UInfiltered drinking water: Do you wear a shark suit when you swim?

[mr.trooper]

This is true. i owuldnt drink the water from a river that flows through a significantly sized city if i were down stream of it withough boiling.

I wouldnt drink the watter from a bog or swamp without filtering/boiling it.

Other than that, i dont think its a big deal.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Well, I agree with part of that - about 3/51.

 

[hollowdweller]

If we limit ourselves to the relatively safe U.S. (no cholera, for example) Giardia lamblia is hardly the only water-borne pathogen to concern us. Cryptosporidium parvum ("crypto"), Campylobacter, and E. coli are also rather significant risks.

According to the Gov., for 1598-2005 there were 798 shark attacks in the waters of the United States, resulting in 39 fatalities -- none, I might add, where I go backpacking.

In 1993, 400,000 people were infected by crypto in Milwaukee. 100 died. Those in good health rarely died. They did suffer an average if twelve (12) days of watery diarrhea, peaking at nineteen (19) watery bowel movements per day and a typical loss of weight of ten (10) pounds.

In an incident in the past ten years, 2300 got sick in Walkerton, Canada, from water-borne pathogens. Seven died.

So water-bourne pathogens are a far more significant risk than shark attacks - especially on land.

The CDC calls water-bourne pathogens "a major cause of morbidity and mortality."

Crypto, like Giardia, is spread by a variety of mammels. Bambi (or Billy) drinks from an infected stream, takes a dump in or near the stream over the ridge, and the second stream is a risk. (Hence the rules in the parks and forests mandating [Pious hope!] hundreds of feet between streams and places where one takes a "dump.")

Estimates for distribution of Giardia that I found on the internet range from "most" to 16 - 17.8% of total surface water sources (Distribution of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Surface Waters, Abrams, Lechevallier, and Abbaszadegan, Abstracts of the General Meeting of the Society of Microbiology, 1999).

In a survival situation, you are already nearer the edge than the norm. Increasing the risks for an adverse result by drinking untreated surface water seems ill-advised. Twelve days of watery diarrhea, peaking at 19 bm's a day might tip the margin to non-survival.

But suit yourself.

Ed: If you are dying of thirst, you do what you have to do. But as noted by SkunkWerX, because a relatively slight weight penalty solves the problem, why not have that gear? And if time allows, boiling or even slow sand filtration is quite effective. We ought to reason to the correct solution from the facts.

NOTE: Neither iodine or bleach are a safe preventive for Crypto.

Excellent post and research. Should almost be an informational sticky

 

[Briggz]

NOTE: Neither iodine or bleach are a safe preventive for Crypto.

I have access to quantities of KmnO4, potassium permanganate. I hear this is useful in the purification of water. However, I do not know to what extent. Does anyone have info on this?

Also, I have heard that mixed with sugar it can make a great fire starter. Maybe a little unstable but ignites easily so just do not mix before needed.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Potassium permanganate is an oxydizer, so as far as mixing with things that go boom, you need oxydizer + fuel. I'll stick with potassium nitrate, which is cheaper and a plenty good oxydizer.

They use KMnO4 in fish ponds, like you said, as it kills parasites and bacteria.
Haven't heard of it being used for drinking water. Unfortunately potassium permanganate acts as a poison too. 10-20 grams of potassium permanganate is enough to kill a person.

Used in a 5 acre pond, in small amounts is one thing, but to try to use it to purify drinknig water? Probably not too good an idea.

 

[platinummatt]

well this is all very interesting. Surely you should boil if you can? What will boiling get rid of? and would a brita filter get rid of these things lol

 

[SkunkWerX]

Absolutely, boil and/or treat, if, and whenever possible.

I posted originally to bring to light, in NorthAmerica, that the risk of getting something like Giardia or Crypto is being compared to the same statistical risk with being bitten by a shark.

As they stated, in many cases, the hikers develop diahrea, immediately claim Giardia , when in fact, it's simple food prep/cross contamination that is the culprit.

In no way did I suggest people should throw caution to the wind.

 

[Kevin the grey]

Since I moved to the city proper my water tastes like javel . Its drinkable alone . If I eat a nice piece of fruit and drink some water to wash it down its like I,m drinking bleach .

With the spring thaw my water tastes like river water . It tastes like nature intended it to taste . There is a touch of earth and stone in there . A light green taste that says everything is alright .

I guess they figure the rushing spring water flushes out any pollutants and they lower the amount of chemicals they put in . What do you think ?

 

[Thomas Linton]

. . .I posted originally to bring to light, in NorthAmerica, that the risk of getting something like Giardia or Crypto is being compared to the same statistical risk with being bitten by a shark.
. . .

The only references to the 'University of Cincinnati" study (said to be about giardia only) that I can find are second or third-hand.

The University sent me the following link in response to an inquiry: www.uc.edu/info-services/giardia.htm. You will note that it emphasizes the risk of illness.

So can anyone provide a link to the study?

Further, are there any studies minimizing the risk of crypto?

 

[Coldwood]

Here in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York, the landscape is riddled with large and small lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Giardia is commonly referred to here as "beaver fever", meaning that beaver have been living in some of those ponds doing what beaver do naturally, as well as the fish, so drinking from the pond drainage stream could be a real problem. I think you have to be aware of your surroundings and where the water is coming from.. I would never drink farm run-off in a drainage ditch, but I have drunk from high mountain streams where I know there is no pond above. We have a couple of natural artesian wells in our area that pump out water by the gallons a minute, 24-7-365. Many people go there with milk jugs to take home the water for drinking, for years. Our first water source at my house was gravity fed from an underground spring that served several households. Now our water comes from a 300-foot well where the water is filtered through a gravel bed. There are many farm homesteads around here that still use shallow dug wells. Of course you don't want the outhouse or septic field too near the wells. Do you think we develop a resistance to these things over the years?