Don’t drink the water…

Greg Armstrong

Greg Armstrong

Go Green - Fish Bamboo
Forum Supporter
Growing up here as a kid we never had to worry about drinking the water in our cold fast flowing creeks and rivers. We never had to worry about getting sick, and we never did. It was my job on family camping trips to go down to the creek with a bucket to fill it up for camp use. I think it was the early 70’s when Giardia became an issue and we sadly had to stop doing that.
I thought about that while fishing a mountain stream today when I glanced downstream and noticed this doe and her two fawns. One of them squatted down and promptly peed in the river just as I took the picture. It made me laugh.
The Rainbows I caught weren’t big, but they were fat and healthy and they jumped high. Using my old Granger I caught them on both dries and nymphs about 50/50, the best ones on nymphs as usual. It was a good day to finally be out fishing.

1582924D-9305-4ED8-AB16-78068D3B858B.jpeg
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Greg Armstrong said:
Growing up here as a kid we never had to worry about drinking the water in our cold fast flowing creeks and rivers. We never had to worry about getting sick, and we never did. It was my job on family camping trips to go down to the creek with a bucket to fill it up for camp use. I think it was the early 70’s when Giardia became an issue and we sadly had to stop doing that.
I thought about that while fishing a mountain stream today when I glanced downstream and noticed this doe and her two fawns. One of them squatted down and promptly peed in the river just as I took the picture. It made me laugh.
The Rainbows I caught weren’t big, but they were fat and healthy and they jumped high. Using my old Granger I caught them on both dries and nymphs about 50/50, the best ones on nymphs as usual. It was a good day to finally be out fishing.
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I’ve got a UV Steripen which is kind of a neat concept for our relatively clean mountain streams. I used it incorrectly for many years, albeit infrequently, but it wasn’t doing any sterilization, and I never got sick. I guess I got lucky. It wasn’t on purpose and I would rather not take the chance.
 
Fortunately waters in the PNW don't contain viruses so we don't need purification. I carry one of these, empty while in the river. It's durable yet still saves me almost 5 lbs of carrying a full 3 liter bladder. It holds 34 ounces which can last long enough for hiking in or out a couple of miles.

sawyer.com

Personal Water Bottle | Sawyer Products

To those who prefer self-contained water filtration systems, this is the system for you. Simply scoop water and continue the adventure.
sawyer.com sawyer.com
 
Brian Miller said:
Fortunately waters in the PNW don't contain viruses so we don't need purification. I carry one of these, empty while in the river. It's durable yet still saves me almost 5 lbs of carrying a full 3 liter bladder. It holds 34 ounces which can last long enough for hiking in or out a couple of miles.

sawyer.com

Personal Water Bottle | Sawyer Products

To those who prefer self-contained water filtration systems, this is the system for you. Simply scoop water and continue the adventure.
sawyer.com sawyer.com
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Brian,
I'm not sure what you mean by that first sentence. Viruses are tiny and may not be filtered by some/most water purification systems, but the real concern is mainly with coliform bacteria and Giardia, neither of which are viruses and all of which are much larger size (especially Giardia, which is a unicellular eukaryote). Giardia is very widely distributed in the US now, but as the OP noted, it is believed to have been introduced only 50-75 years ago. It is certainly in water sources in the PNW, but probably either absent or in low abundance in many remote streams, so stories like Matt's, where he probably drank unpurified water without consequence, are not unexpected.
 
Richard Olmstead said:
Brian,
I'm not sure what you mean by that first sentence. Viruses are tiny and may not be filtered by some/most water purification systems, but the real concern is mainly with coliform bacteria and Giardia, neither of which are viruses and all of which are much larger size (especially Giardia, which is a unicellular eukaryote). Giardia is very widely distributed in the US now, but as the OP noted, it is believed to have been introduced only 50-75 years ago. It is certainly in water sources in the PNW, but probably either absent or in low abundance in many remote streams, so stories like Matt's, where he probably drank unpurified water without consequence, are not unexpected.
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Richard, I think what Brian said concurs with what you posted. In the world of outdoor water treatment, there are products labeled as water filters and ones labeled water purifiers. The filters handle bacteria and larger organisms that we find in our streams but for use where one has to worry about water-borne viruses (mostly overseas), one needs a product labeled as a water purifier. The purifiers list the efficacy and size of the viruses that they will reliably remove if used properly.

So, I believe that you both are saying the same thing: in the NW streams, we only need to filter our water, not purify it.
 
Yep, no drinking the water.
I remember years ago when elk hunting never carrying water. Just drink right out of the elk wallow, (not really) but drank out of the springs coming out of the rocks.
Not any more.
Hell I even filter my tap water.
 
Freestone said:
Richard, I think what Brian said concurs with what you posted. In the world of outdoor water treatment, there are products labeled as water filters and ones labeled water purifiers. The filters handle bacteria and larger organisms that we find in our streams but for use where one has to worry about water-borne viruses (mostly overseas), one needs a product labeled as a water purifier. The purifiers list the efficacy and size of the viruses that they will reliably remove if used properly.

So, I believe that you both are saying the same thing: in the NW streams, we only need to filter our water, not purify it.
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In fact purifier filters may have an iodine cartridge in them to actively kill viruses and other microorganisms. I mistakenly bought one for local use and found the water had a distinct and unrefreshing taste. I contacted the mfg about the (additional) difficulty of low flow and the CS rep said I didn't need the purification level of protection here. I returned it and bought the Sawyer that has a great flow rate and the filter lasts for years with back-flushing as needed.
 
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I will continue to eat processed foods, drive on the freeways, and drink water out of alpine streams.
I like to gamble.
 
I used to live dangerously. I drank water out of a hose, rode in the back of a p/u, traveled in a car without a seat belt, hitchhiked, ate perch out of the sound by the ferry docks. By being tough as a kid helped me live this long.
 
Any Texicans on here, who drank water from a hoof print…?

(Reminder of True Grit)
 
Old Man said:
I used to live dangerously. I drank water out of a hose, rode in the back of a p/u, traveled in a car without a seat belt, hitchhiked, ate perch out of the sound by the ferry docks. By being tough as a kid helped me live this long.
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Growing up in rural Vermont, I always drank straight out of clean-looking mountain streams. I don't remember ever getting sick from it. I wonder if you build a resistance to the bacteria and pathogens in your local environment. If I go to Mexico and and get Montezuma's Revenge, that doesn't mean the local folks would get it if they ate and drank the same things I did, right?
 
I remember reading an old article about Giardia. It said it was brought here into the high country initially by pack animals. It then was spread by wild critters, namely rodents - Pikas, Marmots, Chipmunks etc. (and maybe by little fawns peeing in the river like the one in my photo ), and is now found even in cold springs and snowmelt trickles. First heard of it becoming an issue in the early 70’s.
I’ve never had it, and I don’t want it.
 
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