that washing with spring water improves the appearance of the skin, increases its elasticity and normalizes the condition. Spring water helps get rid of infectious diseases and promotes rejuvenation of the body. The beneficial properties of liquid from a natural source are used in the treatment of skin diseases. Both adults and children can drink spring water; there are no age restrictions.

The main thing is not to worry

An Orthodox Christian should not consider ordinary everyday things to be bad omens. A Christian should not take seriously the signs left over from the times when our ancestors were pagans, in whose lives there were many superstitions.

If holy water has spoiled, this is not some kind of bad omen. Holy water protects and preserves a person, helps in many matters. But if it has deteriorated, this does not mean that God’s Grace has left the house; now troubles and misfortunes should be expected. These are ordinary superstitions that have no place in the life of an Orthodox Christian.

The Holy Fathers at all times instructed parishioners, urging them not to look for any signs in the world around them, not to give in to superstitions, no matter what they are - positive or negative. All this should be treated with complete indifference.

A believer must remember that everything is the will of the Almighty. She needs to be completely trusted, live in accordance with the commandments left to people by the Almighty, and, in addition, be guided by the advice of the holy fathers. A person’s salvation depends only on God’s will, on whether he diligently fulfills the commandments and works to lead a sinless life.

Features of spring water

Before reaching the surface, spring water passes through various layers - limestone, gravel, sand, due to which filtration occurs and clean water breaks through. The composition of spring water can be approximately the same as artesian or well water. The main difference is that the source is not made by human hands; springs form themselves.

The chemical composition and taste of spring water depend on the layers through which it comes to the surface. The depth of the aquifer also plays an important role.

A comparison of water from various sources shows that spring water is the most delicious and healthy. It’s simple: rising to the surface, it passes through many different layers - sand, clay, gravel, due to which it is cleaned of impurities, oxygenated, and mineralized. All these components make it useful, which is appreciated by residents of settlements located near sources.

Water from different springs tastes different and has its own unique chemical composition, which is affected by the difference in depth, as well as the characteristics of the layers through which the liquid flows to the surface of the earth. Different soil densities, mineralization of layers, their structure, porosity and permeability - all this affects not only the purity, but also the chemical composition, and therefore the taste of spring water, making it healthy.

Spring water is usually classified according to several main criteria:

Temperature. The main division occurs into two groups: thermal springs and cold water springs. Cold spring water quenches thirst better, and water from thermal springs is easier to absorb by the body, and therefore will be more beneficial. In cold water, microorganisms multiply extremely slowly, and this is also the secret of why cold spring water is so tasty.
Mineralization. Spring water can be fresh and mineralized, that is, saturated with various salts and minerals. Both are useful for people. Fresh water is used for everyday purposes - drinking, cooking. But doctors prescribe drinking mineral spring water during the treatment of certain diseases. However, despite the fact that mineral water is recognized as beneficial for the body, it is not recommended for regular use; you should not drink only mineral water.

Gas composition. Spring water can contain not only dissolved salts and minerals, it also contains various gases, primarily oxygen. Doctors consider this water, saturated with oxygen, to be beneficial. There are also many sources in which the liquid contains dissolved radon and hydrogen sulfide. Sanatoriums and dispensaries are located not far from the places where such water comes to the surface.
Organoleptic characteristics. These include the transparency, color, taste and smell of the liquid, that is, those parameters that a person can feel with his senses.

How to avoid green water?

To prevent harmful microorganisms from growing in your cooler, you should be careful about hygiene when changing bottles. The following list of rules must be observed:

Before each replacement of a used container with another one containing bottled water, you must thoroughly wash your hands.
The cooler should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
The cooler should be sanitized at least once every 2-3 months.
If the cooler was not used for a while (for example, you were on vacation), then before placing a bottle of water on it, you should sanitize it.

Preparation of a disinfectant solution. Usually hydrogen peroxide, Belizna, Deochlor or similar preparations are used. Don't forget to protect your hands with gloves.
Preparing the cooler for treatment: turning off, draining hot and cold water, closing the rear drain hole.
Disinfection of the external surfaces of the cooler and taps.
Disinfection of the cooler’s internal container. It is recommended to open both taps and check that the solution flows out of them. Then close them and fill them with disinfectant until the cooler needle disappears. The solution must stand for at least half an hour.
Rinsing the cooler with at least liters of water.