# Water From Rivers and Streams



## Kolacky (Jul 26, 2016)

I was reading a Louise L'Amour book, and of course, the cowboys and the trackers would just drink water from the rivers and streams that they came across. Here is a question, that might be a dumb one: Is it possible to become immune to giardia? Our ancesters didn't boil water before they drank it. How would one go about building up a tolerance for it? Is it possible, without completely trashing your GI tract or your immune system? That would be very helpful instead of having to filter/boil/treat water in a SHTF scenario.

Am I a complete nut to think this is a possibility? I woke up in the night with this idea and it might just be too out there. Opinions?


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## Deaf3279 (Jul 25, 2016)

our ancestor have water more much clear. Today river is laced with chemical from varies factory/chemical. Also toxic from sewer dump into river. It's not safe to drink them... Unless filter and boiling. Rain water is unsafe too from all dirty industrial smog, airplane jet fuel, and many thing in air. Just run though filter and boiler play it safe.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Our immune system have, and will over time adapt to our environment to a degree. So yes, some resistance can be realized over time. It's like drinking the water in third world countries, makes you sick, but not the locals.

And Deaf ^^^^^^^^ is right about pollution deteriorating stream quality, inclusive of commercial discharges and farming chemicals. Beware that in a SHTF event animal and human bodies in/near bodies of water will likely add to the lack of clean water.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

if it flows - good chance it has a municipal sewer system dumping discharge into it - grid down or manpower gone the systems will either fail or be purposely bypassed - wouldn't count on drinking from any exposed source for awhile .... that doesn't even begin to include the industrial possibilities or what a SHTF would add to the water ....


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## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

There where also large outbreaks of cholera and other water borne illnesses even when the water wasn't as poluted as it is today. Don't take a chance, filter if you can and always boil


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

It depends on the person. For example, I would encourage all Bernie Sanders' voters to drink from The Flint River.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Slippy said:


> It depends on the person. For example, I would encourage all Bernie Sanders' voters to drink from The Flint River.


And no matter what slippy says.. a double shot of bourbon will not kill virus or Bacteria


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## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

I swim in all the local water, no way to avoid drinking a little. I don't get sick but I wouldn't drink it for hydration unless it was an emergency without treatment. 

I do use treated river and swamp water in the summer on occasion.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

When I was a kid, I fished and swam in the Allegheny River near downtown Pittsburgh. It was an untreated sanitary sewer back then and a dump for every kind of industrial waste there was. I never got sick.

But maybe that explains why today I am insane.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

My father in law would swim across the Monongahela (great Depression) from Braddock and then back. The fish I caught out of there as a kid sometimes had tumors and occasionally two heads. All kinds of industrial waste, raw sewage and the occasional dead horse. Personally I would question any source, especially the larger it is. Treat it if possible. Even a small spring might be a problem. look at the insects and aquatic life. If absent...red flag.


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## Kolacky (Jul 26, 2016)

I knew you guys would know what I hadn't thought of. What you all said makes sense. Thanks for the input!


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

Northern Alaska and Canada.. water is closer to the source and fine... sh*t rolls downhill...


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## 7515 (Aug 31, 2014)

Slippy said:


> It depends on the person. For example, I would encourage all Bernie Sanders' voters to drink from The Flint River.


I used to swim and fish in the Flint when I was a kid. Back then we lived just south of Hartsfield airport where the Flint originates. That was in the late 60's and early 70's.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Deaf3279 said:


> our ancestor have water more much clear. Today river is laced with chemical from varies factory/chemical. Also toxic from sewer dump into river. It's not safe to drink them... Unless filter and boiling. Rain water is unsafe too from all dirty industrial smog, airplane jet fuel, and many thing in air. Just run though filter and boiler play it safe.


Dont think water tainted with harmful chemicals is going to profit much from filtering and boiling. Now if just trying to get rid of germs and virus's its a good plan. Or use the Life Straw or Sawyer mini filters. To negate the chemicals steam distillation is the only thing that springs immediately to mind. That's how God purifies water..so it bound to work better than anything else.


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## SoCal92057 (Apr 12, 2014)

If you are not drinking spring water directly from the point where it exits the ground, and I mean directly, you must assume it is contaminated. Animals that have died upstream and are rotting in the water or have defecated in the stream will contaminate what you will be drinking. Other than in a hydration emergency, water should be filtered, boiled or chemically purified. Remember, water that is chemically contaminated is another larger problem.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Early hominids were immune to many things we no longer are. Our appendix was actually useful at one time. Now it is just redundant. Animals are immune to alot of those bugs.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Think the human appendix is still alive and well.
Scientists Finally Discover The Function of the Human Appendix : Political Blind Spot


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## Kolacky (Jul 26, 2016)

In a SHTF scenario, do you really think the chemicals in the water will have enough time to harm us before we die from something else? Not being sarcastic here. Very curious about this. Would we really have time to develop cancer before we die from something else: lead poisoning, hatchet cut to extremity, compound fracture that gets infected, heart attack from doing chores we aren't in shape for, West Nile Virus, etc.?


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