Drinking creek water

I was steep and deep the other day and I ran out of water. So I figured a good flowing creek was a good option.

How many of you would do this? Or have done this?

I figured that it would be pretty clean in comparison to what some people in the world have to consume.

Depends where it is draining from and how well it is flowing. At this time of year, I wouldn't hesitate to drink from any creek on the Shore that isn't below inhabited areas (like the creeks along the BP trail out to Quarry Rock), or a large body of standing water. In late summer, I'd be a bit more cautious based on how well it was flowing.

Don't drink from creek on Mt. Seymour...

If it's flowing fast & has been raining I'll drink from most any creek on the shore. But there's that one creek on Seymour that stinks. I think it comes from the resort up top. Avoid that one.

Which one is that?

http://lifestraw.com/

Or carry one of these.

More efficient weight loss plan than alloy spoke nipples.

But for reals a fast flowing water source yes. Standing water, no.

No worries about beaver fever? (giardia?)  It can be present even in flowing water. 

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/giardia-infection

My old dog got that once on the farm & suffered greatly.

When you need water and a running spring time Shore creek above all houses is all I've got, I'd do it and not really worry. 

I have however worried about drinking from random rural sprinklers probably supplied by wells in the dead hot summer. When you run out of water in the hot sun far from home you do what you gotta do. The alternative is sometimes far worse

Up until 2007 or so, North Van didnt have a water filtration plant and drank from Seymour and Capilano lakes.  Which came from the creeks.

True, but not the creeks the resort was dumping into.

Posted by: slider32

No worries about beaver fever? (giardia?) It can be present even in flowing water.

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/giardia-infection

<span style="background-color: white;"></span>

This story is a sample size of one, worth exactly what you paid for it

Somebody I used to ride w/in the nineties tree planted one summer, ran out of water on the cut block & decided to fill his bottle from a water source close by. He got beaver fever bad & ended up lactose intolerant. F!@k that! At least have a way to filter/treat the water if you "have" to fill up where you find yourself. The Canadian Dairy producers Thank You for your co-operation!

I just got one these Katadyn BeFree bottles. Great flow compared to the straws and rolls up to fit in a pocket.