Any thing wrong with drinking water from a lake/river/stream etc

[Haai]

Assuming there's no nuclear waste or wotever dumped into it, is it safe to drink water from a lake/river/stream etc?
I was always told that in order to make it safe it had to be boiled or iodine tablets had to be added to kill bacteria and parasites etc, but now that I know that the germ theory is probably a load of bs I began to wonder...

[goodsamaritan]

It would be my last choice.  I'd boil it first to be sure.

My first choice would be fresh mountain spring water.

[cherimoya_kid]

I drink from local rivers and streams here in the mountains of rural northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia all the time when hiking.  Of course, there's basically nothing but hundreds of square miles of wilderness upstream from me here.  You need to be careful about what's upstream, but, in general, if fish can live in it, and it's a very rural area, you're probably safe.

This doesn't apply in most of the 3rd world.  Many of those areas have Giardia and other highly unpleasant bacteria, and you do not want a case of dystentery while travelling.

[kurite]

Well first how long have you been on a raw paleo diet, as it takes a while to fully rebuild your immune system. Second just because its a spring doesn't mean its clean. Many springs can be full of garbage and toxic waste.
If you want to find a spring near you here is Daniel Vitalis's website.
http://www.findaspring.com/

[goodsamaritan]

Daniel is great!
That is an awesome use of Google Maps.

[wodgina]

I don't get it, we can eat shit and rotten meat and get healthier. But drink from rivers, streams and stagnant ponds make us ill?

Are you guys sure isn't it just high water?

[kurite]

Daniel is great!
That is an awesome use of Google Maps.

Couldn't agree more, hes awesome.

I don't get it, we can eat shit and rotten meat and get healthier. But drink from rivers, streams and stagnant ponds make us ill?

Are you guys sure isn't it just high water?

I think its just the magnitude that humans have degregaded the water to the point that it contains poisons, toxins and bacteria/parasites that would not naturally be present in water.