Hesitant about drinking purified water

C

CaptInsano

Joined
Apr 11, 2007
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I do most of my hiking in Southern Mississippi, DeSoto National Forest. I'd like to do some longer trips, and I don't feel like carrying more than a day's worth of water. However, I have reservations about drinking water that I purify. I've done it before, but that was back in High school. I have a job where people depend on me now. I can't get sick like that and still do my job. Even if I'm well enough to go in, I can't be running to the can every 20 minutes. How do you get over that kind of paranoia? I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that standardized methods of making water pottable are reliable even when the water supply is basically the butthole of the entire midwest.
 
Have a triple system to purify the water. Filter it first, then boil it, then drop in some purification tablets. Know where you're hiking and some of the water sources. For example, if you know that the river you are getting water from has a lumber mill upstream, it's probably best to avoid that water source. Typically the purification methods used above are good for biological contamination. If the water is chemically contaminated I don't know if there is any way to purify it for drinking. Someone smarter than me can chime in on that one.

I would probably opt for a water source that the local animals are drinking from first, that is if you get a chance to observe any wildlife drinking.
 
Some filters catch viruses, I'd use one of those. As well as the boiling, and the iodine tabs.
 
If you're worried about the biologicals and want double reassurance, filter the water, then boil the filtered water for 1 minute at a rolling boil. 1 minute rolling boil at your altitude is enough to kill all the major biologicals (crypto, E.coli, etc.) and denature most viruses.

As far as the chemicals, most filters will take care of these.

Without knowing *exactly* what's in the water ahead of time, you'll never be 100.0000000% sure.
 
The standardized methods are standardized because they've been successfully used millions of times, on multiple continents, for generations.
Quit acting like a little girl, and drink your funny tasting water.

You could get a filter, and carry a dropper and some bleach if you're that worried. PUR(now Katadyn) Hiker is good enough for me, but mine was originally the discontinued Voyageur purifier that used the same body. Switching from purifier to filter made me a little nervous at first. I didn't like feeling like I was stepping down in protection, but it's been fine.
Personally, I'm not about to boil water from a cold stream, or screw up the taste with iodine tabs or bleach droplets in addition to filtering it unless there's reason for it-like known issues with the water source, etc.
 
CaptInsano said:
I do most of my hiking in Southern Mississippi, DeSoto National Forest. I'd like to do some longer trips, and I don't feel like carrying more than a day's worth of water. However, I have reservations about drinking water that I purify. I've done it before, but that was back in High school. I have a job where people depend on me now. I can't get sick like that and still do my job. Even if I'm well enough to go in, I can't be running to the can every 20 minutes. How do you get over that kind of paranoia? I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that standardized methods of making water pottable are reliable even when the water supply is basically the butthole of the entire midwest.
Click to expand...

But what about the air...

I'm kidding!
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As has been said, sensible sourcing, filtering, boiling and treating would be unlikely to miss anything that may have been present.

Perhaps consider some online checks to see if there are any known issues regarding water in the areas you're likely to travel.
 
I have grown to trust my ceramic filter unit (an old MSR filter). Never got sick using it and I love that it has a built in filter gage to determine the integrity of the filtration units. I hate those ones that give you a range of volumes and then you are left wondering what fraction of the unit life you used up.

As others have stated, if you want to do multiple treatments, I would suggest using a filter unit followed up by boiling. Chlorine tabs take too long to work (who has 4 h to wait for turbid water?) while boiling provides a positive cue (rolling boil) as to whether your technique is working.

As OwenM states, boiling can be a PITA. It takes time, you have to set up a stove or fire. You are stuck drinking hot or warm water which is nice in the winter, but sucks on a hot summer day. I'm almost willing to bet if you bought a filtration unit with full intent to use it in combination of boiling, then it will only be a matter of time before you skip the boiling part.
 
I use a Katadyn Hiker Pro to filter, then treat with a Steripen Journey to get anything the filter may have missed. That is probably overkill for most, but it makes me feel better. ;)
 
I purchased one of the sawyer .02 micron purifiers (exceeds EPA standards). I haven't had the time to use it yet but I think it will be fine and last long enough with a million gallon life expectancy:D
 
Filter then drop a little chlorine tab in for good measure. And if that isn't enough...nothing like the trots to clean out and renew the system.

Really though, even the public water you drink isn't "purified". Use a two pronged approach to knock out obvious stuff, and let your immune system take care of anything that makes it through.
 
I use the Katadyn Hiker too. It will clean out about 99.9%+ of any germs/bacteria/chemicals.

But I say hit the water with a double if you are worried: Filter/boil or filter/UV or filter/tablets (IMO those tablets taste like crap).

I'm looking at getting a UV Steripen to hit the water after its filtered. Boiling and filtering would probably be best IMO, but if you are moving on the trail then thats just not practical.

PS. Take a look at this thread: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=834620
 
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I know exactly how the OP feels. I'm a little paranoid about my drinking water....always have been. I use my Katadyn Vario to filter the water and then I ALWAYS boil it. Even on day trips, my little cook set and trangia stove are with me so boiling the water is no big deal for me. I realize this method is overkill, but it has never left me ill. As far as my health goes when dealing with drinking water, there is no such thing as overkill imo.
 
Last fall I hiked Mount Nebo and used my Hiker Pro filter on the Spring. Was hesitant at first but desided to just go for it and am glad that I did. The Spring water was almost sweet taisting after filtering and no one on the trip (I filtered water for at least 5 people) complained.

If your weater is cloudy or questionable, prefilter, let it settle then pump the stuff off the top. After that boil the water and you should be good.
 
I have two water filters. One is a MSR Sweetwater that is sort of big but it pumps a lot of water. It is a water purification system and came with some drops that you could add to the water to make it 99.999% pathogen free. The drops can be bought separately. I've only used the filter and haven't gotten sick.

My other filter I haven't used yet, having bought it almost new from a thrift store for $5 (sorry had to throw that in there :)). It's a Katadyn Pocket and has silver imbedded in the filter. In America it can't be called a purifier, but the rest of the world says that the silver kills the nasties dead. This one is three times as expensive as the first one unless you can find a deal.

Both those and probably others can make water as safe as tap water.

Chad
 
kgd said:
Chlorine tabs take too long to work (who has 4 h to wait for turbid water?) while boiling provides a positive cue (rolling boil) as to whether your technique is working.
Click to expand...

That 4 hour estimate is for the filthiest, nastiest water that you have ever seen, basically sewer sludge. It is much faster for clear water that has been filtered and the chemicals should neutralize by the time they are done. The only thing a ceramic filter will not take care of is viruses anyway, which are presently not a big issue in North America. Carbon and ceramic will take care of most chemicals.

I use an MSR Hyperflow when chemicals are not an issue because it only weighs 7 oz and does 3L/minute. If the water tastes bad (I'm looking at you, coast of Georgia), then I use a Sweetwater, which will take care of the taste as well. If you use the prefilters and silt stoppers when appropriate, the filters can last you a really long time.

If you are really worried about the filtered water, get a Steripen. It uses UV light like many municipalities use to treat drinking water. Takes about 30 seconds and you know when it is done. It is light, so it doesn't work well in turbid water, but it works great in filtered water.
 
I use a Katadyn Hiker all the time. The thing is just freaking awesome. It uses a combination charcoal filter for chemicals and physical filter for particles like dirt and bacteria. It will not filter viruses or heavy chemical contamination, so you can't use it in parts of the world where there are water-borne viruses and I wouldn't use it to filter water from urban runoff or industrial discharge. I also wouldn't use it in a wilderness area that has seen heavy mining activity, but I would not hesitate to use it for 99% of US wildland fresh water sources.
 
I never use the tablets. I use a filter or boil. Haven't had the trots yet, knock on wood.
 
Most commercial filters remove all biologicals except viruses. Some filters are rated as removing viruses as well. The Sawyer was mentioned.

As noted, viruses are not a major hazard in the U.S.

Regular chlorine or iodine, used according to directions (which consider temperature and turbidity) are effective against all biohazards except cysts (e.g. giardia and cryptosporidium).

Chlorine dioxide, used according to directions, will take care of cysts, but that's where the four-hour wait comes in.

Bringing water to a boil removes all biological threats according to all private (e.g. Wilderness Medical Society; Mayo Clinic) and public authorities (e.g., U.S. C.D.C.; U.S.E.P.A.). In fact, bringing to a boil is to insure you made it to the temperature required, which is about 20 degrees F under boiling at sea level (Over being better than under.).

Activated charcoal (AKA "carbon") reduces chemical and toxin hazards. It is wise to make a careful inspection and see if the water is supporting life. (I have seen some very clear water out West - due to arsenic killing everything in it, plant and animal.) Filters, apart from activated charcoal they may include and ceramic or otherwise, are not represented or regarded as reducing chemical or toxin hazards.

Distilling with a solar still, done properly, removes all hazards except volatile chemicals (e.g. benzine).

SODIS is an approach that sterilizes bio-hazards using solar radiation and heating so they cannot multiply (that is, cannot make you 'sick"): http://www.sodis.ch/index_EN

Steripens, used according to directions, remove all biohazards with UV radiation. Directions require clear water and keeping the equipment above freezing. Don't run out of batteries. Don't drop it.

UK ex-military types commonly suggest potassium permanganate, but no one else does, and PP is not available to the general public in the U.S. since shortly after 9/11.

So you have several very reliable methods. A good filter followed by chlorine or iodine is an abundance of caution.
 
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Great info, Thomas. I think that covers pretty much everything on the market.

One note is that many filters from the big outdoor manufacturers (MSR and Katadyn) do have activated carbon in some form, so they will generally reduce chemicals. I wouldn't trust one in a heavily polluted area, but they will reduce tastes and odors. This may just be semantics since both companies sometimes call their filters by microfilters or purifiers, but I thought I should point that out.

On another note, the only outdoor oriented product that I have seen that is rated to take care of everything instantly in one step is the Katadyn MyBottle. It has both a filter and a chemical cartridge, so it will take care of all the living nasties plus reduce chemicals. I personally prefer a pump and usually direct customers that way, but the option is there.
 
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