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Posted: 2/2/2020 4:14:46 PM EDT
[#1]
No, ask me how i know, even fast moving waters carry nasties.
Esp since you have pastures, which means animals are eatin, drinking and crapping near these. Can get test kits from Amazon, your main concern would be parasites etc but testing today may not indicate what ends up in the water tomorrow |
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Posted: 2/2/2020 4:18:30 PM EDT
[#2]
How hard up do you have to be to want to try drinking from a creek that's likely full of pesticides and animal waste when your house is nearby? Is this some kind of SHTF fantasy scenario? Serious question, why would you even want to try?
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Posted: 2/2/2020 4:24:29 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
How hard up do you have to be to want to try drinking from a creek that's likely full of pesticides and animal waste when your house is nearby? Is this some kind of SHTF fantasy scenario? Serious question, why would you even want to try? |
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Posted: 2/2/2020 4:36:04 PM EDT
[#4]
Giardia will fuck your shit up. Do not drink unfiltered or un-boiled water.
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Posted: 2/2/2020 4:45:14 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Giardia will fuck your shit up. Do not drink unfiltered or un-boiled water. You don't know what defecated in the water four or five miles up river. I still have a Katydn hiker that served me well over the years. |
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Posted: 2/2/2020 4:56:00 PM EDT
[#6]
No. Filter or treat. And I drank from high mountain streams for years untreated. Till I came home from a trip and had the worst diarrhea ever. Giardiasis. I now filter or use a steripen.
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Posted: 2/2/2020 4:57:42 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Its more of just a question with no real use and or answer. I just like to know what options I have around water sources. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
How hard up do you have to be to want to try drinking from a creek that's likely full of pesticides and animal waste when your house is nearby? Is this some kind of SHTF fantasy scenario? Serious question, why would you even want to try? |
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Posted: 2/2/2020 5:05:52 PM EDT
[#8]
Headwaters master race checking in...... I live on the eastern continental divide, I've had a drink here and there forever from little streams, no worries.
Downstream from nobody  pro tip, make sure there is no beaver dam upstream, or likely rotting deer carcass I just pick very small streams with clean gravel bottoms in the hills. Not recommending, just admitting to doing it countless times. OP, I would not drink from your stream, filter or no filter....houses = septic. |
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Posted: 2/2/2020 5:11:11 PM EDT
[#9]
It’s not safe
I work in a drinking water plant at the head of the stream where all of the water originated on the watershed that we own. It’s still not safe, surface waters carry bacteria and e-coli along with viruses. |
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Posted: 2/2/2020 5:26:33 PM EDT
[#10]
Did it for years as a kid in Western NC, even had a reservoir gravity fed water system at my grandparents, never had an issue. Now no way I would drink it untreated. Funny thing when I got to Alaska one of the first things I was told was never drink glacier water, not parasites but the minerals / silts could cause serious digestive problems.
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Posted: 2/2/2020 5:51:37 PM EDT
[#11]
Giardia was a wonderful thing to have....
I could eat gallons of ice cream, tons of candy bars, pounds of meat, and just about anything else... And I still lost weight. The constant toilet trips were a bit inconvenient. |
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Posted: 2/2/2020 6:06:03 PM EDT
[#12]
No unless its coming out of a underground spring.
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Posted: 2/2/2020 8:58:30 PM EDT
[#13]
Katadyn BeFree bottle FTW. I fill mine from pretty much any water source, though since it doesn’t remove chemicals I wouldn’t use anything near a road. 99.99% of protozoa and 99.9999% of bacteria are removed.
Perfectly good places to get drinking water from. 
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Posted: 2/2/2020 9:06:18 PM EDT
[#14]
I would highly recommend at minimum a Sawyer mini or the like.... if there is any chance there may be chemicals find a water filter with activated charcoal.
I have a MSR MiniWorks EX that I really like because it will attach to the top of a Nalgene bottle. Katadyn makes good filters too but I just like MSR products... Remember too that boiling is only effective against biological contamination...not chemical... If for a larger group look into the Berkey filter system but they are a bit spendy... there are options where you can get the filters and make a berkey style system with a couple food grade 5 gallon buckets..... As others have said I wouldn't drink outta the stream directly unless you are about to die of dehydration and have no other choice... WP |
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Posted: 2/2/2020 11:15:53 PM EDT
[#15]
Never drink ground water without filtering and/or treating (chemical) and/or boiling and/or UV filtering.
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Posted: 2/2/2020 11:18:50 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: As others have said I wouldn't drink outta the stream directly unless you are about to die of dehydration and have no other choice... If you're more advanced ... look into untreated enemas. |
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Posted: 2/3/2020 2:08:50 AM EDT
[#17]
I live in Alaska and was sheep hunting this year went back up into a drainage with a small creek. Filtered the water and drank it without issues. The next day pushed farther into the drainage. Found a winter kill sheep carcass rotting in the creek. Glad I used a filter, I was 1/4 mile from where the water was coming out of the mountain. Never know what's upstream.
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Posted: 2/3/2020 5:56:37 AM EDT
[#18]
Unless death is immenent, always filter your water.
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Posted: 2/3/2020 6:18:45 AM EDT
[#19]
Quoted:
At my new home, I have a small flowing creek. The water flows at a steady rate constantly, is crystal clear and ice cold! I understand the use of a filter etc but how do you go about deciding if a source of water is safe to typically use? For me, if I was in way north GA in the woods, I probably would second guess it with a filter. However, this creek is surrounded by homes in a rural neighborhood and outside of the neighborhoods is pastures. Would you comfortably drink from a water source such as what I have with a specific filter? |
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Posted: 2/3/2020 6:43:49 AM EDT
[#20]
Just to clarify my "die of dehydration" comment... I say that mainly in the sense that you are in a situation that you are lost and have a good idea that people are searching for you. You are better to drink and stay hydrated as best as possible than to not drink and risk dying of dehydration. You are less likely to die of whatever you MAY get from drinking untreated water, which if you do get something you can be treated once rescued.
While I am no expert on this, It is something I picked up from one of the may podcasts I listen to. It made a lot of sense to me. Frankly I am a little jealous of the OP for having a running water source near his home! I live on the coastal plain of NC and finding a clean running water source here is almost nil. There use to be lots of ground springs back in the day until Phosphate mining close by lowered the water table and dried up centuries old springs and shallow wells... Also most of the water locally is brackish so the salt content is too high to do much with... It plays hell on the crops ( I work on a farm). We do have some small ponds close by that are filled with rain/ground water. I have filtered and boiled that water in making coffee when out hiking the property my in laws own... There is also an old river that was turned into a canal system that drains farm land to the north of us but it is miles from my home and would be tough to rely on as a source in a pinch. I will say that if I dig down to the 5 foot mark and hit the sand table I can get pretty clean water... I would still filter and or boil this water but it is a viable option if I am ever in a situation where clean drinking water is needed and am unable to rely on the county water or even my well. Unfortunately the well water here isn't that great since the high level of phosphate and other minerals.... would I drink it? Yes especially if I allowed it to settle a bit... Just don't wash your white clothes in it... LOL Sorry for the long winded post... WP |
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Posted: 2/3/2020 7:12:26 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Its more of just a question with no real use and or answer. I just like to know what options I have around water sources. |
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Posted: 2/3/2020 7:31:25 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Never drink ground water without filtering and/or treating (chemical) and/or boiling and/or UV filtering. |
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Posted: 2/6/2020 1:28:01 PM EDT
[#23]
in a word, NO-NEVER-DONT.
So many ways to get sick and end up regretting your decision. I like micropur tablets, if you don't have a filter. Its cheap insurance against Giardia. I have a sleeve or two in every bag that I could end up with outside. ETA, I've seen enough carcasses of game in or near water to dissuade me from thinking of drinking w/o some method of purification. |
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Posted: 2/6/2020 1:54:11 PM EDT
[#24]
Giardia and Cryptosporidium are everywhere.
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Posted: 2/6/2020 2:02:03 PM EDT
[#25]
Up here in the Piney Woods we have a cute little rodent called a water vole. One of its adorable habits is it shits in streams, and its stool is loaded with Giardia. Don't ask how I found out. Just because the water is clear doesn't mean you don't have to treat it.
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Posted: 2/7/2020 11:45:34 PM EDT
[#26]
NO – I have been there and done that and regretted it. When I was younger and dumber, I had always heard that if you drink from a fast running stream –no problem. That was a lie – I thought that I would have to die before I could get better. It took me three day to get down off the mountain and another week to get over the shits. It is one hell of a diet program that I do not recommend.
Take it from someone who can lend some advice from experience - boil it, filter it, or treat it before you drink it and life will be good... |
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Posted: 2/8/2020 6:09:55 PM EDT
[#27]
You would be amazed just how far upstream beaver will go to plug up a water source . I've seen first hand evidence of this camping rough in the Adirondacks . You probably could get away with sampling your drainage WITH a good filter . If OP really wants to know whats in it , draw a
sample and have it tested . Many county water or health departments should be able to do it cheap or free . If not they should at least be able to point to who could . Not really an unreasonable thing to be curious about . A little side note ; also while camping discovered a bear that seemed to be using a stream as his personal toilet . There was fresh , and aged bear poop spread over a half mile stretch dropped directly in the stream . On purpose . |
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Posted: 2/8/2020 6:11:49 PM EDT
[#28]
Quoted:
At my new home, I have a small flowing creek. The water flows at a steady rate constantly, is crystal clear and ice cold! I understand the use of a filter etc but how do you go about deciding if a source of water is safe to typically use? For me, if I was in way north GA in the woods, I probably would second guess it with a filter. However, this creek is surrounded by homes in a rural neighborhood and outside of the neighborhoods is pastures. Would you comfortably drink from a water source such as what I have with a specific filter? |
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Posted: 2/12/2020 4:19:13 AM EDT
[#29]
Those Sawyer Squeeze filters are amazing little devices. My whole filter kit is in a mesh bag about the size of a large shirt pocket and the thing costs less than $40. I've not carried one of my pump filters in years. I strongly advise against the Sawyer Mini.
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Posted: 2/12/2020 6:33:14 AM EDT
[#30]
Having seen a cow piss and shit in a creek upstream of my farm: no, not if I could help it. Even after seeing this:
 Life Straw - Cow Dung to Clean Water.mp4 |
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Posted: 2/13/2020 8:04:44 PM EDT
[#31]
When I was a kid a half century ago we drank from trout streams without any noticeable ill effects. I wouldn't do it today. I was hunting in northern New York about 20 years ago where a beaver damn had water running down a logging road. A fellow I was hunting with pulled a cup out of his coat and as we walked he scooped a cupful and swigged it down. Like I said, I wouldn't do it today and I wouldn't have done that then.
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Posted: 3/31/2020 3:38:26 PM EDT
[#32]
Untreated water - flush the toilet with it. Filter, treat, or boil your drinking water. Animals in pastures have a parasite load that is managed by the owners by spraying pesticides.
RS |
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Posted: 3/31/2020 3:57:55 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Above 7k feet you are pretty safe, below it is a gamble Ummmm... 7k feet AGL maybe. 7k feet elevation in the mountains? Dangerously dumb advice. |
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Posted: 3/31/2020 4:03:38 PM EDT
[#34]
Get it tested and see the results. Not worth it without a filter, boiled, etc.
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Posted: 4/1/2020 7:24:46 AM EDT
[#35]
Check out the podcast by James Appleton called 46 of 46. The episode where he interviews Erik Schlimmer. Fantastic stuff.
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Posted: 6/28/2020 2:52:34 PM EDT
[#36]
How does one swim in these lakes and streams and not get sick? Serious question not trying to be a smartass
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Posted: 6/28/2020 4:23:44 PM EDT
[#37]
No open water in the USA is entirely safe to drink straight from.
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Posted: 6/28/2020 4:40:20 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Giardia will fuck your shit up. Do not drink unfiltered or un-boiled water. |
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Posted: 6/28/2020 5:17:52 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How does one swim in these lakes and streams and not get sick? Serious question not trying to be a smartass Because you normally don’t drink the water when swimming. If you do, you can get sick too. Seen it happen all the time with people rafting the Guadalupe in Texas. |
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Posted: 6/28/2020 7:06:58 PM EDT
[#40]
******************
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Posted: 6/28/2020 7:17:46 PM EDT
[#41]
I'll drink anything from my filter. I've pulled water out of a logging road tire rut. I won't drink unfiltered from any stream.
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Posted: 6/28/2020 7:28:25 PM EDT
[#42]
I remember being told that there is NO water safe to drink in the US without treating/filtering it.
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Posted: 6/28/2020 7:32:40 PM EDT
[#43]
Filter recommendations?
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Posted: 6/28/2020 8:52:41 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How does one swim in these lakes and streams and not get sick? Serious question not trying to be a smartass Because stomach upset from drinking bad water is far less common than many people realize. Yes it happens but it really isn’t that common despite internet rumor. I SCUBA dive local lakes and sometimes during a long dive, the dry tank air causes my mouth and throat to get really dry. I just take the regulator out of my mouth and swish a little water around in my mouth. If I’m really dry, I’ll swallow a little water to wet my throat. I also swim in many local lakes and streams and it would be unusual to go swimming or water skiing and NOT swallow a little water. I have drank water from many mountain streams without filtration and have never had an issue. The only time I’ve ever gotten a stomach bug was from a fast food restaurant in South Korea. I do carry a filtration system and do use it when I consider the water source to be sketchy but getting sick from water is actually quite rare in spite of internet rumor. Those rumors are usually fed by people who actually don’t spend much time actually in the outdoors. |
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Posted: 6/28/2020 8:55:13 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Filter recommendations? I’ve owned a Sweetwater for years. MSR bought them out but the replacement filters work with the older pump systems. I don’t use it all the time but when I’m not confident in the water source, I use it. |
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Posted: 6/28/2020 9:25:44 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Those Sawyer Squeeze filters are amazing little devices. My whole filter kit is in a mesh bag about the size of a large shirt pocket and the thing costs less than $40. I've not carried one of my pump filters in years. I strongly advise against the Sawyer Mini. Why? That's currently serving emergency duty in my car. |
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Posted: 6/29/2020 5:12:20 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Why? That's currently serving emergency duty in my car. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Those Sawyer Squeeze filters are amazing little devices. My whole filter kit is in a mesh bag about the size of a large shirt pocket and the thing costs less than $40. I've not carried one of my pump filters in years. I strongly advise against the Sawyer Mini. Why? That's currently serving emergency duty in my car. I had received the same advice from a couple different sources. They each had problems with blockages that rendered the Mini unusable, and both were fairly new. I wound up grabbing a Lifestraw to keep in my pack and my wife/kids bought me a Grayl Geopress for Father's Day. |
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Posted: 6/30/2020 2:03:03 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Why? That's currently serving emergency duty in my car. I like the Mini's for backpacking (Appalachian Trail terrain/water sources). While all the capillary type filters do require back-flush maintenance, the Mini just gets to a point that it's more of a PITA to keep good water throughput. We did a 32 mile trek a few weeks ago, and I grabbed the wrong filter that was a little older...it sucked. I was hiking a few miles ahead of my wife and chick-crew, but we camped together at night. My filter just didn't work worth a damn and I ended using my wife's filter at night and in the morning to filter my water. I loaned my backup squeeze bad to my sister-in-law, so I only one the one bag and was putting all the squeeze-pressure I could and I was getting about a cup a minute...it really sucked. I still had some Aquamira purification mixture/solution as a backup and used that during the day to treat water while on the trail and just let it activate in my water bottle and then transferred to my hydration bladder. The Squeeze is more robust and much easier to maintain. I've just decided to toss the Mini filters after a year or so of several backpacking trips; they just get so clogged even after back-flushing at home with higher pressure and not really keeping a good throughput of water. I already tossed this last one and have a new filter in my pack for the next trip. Just understand they are very niche filters. If you may have very suspect, turbid, murky water or with a lot of silt/detritus, their "functional" lifespan is pretty short. The capillary filters work, but for long-term use, I would consider the larger Squeeze or Platypus varieties...and always consider having a backup purification system like iodine, oxidized solution, or chlorine-based solutions (they can be small, compact, and light). ROCK6 |
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Posted: 6/30/2020 2:46:43 PM EDT
[#49]
Dude at our deer camp in the Adirondacks tried that with just a little bit. Was losing weight for weeks and couldn't stop with the bathroom. I think he finally was hospitalized and got better. Don't mess around with it.
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Posted: 7/10/2020 10:33:22 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Giardia will fuck your shit up. Do not drink unfiltered or un-boiled water. Wife got it on a float trip. Didn't even TRY to drink unfiltered water... And she always has filters with her on trips. ETA: she was messed up for a cpl months before the Docs put her on meds for it. |
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