Is it safe to drink spring and melt water?

[Born2BBrad]

I have always thought that it was safe to drink spring water coming right out of the ground.

Then I got to thinking, what if an animal did its business in the snow, the snow melted, the melt water percolated into the ground, then the water came out of the ground? Does the ground filter out the bad stuff? Is there scientific evidence?

In a related scenario, what if the melt water comes out at the base of a snow field? Is that safe to drink if an animal did its business above in the snow field?

Just wondering...

[Koda]

I have no scientific understanding but my vote is yes, there is a risk in both scenarios.

[texasbb]

I have no scientific understanding but my vote is yes, there is a risk in both scenarios.

I have no scientific understanding either, and I agree there is a risk, but I suggest that the risk is low for the meltwater, lower for the spring.

[Lumpy]

Risk is a funny thing. Without testing, you just don't know what the real risks are for contaminants or pathogens. A filter, chemical treatment, or UV light source can remove giardia from water, but not lead, solvents, etc. Charcoal filters to remove other pollutants can work, or not.

[adamschneider]

I've never had any qualms about drinking from springs; the earth is a pretty effective filter. (Obviously, closer to the source is better.) Lots of people get their home's water supply from an untreated well, and that's really no different.

[Koda]

I've never had any qualms about drinking from springs; the earth is a pretty effective filter. (Obviously, closer to the source is better.) Lots of people get their home's water supply from an untreated well, and that's really no different.

I think the difference is significant. Well water is technically ground water and spring water is technically surface water. Wells are dug deep enough on purpose to eliminate surface contaminants, dead animals, poop etc.

[Lumpy]

My well water has a coliform bacteria in it. People that have compromised immune systems shouldn't drink it, no one has reported any illness to me. Do you still trust all ground water? There are wells in areas where fracking is being done that have dangerous chemicals in the water.

[Roy]

I have always just used common sense. When I travel through the Mt Margaret BC I know there is a lot of Elk around They don't like hard places to walk any more than we do. So I look for steep snow fields that have nothing near by to entice them. Springs in the lower lands in the woods just give me a bad feeling. And I would not drink anything that was not boiled around the Lunch Counter or similar hotels high up in the mountains.

I have not gotten ill yet knock on wood.

[forester]

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I use one of these Sawyer 3-way filters and can basically drink from anywhere. That said, I was in a fairly dry area this weekend and passed by some mosquito ponds, choosing to go without water for a few miles before I got to something running. I could have filled up in those ponds, but didn't want to risk it, even though it isn't much of a risk (according to Sawyer).

The only time I've drank from "wild" water was pure desperation and was motivation for picking up the filter. Best $50 I've spent on any piece of hiking gear.

[adamschneider]

Well water is technically ground water and spring water is technically surface water.

Depends on the spring. In Central Oregon there are a lot of springs that come out from between layers of lava flows, and there's nothing surficial about them.